Bellarmine Mugabe to Appear in Alexandra Court Over Hyde Park Shooting
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, is expected to appear before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg today in connection with an attempted murder charge following a shooting at his upmarket Hyde Park residence last week, Thursday.
Police arrested the 28‑year‑old and another man after a 23‑year‑old gardener employed at the property was shot and left in critical condition; investigations are ongoing and officers have not yet recovered the firearm allegedly used in the incident.
Zambia now most digitally connected country in Southern Africa – Mutati
SCIENCE and Technology Minister Felix Mutati says Zambia has now positioned itself as the most digitally connected country in Southern Africa after linking up with Mozambique through a new fibre-optic interconnector launched at the Chanida Border.
Speaking during the launch of the fiber optic interconnector yesterday hosted by Bayobab Zambia and Vodacom, Mutati said the development marked a major breakthrough in Zambia’s digital transformation agenda and placed the country at the centre of regional connectivity.
“With this connection, Zambia is now linked to eight of our neighbours in the region,” Mutati said.
“And I may just boast that we now become the most connected country digitally within the context of Southern Africa.”
The minister said government was already pushing ahead with plans to link Zambia to Burundi and eventually to the rest of the continent, explaining that the objective was not only to modernize Zambia but to help transform African economies collectively.
Mutati said the milestone was possible because Zambia and Mozambique had both created an environment that encourages investment in technology, adding that private companies could only deliver if governments provided clear policy and supportive regulation.
“The two governments are not shy for the private sector to make money,” he said.
“When you make money, you invest more. When you invest more, our people get better services. The only caution is this, don’t eat alone. If you do, you will choke.”
He said digital infrastructure had now become as important as roads, energy and rail, pointing out that government services, especially in rural areas, depended heavily on robust connectivity for systems like social cash transfer and digital public services.
Mutati also revealed that the government’s decision to remove duty on digital infrastructure imports was one of the key policy measures that made the Chanida interconnector possible.
Meanwhile, Mozambican Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation Américo Muchanga, who joined Mutati at the event, reaffirmed the long-standing bond between the two countries,a relationship Mutati described using the late Mozambican President Samora Machel’s iconic phrase “Tulipo… we are here.”
“When Zambia struggled with energy, Mozambique was there,” Mutati said.
“When we faced transport challenges for goods and fuel, Mozambique opened its routes. ‘Tulipo’ …we are here for each other.”
🚨🗣️ Louis Saha: “We live in a sad world. From what I have seen, a lot of footballers wives leave after the end of their husbands’ careers… and I am one of them!”
“I always cry when I remember the advice a friend of mine gave me about my ex wife. He told me:
‘Saha go back to that girl you were dating when you had nothing, when nobody knew you. she’s the real deal, not these models and gold diggers'”
“I didn’t take him serious, even at a point I felt he was jealous because my ex wife was more beautiful than his. I would just laughed whenever he starts with the conversation but today he’s the own laughing at me.”
ALERT: AMERICA’S EYE MALFUNCTIONING NEAR IRAN? THE AWACS MYTH CRUSHES!
Persistent reports from the Gulf indicate a critical situation: one of the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, the US military’s “flying brain,” has reportedly been seriously “disabled” electronically during a surveillance mission near Iranian airspace.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE SHADOWS:
The Electronic “Black Hole”: It may not have been a missile that hit it, but an invisible wave. Iran has reportedly deployed next-generation jamming systems capable of overwhelming the Pentagon’s most powerful radars. Frequency Panic: Without AWACS, US fighter jets are flying “blind.” Coordination between aircraft carriers and ground troops has broken down.
A Giant with Feet of Clay: These aircraft cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but by 2026, they appear vulnerable to Tehran’s asymmetric electronic warfare.
💡 NEPTUNE’S ANALYSIS: THE SILENT WAR
“For Neptune, this is Washington’s nightmare scenario. The goal is no longer to shoot down the aircraft, but to silence its consciousness. If Iran has succeeded in rendering an AWACS inoperable without firing a single shot, then American air supremacy is nothing but a memory. By 2026, whoever controls the airwaves controls the world. Uncle Sam has just hit a digital wall.” — Neptune.
The Solomon Islands is the only place on Earth with dark-skinned people who have naturally blond hair.
Why? A unique gene found nowhere else on the planet.
In the remote Solomon Islands of Melanesia, about 10% of the dark-skinned population naturally has bright blond hair. It’s an unusual trait that puzzled researchers for years.
Unlike the common assumption that blond hair comes from European ancestry, a 2012 genetic study revealed that this golden hair evolved independently in the region due to a unique mutation.
Scientists found that a single-letter change in the DNA of Melanesians (replacing “C” with “T”) affects melanin production, leading to blond hair.
This genetic variation is entirely distinct from the genes responsible for blond hair in Europeans, making it a fascinating case of convergent evolution — where similar traits arise in different populations through separate genetic pathways.
SUSAN RICE’S SHOCK WARNING TO “KNEELING” CORPORATE GIANTS: “IT WON’T END WELL”
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice has delivered a stark message to major corporations she believes aligned themselves too closely with Donald Trump.
In blunt remarks now sending tremors through boardrooms, Rice warned that if Democrats return to power, it will not be a case of “forgive and forget.” Instead, she signaled that there would be consequences for companies that, in her view, “took a knee” during the Trump era.
“There will be accountability,” she cautioned. “It’s not going to end well for them.”
The message was unmistakable: businesses that enabled or normalized what critics describe as authoritarian behavior should not expect a free pass in the future.
With political tensions already high ahead of the next election cycle, Rice’s comments are likely to intensify debate over corporate responsibility, political loyalty, and the long memory of Washington power struggles.
Japan seeks peace with Russia…Moscow says a deal remains unlikely
Russia says a formal peace treaty with Japan is still unlikely even decades after World War II, pointing to the unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.
The islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, were occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of WWII. Both countries continue to claim sovereignty, and the disagreement has prevented the two nations from ever signing a formal peace agreement.
Relations have worsened further since the Ukraine war. Japan joined Western sanctions against Russia, freezing assets, restricting exports of sensitive technologies, and limiting financial transactions. Tokyo has also provided economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and supported reconstruction efforts.
The ongoing dispute now combines historical grievances with current geopolitical tensions, affecting diplomacy, trade and the wider security balance in East Asia.
Pakistan has carried out multiple overnight air strikes inside Afghanistan, with the Taliban authorities saying at least 18 people, including women and children, were killed.
Islamabad said the strikes targeted seven alleged militant camps and hideouts near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described the operation as an “intelligence-based selective targeting” and a “retributive response” to recent suicide bombings in Pakistan.
The government said the targets included members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it refers to as “Fitna al Khawarij,” along with their affiliates and the Islamic State – Khorasan Province.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a “blatant violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity” and a breach of international law. The Taliban defence ministry warned that an “appropriate and measured response” would be taken.
According to Taliban officials, the strikes hit civilian areas in Nangarhar Province and Paktika Province. In Girdi Kas village in Nangarhar’s Bihsud district, residents reported heavy casualties after homes were destroyed.
A local resident, Shahabuddin, told reporters that only five out of 23 members of his family survived after their house was hit. A Taliban spokesman said 18 members of that family were killed. Earlier reports suggested around 20 fatalities. No deaths were immediately confirmed in other targeted areas.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to act against militants operating from Afghan territory, claiming it has “conclusive evidence” linking recent attacks to leadership based in Afghanistan.
The air strikes come months after a fragile ceasefire was agreed in October following deadly cross-border clashes — the worst fighting since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Despite the ceasefire, sporadic violence has continued.
The latest escalation raises concerns of renewed instability along the 1,600-mile mountainous border shared by the two countries.
Investigations and assessments of the full casualty toll are ongoing.
Moroccan LGBTQ Woman Deported via Cameroon Despite US Protection Order
A 21-year-old Moroccan woman identified as Farah says she is living in hiding in Morocco after being deported from the United States through Cameroon — despite having a protection order from a US immigration judge.
Homosexuality is criminalized in Morocco and punishable by up to three years in prison under Article 489 of the penal code. Farah told AP that she fled the country after facing severe violence from her family over her sexual orientation.
According to her, she was beaten by relatives and by the family of her partner after their relationship was discovered. She said she was forced out of her home and later tracked down and nearly killed. Fearing for her life, she and her partner traveled to Brazil on visas before undertaking a weeks-long journey across six countries to reach the United States border in early 2025, where they applied for asylum.
Farah says she was detained for nearly a year in US immigration facilities in Arizona and Louisiana. Although her asylum claim was denied, she received a protection order in August from a US immigration judge, barring her deportation to Morocco on the grounds that it would endanger her life.
However, she says she was later handcuffed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and flown to Yaoundé , Cameroon — a country she had never visited and where same-sex relations are also criminalized. She was held in a detention facility in the capital before being returned to Morocco.
Farah says Cameroonian authorities asked if she wished to remain in the country, but she refused, citing safety concerns. She was subsequently flown back to Morocco, where she now says she is in hiding and fears being located by her family.
She is among dozens of migrants allegedly deported to third countries by the Trump administration despite holding protection orders issued by US immigration judges. The exact number of affected individuals remains unclear.
Lawyer Joseph Awah Fru, who represents detainees in Cameroon, reportedly stated that at least 15 deportees from various African countries are currently being held in a detention facility in Yaoundé, none of whom are Cameroonian nationals.
The case raises renewed questions about third-country deportations, due process protections, and compliance with international human rights standards, particularly for vulnerable individuals fleeing persecution based on sexual orientation. How fair are these deportations into third party countries without due processes?
Armed Man Shot Dead After Breaching Security at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Residence
A man has been shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Officials say the incident occurred at approximately 01:30 ET (06:30 GMT). The suspect, described as a white male, was reportedly carrying a shotgun and a fuel can when he was stopped at one of the gates of the property.
According to authorities, officers confronted the individual after he entered the secured area. When he allegedly raised the shotgun, agents opened fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting in the investigation and collecting evidence. Further details regarding the suspect’s identity and motive have not yet been released.
Officials also confirmed that President Trump was not in Florida at the time of the incident.
OUTRAGE IN QUAKERTOWN: POLICE CHIEF ACCUSED OF CHOKEHOLD ON TEEN AT ICE PROTEST
Shockwaves are rippling through Quakertown after Police Chief Scott McElree was allegedly caught on camera placing a teenage girl in a chokehold during an anti-ICE protest.
The incident reportedly unfolded while McElree was in plainclothes and not wearing a police uniform. The teen’s alleged “offense”? Taking part in a demonstration and exercising her right to free speech.
Local journalists say they identified the police chief through photos, video footage, and eyewitness accounts from the scene. Despite mounting questions and public backlash, McElree has so far declined to comment.
The footage has ignited fierce debate in the community, with critics calling it a disturbing display of excessive force and a potential abuse of authority. As pressure builds, residents are demanding answers and accountability.
BLOODBATH IN JALISCO: ‘EL MENCHO’ GUNNED DOWN IN ARMY STRIKE
Mexico’s most feared drug lord is dead.
Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the elusive leader of the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed on February 22, 2026, during a high-intensity military operation in Jalisco, according to official reports.
The dramatic takedown came after cartel operatives unleashed fiery roadblocks across the region, torching vehicles in a desperate bid to halt advancing troops. Heavy clashes followed as Mexican forces moved in to dismantle what authorities described as the cartel’s command structure.
President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the mission as a “surgical and definitive strike,” though the scale of retaliation suggests CJNG fighters were bracing for a major confrontation.
The operation comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump designated the CJNG a Foreign Terrorist Organization, paving the way for deeper intelligence cooperation and drone support between Washington and Mexico.
BREAKING: US Navy Spy Drone Sparks Gulf Mystery After Mayday Signal Near Iran
A high-tech US Navy surveillance drone has vanished in dramatic fashion over the tense waters of the Persian Gulf moments after sending out an emergency signal.
The unmanned MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance aircraft was reportedly operating south of Iran when it suddenly broadcast a distress alert before disappearing from radar screens. The cutting-edge drone, used for long-range maritime intelligence missions, has not been located.
There has been no official confirmation from the US military on what triggered the alarm. Early speculation ranges from a serious technical malfunction to the possibility of external interference, but authorities have yet to comment publicly.
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity in the region, fuelling questions about what really happened in the skies over the Gulf. Defence watchers and international observers are now awaiting updates as the mystery deepens.
BLOOD, BETRAYAL & A $10M RANSOM: MOB BOSS’S SON TORTURED IN BALI KIDNAP HORROR
A chilling international drama has exploded after 28-year-old Igor Komarov son of alleged Ukrainian crime figure Oleksandr Petrovsky, also known as “Narik” was snatched while holidaying in Bali.
In a gut-wrenching ransom video circulating online, a battered and bloodied Igor pleads for his family to hand over $10 million money kidnappers claim was stolen through shadowy call-centre scams. The captors allege the cash was protected by his father’s criminal network.
The footage reportedly shows Igor missing fingers and suffering shattered legs, with threats that an arm could be severed next. “No police. No underworld fixers,” the masked abductors warn.
Igor had been travelling with his brother, Ermak Petrovsky, who reportedly escaped. Sources suggest the kidnappers tracked Igor through social media posts showing off a luxury boat trip with girlfriend Eva Mishalova.
Authorities in Indonesia and Ukraine remain silent but whispers point to brutal payback from Russian or Chechen crime syndicates. Igor’s fate now hangs in the balance.
Incredible Story of Stamatis Moraitis, the Man Who Beat Cancer Without Medical Treatment
In 1976, Stamatis Moraitis, a Greek World War II veteran living in the United States, learned that advanced lung cancer left him only a few months to live. Refusing the heavy treatments offered, he made a radical choice: to return to his small native island of Ikaria, famous for the longevity of its inhabitants, to spend his last days there and be buried in the family tomb.
Upon his arrival, Moraitis spent his days bedridden, surrounded by his wife and mother. Gradually, visits from childhood friends provided social and emotional stimulation. He began walking again, gardening, attending church, and visiting the local café to play tavli. The nine months predicted by doctors turned into decades: he lived nearly forty more years, reaching an estimated age of between 98 and 102.
His lifestyle on the island was simple and healthy: local foods, wild herbs, homemade wine, daily physical activity, and strong social connections. In contrast to the comforts of American life, Moraitis saw his cancer vanish without medical treatment, illustrating, in his view, the importance of environment and lifestyle on longevity.
Ikaria, one of the famous “Blue Zones” where many centenarians live, offers a striking example of lifestyle’s impact on health. Research suggests that genes account for only about 20% of life expectancy, while diet, movement, and social interactions play a major role.
Migrants’ Bodies Wash Ashore Near Tripoli, Libya At least five migrant bodies, including two women, have washed ashore in Qasr al-Akhyar, a coastal town about 73 kilometers east of Tripoli, according to local police.
Hassan Al-Ghawil, head of investigations at the Qasr al-Akhyar police station, told Reuters that residents discovered the bodies along the Emhamid Al-Sharif shoreline and alerted authorities. He added that witnesses reported seeing a child’s body briefly wash ashore before being pulled back into the sea by strong waves. The coast guard has been asked to search for the child.
The bodies were described as dark-skinned individuals, and some were reportedly found still inside black inflatable lifebuoys. The Libyan Red Crescent has been notified to recover the remains. Authorities fear more bodies could surface.
Libya has remained a major transit route for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, particularly since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Ongoing instability and factional conflict have left migrants vulnerable to exploitation and dangerous sea crossings.
Earlier this month, the International Organization for Migration reported that 53 migrants, including two babies, were dead or missing after a rubber boat capsized off the coast of Zuwara.
A recent United Nations report also warned that migrants in Libya face serious risks, including torture, sexual violence, and forced labor, calling for a halt to the return of intercepted migrant boats to the country until human rights protections are guaranteed.
By A Correspondent – Questions are mounting over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s alleged links to the controversial 2030 agenda, following scenes at the National Youth Day commemorations held at Igava Vocational Training Center in Marondera on Saturday.
During the event, a group identified as Young Women 4ED openly sang “Tinoenda Navo VaMnangagwa 2030,” a chant widely associated with calls for the President to remain in office beyond his current term. Observers noted that Mnangagwa waved toward the chanting supporters, a gesture some have interpreted as tacit approval of the campaign urging him to extend his stay in power beyond 2028.
The development comes at a time when a Constitutional Amendment Bill has been tabled in Parliament seeking to extend the President’s term of office, further intensifying speculation that the 2030 agenda may have backing from the highest office.
Critics argue that the combination of public displays of support and proposed legal changes raises concerns about the future of Zimbabwe’s electoral cycle.-ZimEye
Ugandan NGO Urges Museveni Government to Act as Migrant Worker Faces Execution in Syria Migrant Workers Voice Uganda is urging authorities in Kampala to urgently intervene in the case of Vicky Ajok, a Ugandan domestic worker reportedly facing execution in Syria, following what the group describes as government silence on the matter.
Ajok is scheduled to be executed on February 28 after being convicted over the killing of her 87-year-old employer in Damascus. The victim has been identified in reports as veteran Syrian actress Huda Shaarawi.
Reports say the incident occurred on January 29, 2026. Ajok allegedly struck her employer with a blunt object during a confrontation, resulting in her death. She reportedly fled but was later arrested by Syrian authorities.
In her confession, earlier posted by MMI News, Ajok cited prolonged abuse and unpaid wages as factors leading to the fatal incident. Advocacy groups argue that her actions may have occurred under duress and are calling for a thorough diplomatic review of the case.
Migrant Workers Voice Uganda says the Ugandan government should explore all possible diplomatic channels, even though Uganda does not have a bilateral labor agreement with Syria. The organization is calling for urgent engagement aimed at seeking clemency, legal review, or alternative resolutions.
The case has renewed concerns about the protection of Ugandan migrant workers abroad, particularly in countries where labor agreements and legal safeguards may be limited.
So far, there has been no official confirmation from Ugandan authorities regarding diplomatic steps taken in Ajok’s case.
Former PF Cabinet Minister Alexander Chiteme Resigns From PF Central Committee
Kitwe, 22nd February, 2026
Former Patriotic Front (PF) Cabinet Minister, Alexander Chiteme, has resigned from his position as PF Member of the Central Committee (MCC).
In a statement, Hon. Chiteme dismissed claims that he had ever joined the FDD, maintaining that his political actions were firmly anchored within PF’s constitutional framework.
He acknowledged supporting Hon. Brian Mundubile during intra-party nominations, arguing that his stance was an exercise of democratic rights enshrined within the PF constitution.
“I have never joined FDD at any point,” he stated, challenging the FDD to publicly confirm whether he was ever a registered member.
“I chose to support BM8 because it is a PF constitutional right. I won’t shy away from that.”
The development comes at a time when the Patriotic Front continues to grapple with internal tensions and factional realignments ahead of crucial political milestones.
Hon. Chiteme’s resignation signals deepening divisions within the former ruling party, particularly around issues of internal democracy and candidate endorsement processes.
The former minister suggested that the investigation into his loyalty was unnecessary and politically motivated.
“Before you conclude your investigation, let me make your job easy,” he declared, confirming his resignation from PF structures.
Hon. Chiteme further announced that he is now open to joining any political party that recognizes his value and commitment to grassroots service.
He emphasized his track record of “true and physical help” to the people of Kitwe District, contrasting it with what he described as leadership through “memos” rather than tangible action.
The resignation marks a significant moment in PF’s evolving internal dynamics, particularly in the Copperbelt political landscape where loyalty, influence, and mobilization remain highly contested.
“It’s not my will but a forced decision,” He concluded, invoking faith and resilience as he charts his next political chapter.
SIXTEEN Tonse Alliance members have been arrested by police after being found locked in a room at a lodge while holding a meeting in Kalulushi.
The 16 were discovered in a room at Emerald Guest House in Kalulushi. Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Mr Mwala Yuyi said the group was picked up and charged with unlawful assembly. He said the incident occurred on Saturday, February 21, 2026, after police received information about a meeting at the guest house suspected to involve Tonse Alliance members.
Mr Yuyi said police rushed to the scene and found three vehicles parked at the lodge. “When a cleaner was asked about the whereabouts of the vehicle owners, he directed police to a room where the meeting was taking place,” he said.
Mr Yuyi said the room was locked when police arrived. He said after knocking, the door was opened, revealing 16 people inside. “During interviews, some said it was a meeting for silk, while others confirmed it was a Tonse Alliance meeting preparing for Women’s Day celebrations,” Mr Yuyi said.
He added that the 16 were detained in police cells for unlawful assembly, as they had no prior notification of the gathering. Mr Yuyi said the 16 have since been formally arrested. (Mwebantu, Sunday, 22nd Februray, 2026)
🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Hichilema Meets SEA of Copperbelt Students as Education Takes Centre Stage
Arthur Davies Stadium in Kitwe does not usually look like this.
By mid-morning, the 20,000-capacity arena had filled with students dressed in white, waving placards reading “Students for Bally” and “HH 2026.” The turnout was not symbolic. It was strategic.
The Copperbelt remains Zambia’s most unpredictable electoral battleground, and in an election year, optics matter.
President Hakainde Hichilema’s one-day working visit to the province has quickly evolved into more than a courtesy engagement. It is a calibrated political moment anchored on one of his administration’s most consequential policies: education reform.
Students from public and private institutions across the Copperbelt gathered not merely to cheer, but to engage. Meal allowances. Accommodation deficits. Infrastructure backlogs. Youth unemployment. Skills development gaps. These are not abstract issues. They are lived realities.
The National Council of Students has indicated its intention to formally table concerns affecting learners.
Education has become the New Dawn administration’s most defensible legacy pillar. Since 2021, government policy removed school fees at primary and secondary level, expanded higher education loans and bursaries, and significantly increased tertiary funding allocations.
Speaking Friday at Parliament, the President reiterated that education is “the best investment, the best equaliser, and the best inheritance we can give our children.
On the Copperbelt, those words are not rhetorical. They intersect with political memory. The region has historically swung elections. It punished incumbents in 2011. It turned decisively in 2021.
Will 2026 see a flip?
The stadium images tell their own story. Thousands of young voters, many first-time participants in a general election, are now central actors in the national conversation. Youth demographics are not marginal. They are decisive.
But engagement alone does not translate to votes. Students are also asking harder questions. What happens after graduation? Are loans sustainable? Will skills programmes align with industrial expansion in mining and manufacturing? How does education convert into employment in an economy still recalibrating?
The President’s challenge on the Copperbelt is therefore dual. Consolidate goodwill built through free education. Convince young voters that opportunity will follow access.
As Zambia approaches August 13, 2026, the education file may well become the re-election fulcrum. And on a day when a sea of students gathered in Kitwe, the political message was unmistakable.
Hail Mary, full of grace, HH is with thee: the president’s new mingalato for dealing with Catholics
By Sishuwa Sishuwa
President Hakainde Hichilema, an elder in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, has devised a new strategy of “addressing” his poor relationship with the Catholic Church: inviting himself to Catholic events such as mass. This strategy will first be unveiled today, Sunday, 22 February 2026, on the Copperbelt where Hichilema is set to attend Catholic mass at Chifubu Parish in Ndola. In devising this strategy, the president is motivated by three objectives.
The first is to manufacture a false public perception of improved relations with the Catholics. Since his election, Hichilema has presided over several unpleasant incidents that have left his relationship with the ZCCB in tatters. I will provide only a few examples. When the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary-General Batuke Imenda denounced, in May 2023, the Archbishop of Lusaka Archdiocese Alick Banda as “the Lucifer of Zambia”, “a well-known PF political conman”, and a “political opponent, not a priest” who was using the pulpit as a “political podium” in the service of the “devil [’s] scheme and a satanic philosophical tactic”, Hichilema ignored demands for a public apology from the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
When police, in May 2024, stormed the office of the Catholic Bishop of Kabwe Diocese Clement Mulenga to disrupt a courtesy-call-meeting the man of God was holding with former president Edgar Lungu, Hichilema ignored demands for a public apology from the ZCCB. When the police, in October 2024, sealed off the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in Lusaka and stopped Archbishop Banda from accessing the Church which was set to host the 10th Memorial Service for late President Michael Sata, Hichilema ignored demands for a public apology from the ZCCB.
When the ZCCB, in October 2025, asked the government to defer any amendments to Zambia’s constitution to until after the general election in order to build public trust and consensus in the constitutional reform process, Hichilema ignored the Bishops and even denounced them as people who harbour intense hatred against him because of where he was born.
More recently, in January this year, the ZCCB expressed its utmost displeasure at the police’s summoning of Archbishop Banda over a Toyota Hilux that was given to him in 2020 before it was seized and forfeited to the State in December 2023.
The Bishops’ president, Archbishop Ignatius Chama, issued a press statement on 2 January in which he stated that the body considered the summoning of Banda “as an attempt to suppress his voice as a Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Lusaka and a member of ZCCB”. Archbishop Banda, Chama added, “has faced consistent name-calling and what we can now recognise as state-sponsored persecution. We consider it an abuse of authority for the ruling party to utilise state machinery against an individual due to his stance on national governance and his efforts to hold the government accountable.
We reaffirm that it is morally wrong to use state institutions to persecute those who hold dissenting views and/or provide oversight on matters of governance.”. As he has previously and repeatedly done, Hichilema simply ignored the ZCCB’s protests.
Worried that this poor relationship with Catholics and its faithful might undermine his re-election prospects, Hichilema has devised this new strategy of visiting Catholic parishes as a way of trying to cultivate a false public perception that his relationship with the Catholic Church has greatly improved. His attempt to do so comes in the wake of the ZCCB’s recent pastoral letter, dated 30 January 2026 in which the Bishops demanded the creation of a level playing field ahead of the forthcoming general election, urged all registered voters to turn up en masse and cast their vote using their conscience and without any regard to “short-term rewards tribal loyalty”, called for transparency in the “counting nd transmission of results”, and appealed to all candidates “to commit, publicly and unequivocally” that they would accept the election results and only contest them through peaceful and legal means. The president, who has tilted the playing field against his political opponents, has so far declined all invitations to publicly pledge that he would concede defeat, if he loses the August election.
The second objective of Hichilema’s ‘I will force myself on you’ strategy is to instigate further divisions in the ZCCB by pitting one diocese against the other. To better understand this point, it is important to locate it within Hichilema’s long running differences with individual members of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops. In late 2025, for instance, on 28 November to be specific, Hichilema, in the company of his press aides for politics and legal affairs, hosted at his private home the ZCCB president Archbishop Chama who was trying to persuade him to abandon the constitutional changes that his administration ultimately forced on the country. During the meeting, the president reportedly complained that Archbishop Banda had allegedly prevented him from attending Church functions in Lusaka’s Catholic dioceses. Archbishop Chama, short of telling the president that he was lying, pushed back on this claim and correctly told the president that Catholic mass is open to everyone interested.
The truth is that no diocese or parish has ever turned Hichilema away from attending any mass in the capital city. What the president continues to present as a blockade on his right to attend Catholic mass – notwithstanding the fact that he is a practising Adventist – is a distorted record of what happened in 2024. Ahead of the earlier cited 10thanniversary of Sata’s death, Hichilema sent his officials to the Archdiocese of Lusaka to convey his desire to attend the memorial and use the pulpit to say a few words. In response, Archbishop Banda reportedly stated that the president was welcome to attend the mass but would not be allowed to use the pulpit.
It was this specific refusal that prompted Hichilema to dispatch the police and cordon off the Cathedral of the Child Jesus in an attempt to prevent the event from taking place without him. (Hichilema destroys what he cannot have – and the latest evidence of this dark principle is to be seen in his continued refusal to step aside so that his late predecessor can buried without his participation, as per the wishes of the Lungu family.)
This is the incident that the president has falsely presented, since then, as evidence of Banda’s unwillingness to let him attend mass in the Archdiocese of Lusaka. I know of several other prominent politicians from the opposition who had equally wanted to speak at the memorial but whose requests were also turned down for the same reason: that the pulpit is for use by the eligible priests, not politicians or anyone else, regardless of the event at hand or the person’s social standing. Moreover, Archbishop Banda’s position on the use of the pulpit is not based on his individual tastes.
It is rooted in the longstanding position of the Church on this subject. Even in its latest Pastoral Letter, the ZCCB repeated the point that it has always advised against allowing third parties including politicians to use the pulpit to address the faithful before, during, or after attending mass.
To avoid misinterpreting what the 12 Catholic Bishops (12 because Southern and Eastern Provinces have two each) unanimously said on the church’s role and the non-partisanship of the clergy, it is worth quoting their remarks at length: “We have consistently affirmed, most recently in 2021, that the Church is not and must never be a mouthpiece for any political party or candidate. Our duty is to form consciences, promote the common good, and speak truth to power. The clergy who align themselves with political interests risk compromising their sacred vocation.
We reiterate that [that] (a) Church premises must not be used for political campaigns; (b) No clergy or lay leader should accept political donations in exchange for influence; (c) The pulpit must remain a place of prophetic truth and moral clarity, not political opportunism. Our Churches shall always remain for all houses of prayer, reflection, and reconciliation, not partisan campaign platforms”, the Pastoral Letter the reads in part.
By getting the Archdiocese of Ndola to publicise his visit and the plan to attend mass (more on this below), Hichilema is seeking to circumvent the ZCCB’s position that the pulpit is not for political opportunism. More pointedly, the president is trying to impress the public to adopt his long held but false position that he has always wanted to attend Catholic events, even in the capital, but the Archbishop of Lusaka is the one who prevented him from doing so.
Indeed, this is how he reportedly framed his proposed visit to Chifubu parish when organising it. A well-placed Catholic priest who is familiar with the details behind the president’s Ndola trip but asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, disclosed that the presidency “wrote to the Parish priest of Chifubu who informed his Minister Provincial of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and the Provincial OFM informed Archbishop Benjamin Phiri”.
The priest added that “the Archbishop facilitated the move because he is in good terms with ba Kateka[i.e., the president] but said he might deliberately stay away to make it look like he had nothing to do with the invitation, especially if the president is allowed to speak and there is a backlash in the aftermath.
He told the Provincial to be round when the president visits….Mass is for everyone, but it should not be used by politicians to push their political agenda. I pray that he [i.e., Hichilema] will not be allowed to speak at the pulpit, as per the Bishops’ instructions. He can address the people at UPND rallies and not in the Church. And besides, he has been dividing the Catholic Church and persecuting some of our priests and bishops. We have not forgotten what he did to Archbishop Alick Banda. The Church is One, Holy Catholic, and Apostolic church. No one must be allowed to divide us. An insult to one is an insult to all. We just hope that the mingalato [i.e., political scheming] he has started will end in the Ndola diocese and will not be extended to other dioceses.”
It is highly unlikely that Archbishop Phiri, even in his perceived compromised state, would allow Hichilema to address the congregants and, in doing so, defy the ZCCB’s recent guidance that the pulpit should not be used for political opportunism. What the priest does not know is that the “mingalato” scheme is, as I show below, set to be extended to other dioceses.
Even if Hichilema is not allowed to speak at the pulpit today, the president – should he be accorded the opportunity to introduce himself and the 9 members of his entourage before the end of the church service – would have effectively signaled to other dioceses that they too must accord him the same reception when he visits, since the Archdiocese of Ndola has laid the foundation.
As well as creating a public impression that he has no problem with the Catholic Church – only with individual bishops and priests – this strategy would intensify divisions in the ZCCB, further isolate Archbishop Banda, and place him in the spotlight ahead of the president’s possible visit to Lusaka parishes.
The third and final objective of Hichilema’s new strategy is to enable him to campaign directly to the Catholic priests and faithfuls using a much-publicised presence at the Church’s most revered or foremost platform: the Sunday pulpit. The president is specifically worried about his waning popularity on the Copperbelt, a province that has produced the winning presidential candidate in all the transfers of power that Zambia has experienced since the return to multiparty in the early 1990s. Most voters on the Copperbelt share collective concerns shaped by associational life such as mineworkers’ union, ethnic identities, and religious networks.
It is to the Christian constituency that Hichilema – whose administration has handled the mining sector very poorly, prioritising foreign commercial interests over the concerns of the workers – is keen to appeal using this cham offensive to the Catholics, the largest Christian denomination on the Copperbelt.
On one of Hichilema’s previous visits to the Copperbelt, he attended a Seventh Day Adventist homily where the preacher, Webster Chabe who was also the president of the SDA Copperbelt Province Conference, publicly urged him to specifically unite and develop the country and fulfil his campaign promises more generally so that he and his party could be remembered for something when he leaves power. Chabe was hounded out of his position, through forced resignation, not long after.
Hichilema knows the political influence of the Catholic Church, whose relative financial independence protects it from state intimidation and patronage. Its priests often take messages of political change to the pulpit and deliver them in an accessible language. Meanwhile, its bishops provide regular, mostly critical, pastoral letters on the state of the nation in a way that shapes public opinion. In opposition, Hichilema benefited from this unofficial support of the Church, in addition to its denunciation of his detention on the politically motivated charge of treason.
Since his election in 2021, Hichilema has become the recipient of the Catholic Bishops’ stinging criticism for reasons that range from the unpleasant developments discussed in the first point to his administration’s governance pitfalls and the implementation of policies that impede the upliftment of the people. Initially, the president had sought to contain the ZCCB’s political influence by instigating divisions in its ranks; targeting prominent individual bishops for smear by way of presenting them as supporters of the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front, and former president Lungu; and finding incriminating material such as car gifts on outspoken bishops and priests to diminish their public standing.
This initial strategy has largely failed, as its execution has only served to further alienate Hichilema from the Bishops – hence the latest strategy of inviting himself to mass.
By forsaking his traditional faith – one that rests on the belief that Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday – and prostituting himself before the central act of worship in the life of a Catholic, Hichilema is not seeking to spend time with God and receiving His graces, for God can also be found in the Seventh Day Adventist Church; he is out to engage in the very political campaign that the ZCCB warned against in its latest Pastoral letter.
The choice of Ndola Diocese as the first site for the implementation of his revised strategy of courting Catholic votes was not accidental; it was carefully considered. The president decided to start with the Archdiocese of Ndola because it is led by Archbishop Benjamin Phiri, perceived by many as Hichilema’s most ardent supporter within the ZCCB outside the Bishops who lead the dioceses of Mongu and Monze.
Ahead of the visit, Archbishop Phiri’s archdiocese exposed the partisan considerations behind the Chifubu Parish event when it released a detailed program, on the archdiocese’s masthead, announcing the visit and specifying the activities of Hichilema and his entourage on the day. Publicising the visits of politicians is unheard off in the history of the Catholic Church, as going to mass is open to all, not by invitation. Ordained a priest on 14 September 1986, the 66-year-old Archbishop Phiri is experienced enough to know all this, but he appears to be too compromised to care.
After Ndola, Hichilema plans to roll out this strategy to other dioceses in the country. For instance, I am aware that the president is considering inviting himself to Solwezi where he is planning to attend, as part of Youth Day celebrations, a mass in honour of youths at the Catholic Diocese of Solwezi.
In fact, Hichilema had originally sought to invite himself to St Daniel Cathedral Parish of Solwezi to attend consecration on 7 February this year. This celebratory event was dubbed Closing the Year of Hope and Opening the Diocesan Golden Jubilee with Bishop Charles JS Kasonde. However, because the president made his intentions known a day before the event, the Zambia Security and Intelligence Services advised Hichilema to defer the visit – and consequently the start of the implementation of this new strategy – to a later date on the ground that it was too late to properly plan for his security in Solwezi. In the event, a delegation of over 40 government officials, who included the Permanent Secretary as well as the Minister for Northwestern Province, attended the consecration on his behalf.
The modus operandi, in terms of the implementation of this political scheming or mingalato strategy, will largely be the same: Hichilema will invite himself to a specific Catholic diocese, attend mass, make sure that his entourage – which includes his special assistant for politics, the relevant provincial minister and a few other people seeking election to public office in August– is deliberately introduced to the congregants, hold private meetings with the church’s provincial leadership, and, to ensure maximum political benefit, organise and circulate pictures or videos of the visit to a wider audiences.
As another Catholic priest told me with a degree of resignation, “This man [i.e., Hichilema] is forcing himself on us. In a sense, his actions amount to a form of rape, but I suppose he, like the conventional rapist, would care less about how we feel, provided they give him a great feeling of satisfaction.” Catholics, watch out for the president. He is coming for mass. #zambianwhistleblower #ZWB
THE ELECTORAL PROCESS ACT COULD BE THE ULTIMATE MINGALATO AGAINST OPPOSITION PARTIES
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
When the Electoral Process Act was first instigated by the passage of Bill 7, most stakeholders have not paid much attention or taken keen interest to engage and interrogate its contents as they did with the hard fought and unpopular Bill 7.
Some of the proposed changes in the Electoral Process Bill might appear minor, logical and insignificant, but if they go unchallenged, could be more lethal to alter the political playing field and dent the long cherished electoral integrity.
Take for instance the proposal that the Secretary General of each political party should be the only official to sign the adoption certificate. The proposal sounds very harmless but we know that most of these Secretaries General can easily be bought and disappear at a critical hour when they need to sign that adoption certificate.
They are most likely to come back after the fact, and only apologise like we have seen in some quarters where those who voted for Bill 7, have come round to apologise and are being reintegrated into some Central Committee.
As a nation, we can’t rely on the good will and integrity of people as the ECZ Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, suggested during her recent television interview. Rather, we must rely on credible and tested systems. Systems that prevent malpractice. What ECZ is proposing is to create a system that aids mischief hiding the real motives behind the law.
Secondly, the proposed removal of the security stamp is not reform, it’s thuggery and must be rejected at all costs. The proposed removal of the security mark is a recipe for anarchy and mass rigging. It should never be taken for granted. It’s better to have spoiled ballots caused by the carelessness of ECZ polling agents than to intentionally open floodgates of rigging.
There are also sentiments that the final text of the Bill might contain aspects that may not be too obvious right now. Some stakeholders fear that the final product might arm ECZ and the Registrar of Societies with new sweeping powers to determine which political party genuinely held a convention in line with constitutional provisions. These fears seem to suggest that under the new Electoral Process Act, ECZ could block some parties from appearing on the ballot.
These concerns and speculation may appear unfounded but the slippery text witnessed in the final content of Bill 7 on how to share parliamentary seats under the newly introduced proportional representation against what was recommended, gives credibility to these concerns.
Lastly, the sequential timing for the National Assembly to go on recess and only to come back to pass the Electoral Process Act before dissolution of parliament is acutely dangerous for political parties who are choosing special purpose vehicles now or going to the convention at this eleventh hour.
There is an inherent danger that political parties that are still in decision mode may have no time to ensure their convention outcomes are effected on the party register before nominations.
Given the happenings at the Registrar of Societies, there are no guarantees that going to the convention now would guarantee new office bearers to reflect on the party’s register. We say so because we are aware that to this day, some political parties that held their conventions last year, still don’t have new changes to office bearers reflecting on their registers held at Registrar of Societies. If such delays are not deliberate, what is it?
Our research reveals that it took for example, nine months of relentless pushing and following up for Citizens First to have its register updated with Harry Kalaba reflecting as Party President.
At this rate, with only two months to nominations, if the UPND chooses to sneak in a clause which requires sponsored party Presidential candidates to reflect as office bearers on the register at the Registrar of Societies, very few aspiring presidential candidates will be on the ballot this August.
If Bill 7 is anything to go by, the opposition may have been caught napping with the door to the 2026 elections closing right in their faces like a biblical story of God telling Moses, you can see the promised land, but you will not enter.
There was so much ample time for advocacy to stop Bill 7, but it still went through despite relentless opposition from the Church, Civil Society Organizations, the Law Association of Zambia and other stakeholders.
Today, we are literally talking about weeks before the passage of the Electoral Process Act which will signal the beginning to filing in of nominations immediately after that. Very clearly, the danger of mingalato is lurking in the shadow of the Electoral Process Act consultations.
Members of Parliament have demonstrated before that they are compromised; they showed the nation their true colours, they can be bought and apologise later. Be rest assured, unless something drastic is done, the Electoral Process Act could be the last straw to break the carmel’s back of democracy in Zambia.
We can predict with certainty that if some clauses find their way in the final text of the Bill to become law, some aspiring presidential candidates who are not in the register at the Registrar of Societies may not be on the ballot.
Now that’s catastrophic! Like we said, it took Citizens First President Harry Kalaba nearly a year to be included on the register as an office bearer. If elections were called today under such dribbling, at least Kalaba would be on the ballot.
Patriotic Front has concluded to choose it’s special purpose vehicle/writing invitation letters to the delegates. Over 6,000 delegates will be there of which in each province only top Executives will come.
Candidates has paid nominations fees mounted to about K50,000 after paying expression of interest of k200,000. Meanwhile other 14,000 voters will be from their provinces to do virtual participation.
1. Luapula, Teja lodge. 2. Copperbelt, urban hotel 3. Western province, lewanika Lodge. 4. North western, kwakuwahi Lodge. 5. Central province, fringilla lodge. 6. Northern province, Ndole bay Lodge. 7. Muchinga province, mutambe akasuba Lodge. 8. Eastern, sungani lodge 9. Sourthern, tongabezi lodge
Dr. Chitalu chilufya apologized for having voted for bill 7 and he has been forgiven and brought back in the race. Patriotic front has Also invited the following media: 1. Crown TV. 2. Diamond tv. 3. Prime TV. 4. KBN TV. 5. Grindstone TV. 6. DWTV Africa. 7. Aljezera. 8. BBC world News. 9. Power TV 10. City TV. 11. Qtv. 12. Millennium TV.
Meanwhile the following pages will cover the live broadcast:
1. Dr. Chishimba kambwili page. 2. Given lubinda page. 3. Miles Sampa page. 4. Emmanuel Mwamba Page. 5. Greyford monde page. 6. Komboni ku mayagi Page. 7. Joseph Mudolo page. 8. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba Page. 9. Makebi Zulu page. 10. Chitalu chilufya Page. 11. Jean Kapata Page. 12. Nkandu luo page. 13. Zambia for all 2026. 14. United Kwacha Alliance page. 15. Tonse alliance Page. 16. Sean tembo Page.
Members of the central committee has further invited different embases and high commissioner to attend.
Their have also extended the hands to call church leaders, NGOs, Civil societies organization, and independent individuals
The MCCs as further appointed the electoral commission for this convention. The chairpersons will be 1. Guyscott. (Chairman for elections) 2. Ms. Inonge wina (deputy chairman)
🇿🇲 BRIEFING: Opposition MP Sunday Chanda Backs Policy Continuity After Hichilema’s National Values Address
Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chanda has commended President Hakainde Hichilema’s recent address to the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, describing it as both a constitutional duty and a clear articulation of Zambia’s national direction ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Speaking after the address, Mr. Chanda, speaking from the opposition benches, said the President’s speech reaffirmed six core national values enshrined in the Constitution, morality and ethics, patriotism and national unity, democracy and constitutionalism, human dignity and social justice, good governance, and sustainable development, adding that these principles must guide practical governance rather than remain aspirational.
He highlighted progress cited in the address, including the expansion of free education, which he noted has enabled more than 2.5 million children to return to school. He also pointed to the increase in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations from K1.6 million in 2021 to K40 million in 2026, saying the enhanced funding has strengthened local development efforts, with visible impact in Kanchibiya and other districts.
Mr. Chanda further acknowledged improvements in political stability, including a reduction in cadreism and violence, arguing that a calmer political environment is essential for attracting investment and sustaining economic growth. He referenced governance reforms such as faster corruption prosecutions and asset recovery initiatives, which he said are restoring public confidence in state institutions.
Positioning his remarks within the broader political context, the opposition lawmaker said national progress must transcend partisan divides and called for policy continuity, institutional reform, and stability to consolidate gains. As Zambia approaches the August 2026 elections, he argued that the choice before voters will be about the country’s trajectory rather than personalities.
While maintaining that holding government accountable remains the duty of the Opposition, Mr. Chanda said it is equally important to recognise progress when it benefits citizens, urging leadership to be judged by tangible outcomes rather than rhetoric.
WHAT WAS THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF THE DEFAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT ALL ABOUT?
By Kellys Kaunda
The arguments made by most of you on my post entitled, “DECRIMINALIZE MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION” appeared as though I was suggesting something new.
You accused me of promoting a culture of insults and lawlessness.
But guess what? All those remarks you made against me, you also made against President Hichilema!
You are no different from King David who condemned a rich ruler who had taken the only animal belonging to a poor man and slaughtered it for his guests leaving behind his countless flock.
Unknown to him, the prophet had given David a story so he could pass judgment on himself!
While you thought you were condemning me because you thought the arguments I was making were mine, you were condemning yourselves and the man you were defending.
The rationale President Hichilema used for the decriminalization of the defamation of the President is the same one I used in my call for the decriminalization of misinformation and disinformation.
I wholeheartedly subscribe to his arguments. So, if you thought I had invented new arguments, guess what? You were wrong.
The only difference between you and Hichilema is that he knew exactly what he was doing while most of you, apparently, didn’t know – he was purposely dribbling not only Zambians, but the whole world.
He knew that to truly achieve the benefits of the decriminalization of the President, he needed to address laws on hate speech and sedition.
But he purposely left these intact because he knew that the same offenses under the criminal defamation of the President existed under hate speech and sedition.
While he did not dribble me because I knew, he dribbled most of you who criticized my call for the decriminalization of misinformation and disinformation.
My call was for a holistic approach to legal reforms if we are genuine about advancing the cause of democracy.
But, most of you, like President Hichilema, are not truly committed to democratic reforms.
You are interested in cherry-picking and window-dressing.
Most of you, as usual, when Hichilema is the subject of debate, resort to the deflection strategy – why didn’t you call for similar reforms in the government you served?
This is like Donald Trump blaming Obama or Bidden or all the democrats for anything that goes wrong under his watch!
What this line of debate simply confirms is this: a decision has already been made by the UPND government that no qualitative political reforms must be expected.
PF and its surrogates will and must pay for what they did to Hichilema and the party while in the opposition.
Every opportunity and every excuse is to be exploited until they are effectively tamed, forced into exile or sent to jail.
NAMWEEMBA Bianca Magande may finally be recognised as a child of the late Finance Minister Ng’andu Peter Magande after his sister and uncle told the Lusaka High Court that she is indeed his biological daughter born out of wedlock.
The confirmation was made even without DNA proof after the two family members told the court that the former minister personally revealed her existence to them years before his death.
In her witness statement, Eunice Kachelo, 68, told the Court that her late brother confided in her in 1987 that he had a daughter in Livingstone.
“Sometime in 1987, the late told me that he had a daughter out of wedlock,” Kachelo said.
“I have no doubt she is the daughter of my late brother,” she maintained.
She said Magande again spoke about the child in the early 2000s and expressed concern that she was not attending school.
She further stated that the child’s mother was related to the late Mundia Sikatana.
Kachelo also testified that in 2021, when Namweemba moved to Lusaka in search of her father, she stayed with her for six months in John Howard Compound.
During that period, the late minister reportedly called regularly to check on her and sometimes sent money for food.
Magande’s maternal uncle Aaron Mwiinga also confirmed that in 2011, Magande personally informed him that he had a daughter named Namweemba born out of wedlock.
However, tensions erupted during the 2023 funeral when family elders asked that all of Magande’s children be identified.
Kachelo pointed at Namweemba, prompting the widow Joyce Mudenda and her children to react angrily.
“We were chased from the house and went to sit outside. Everyone from our side of the family, including myself and Namweemba, was asked to leave,” Mwiinga said.
Namweemba, 38, has since taken the matter to court after letters of administration were granted in February 2024 to estate administrator Simwaale Magande, widow Joyce Mudenda and Nakanjoli Magande.
She is demanding to be recognised as a rightful heir and has told the Court she is willing to undergo a DNA test using samples from her father’s remains.
Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe Compared as Social Media Debate Explores Which Leader Left a Deeper Impact on Their People
A lively discussion has erupted online after a journalist posed a thought-provoking question asking users to reflect on the legacies of Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe, and which leader ultimately left a stronger foundation for their citizens.
The conversation attracted hundreds of responses, with many participants evaluating legacy through factors such as national unity, economic stability, migration patterns, and empowerment policies.
Some contributors praised Mandela’s role in South Africa’s peaceful democratic transition, reconciliation initiatives, and the strengthening of institutions that continue to shape the country today. Others highlighted Mugabe’s land redistribution programme as a defining effort aimed at correcting historical ownership inequalities in Zimbabwe.
At the same time, critics within the debate pointed to economic challenges and emigration trends, while several users argued that leadership legacy should be judged through a broader lens that includes social transformation, political empowerment, and long-term national identity.
The debate illustrates how liberation leaders remain central to contemporary political conversations across Southern Africa, with interpretations of their impact continuing to differ depending on perspective and lived experience.
💬 In your view, what truly defines a leader’s lasting legacy — unity, economic performance, empowerment policies, or generational change?
Republican President Hakainde Hichilema had urged the community to thank the Catholic Church for the evangelical work it does.
Speaking when he addressed congregants at Catholic church St. Joseph Parish in Chifubu, Ndola district during Mass, the President said the Catholic church has greatly assisted communities through evangelical work, citing assistance rendered to the vulnerable in society as well as the education sector.
President Hichilema also added that the standard health services provided by the Catholic church remains a huge factor and boost to government’s efforts to provide quality health services to the general citizenry, a move the Head of State commended.
Mr. Hichilema also emphasized the need for he Church and government to work as one, adding that strong bonds between the Church and government always delivers greater development as both Church Priests and those serving under government are drawn from the same communities.
In concluding his remarks, the Head of State commended the Parish for their agriculture project where they are developing a farm. President Hichilema said that as a dedicated farmer himself, he’ll assist the Church to develop the farm.
PREPARATIONS TO HOLD PATRIOTIC FRONT GENERAL CONFERENCE COMPLETE
Sunday, 22nd February 2026
The Patriotic Front has finalised preparations for the holding of the Party’s General Conference scheduled for February 28th 2026.
Acting Deputy Secretary General for Politics, Hon. Miles Sampa MP, confirmed the development following the approval by the Central Committee Meeting held on Saturday 21st February 2026 of the delegates list, Electoral Commission and associated logistics.
The Central Committee also approved the appeal made by Mansa MP, Hon. Dr Chitalu Chilufya who had appealed against the expulsion following the saga regarding the Bill 7 and was reinstated as member of the Central Committee.
The Central Committee emphasized that the door remained open to those estranged and seeking to reconcile with the Party. The Committee also condemned the address made by President Hakainde Hichilema on the application of national values.
The Committee regretted that President Hichilema avoided to discuss the matter regarding the impasse surrounding Zambia’s Sixth President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu whose mortal remains have not been put to rest a matter that has spawned high political tensions and regional embraasment for the country.
Below are the comprehensive Central Committee Resolutions.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 21st FEBRUARY,2026
Saturday 21 February 2026
The Central Committee met (21 February 2026) under the Chairmanship of the Acting Party President, Hon. Given Lubinda.
1. Opening
Hon. Given Lubinda welcomed Members of the Central Committee and commended them for their discipline, loyalty, and steadfast commitment to the Party and the people of Zambia.
In accordance with Party tradition, the meeting observed a minute of silence in honor of the late Sixth Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who remains unburied.
The Committee also conveyed its respect and solidarity to Former Vice President Inonge Wina and the Chibesakunda family in their time of mourning.
The President informed the Committee that the Party has entered a decisive and penultimate phase in determining its future direction.
2. Presidential Address to Report to Parliament on the Progress of Applying National Values and Principles
The Central Committee deliberated on the address delivered by President Hakainde Hichilema on National Values.
The meeting expressed regret that President Hichilema avoided to speak to the issue related to Zambia’s Sixth President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who remains unburied.
The continued failure to resolve this impasse has held the nation hostage to emotional anxieties, political tensions and Zambia was being discussed in unpalatable terms in the region.
The Meeting recognised that this was failure of leadership on the part of President Hichilema and the UPND Government.
After discussion, the Committee resolved that the address was hollow, based in self-praise, self-congratulatory and evasive on critical national concerns.
3. Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
The Central Committee considered the proposed Electoral Process Bill of 2026 resolved as follows:
●That the tabling of the Bill during the last session of the National Assembly is irregular and against established parliamentary practice.
●That the removal of official watermarking and stamping of ballot papers is unacceptable.
●That the proposal requiring adoption certificates to be signed solely by the Secretary General is is a highly suspicious proposal and is strongly objectionable.
●That the ECZ’s insistence on being the sole voter educator undermines stakeholder participation.
The Committee resolved that these proposals collectively risk compromising the credibility of the electoral process and threaten the holding of democratic, credible, transparent, free and fair elections.
4. Association with Non-Legitimate Tonse Alliance Groupings
The Central Committee reaffirmed Resolutions 1.2 and 1.3 of the MCC meeting of 27 January 2026.
It was resolved that any Party official who associates with non-legitimate alliance groupings through endorsements, mobilisation, recruitment, or any related activity shall be deemed to have relinquished both position and membership in the Party resulting vacancies shall be filled without delay.
5. General Conference Preparations
The Secretary of the Adhoc Committee appointed to prepare for the General Conference, reported that preparations for the General Conference scheduled for Saturday, 28 February 2026 are well advanced.
●The delegates’ register has been finalised.
●Law firms have been appointed to serve as electoral commissioners.
●Participating candidates have been duly confirmed upon payment of nomination fees.
The Committee was informed of a court judgment expected on Wednesday, 25 February 2026. The meeting resolved that the outcome shall not affect the logistics or convening of the General Conference.
6. Financial Matters
The Committee resolved that a comprehensive financial report be circulated prior to the General Conference. The report shall cover all incomes including those from the sale of Party properties, member contributions, and subscriptions.
7. Conclusion and Amnesty
The Central Committee considered the appeal for readmission submitted by Dr. Chitalu Chilufya.
The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to reconciliation and resolved that the Party remains open to members who unreservedly accept responsibility and formally seek reinstatement.
The meeting concluded with an engagement session with youths from seven constituencies of Lusaka District.
KAMFINSA MP APPEALS TO PRESIDENT HH ON KITWE ROADS
KAMFINSA Member of Parliament Christopher Kang’ombe, has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to prioritize the rehabilitation of key roads in Kitwe during his visit to the city.
In a letter dated February 22, 2026, Mr. Kang’ombe highlighted the poor condition of roads including Old Airport Road, Nakambala Road, and major routes in Mindolo, Wusakile, Luangwa, Chimwemwe, and other areas.
He said previous efforts to raise the issue with government ministers and city officials over the last four years have not resulted in sufficient action.
The MP noted that the 16 kilometres allocated for Kitwe’s road project is too little to cover all key roads and three constituencies, calling on the government to provide extra kilometres and release funds promptly.
Hon.Christopher Kangombe Wrote;
Appeal to President Hichilema on the poor state of roads in Kitwe as he visits our city
Your Excellency
Arthur Davies Stadium, the venue for your public meeting is located in Kamfinsa Constituency. The road from wusakile to the stadium is called Old Airport road and it is in a bad state just like Nakambala road – going to Ndeke Changa Changa from Miseshi.
In the last four years, I have met the Ministers of Infrastructure and of Local government to complain about roads in kitwe. Apart from independence avenue from town to Buchi, there are other key roads needing attention.
These include those in Mindolo, presidential, wusakile, luangwa, Garneton, Chimwemwe, Natwange, Zamtan, jambo drive in Riverside, Kamfinsa prison and Buchi to Kwacha.
Below is a record of my meetings with government and my questions in Parliament over the bad state of roads.
1. On 7th June 2022 I presented challenge of roads in kamfinsa and kitwe to the Minister of Infrastructure Hon. Charles Milupi at his office in Lusaka
2. On 19th July 2022 in Parliament, i presented a list of roads needing attention to the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Garry Nkombo under question number 374
3. On 22nd of July 2022, I presented another list of roads in Parliament under question 383 to be worked on.
4. On 21st of February 2025 I asked the Acting Minister of Local Government Hon. Felix Mutati in parliament under question 215, when the submitted list of roads will be worked on.
5. In March 2025, i engaged both the Mayor of Kitwe and the Town Clerk for our City to ensure that Kamfinsa Constituency was included on the road rehabilitation project for kitwe.
6. On 4th April 2025, I met Permanent Secretary for local government, Mr Nicholas Phiri to follow up on request to include Kamfinsa Constituency on roads rehabilitation project in kitwe
7. On 23rd April 2025, I met the Minister of Local Government Hon. Gift Sialubalo on the need to include Kamfinsa Constituency on kitwe roads project.
8. On 18th May 2025 and 2nd June 2025, I was denied a police permit to protest over the poor state of roads
Mr President, the 16kilometres allocated for kitwe is too little to rehabilitate all key roads and does not include three constituencies. Residents are appealing to govt to provide extra kilometres of roads and timely release of funds.
ZAMBIA ON HIGH ALERT OVER UNVERIFIED 500GB GOVERNMENT DATA LEAK CLAIMS
By Leah Ngoma
The Zambia Cyber Security Agency says claims circulating online about a massive cyber breach affecting government systems remain unverified, but are being treated with the highest level of caution.
Agency Director General Dr. Schmidt Chintu says reports alleging that data linked to about 15 million individuals and over 34 million records had been compromised are still undergoing technical validation.
In a statement, Dr. Chintu explains that preliminary checks conducted so far indicate that many of the sampled datasets appear to be intact, contrary to claims by threat actors that up to 500 gigabytes of government data had been exposed, emphasizing that, until full verification is completed, the allegations should be regarded as unconfirmed.
He has however indicated that the agency has classified the situation as critical, placing safety mechanisms and recovery procedures on high alert across key government institutions.
Dr. Chintu says if the claims are confirmed, the potential impact could include increased risks of identity fraud, targeted scams and privacy violations affecting individuals and households, as well as loss of public trust, fraud risks and program integrity concerns within government operations.
He has disclosed that authorities have received reports of a possible data leak from a system supported by the food and agriculture organization under the ministry of community development, prompting intensified monitoring.
He added that vigilance has also been heightened at the ministry of health, while the electoral commission of Zambia has been placed on red alert as a precautionary measure.
ZAMBIA AND MOZAMBIQUE LAUNCH FIBRE-OPTIC INTERCONNECTOR AT CHANIDA–CASSACATIZA BORDER
February 22, 2026
THE New Dawn Government has officially launched the Zambia–Mozambique Chanida–Cassacatiza cross-border fibre-optic interconnector, a move described as a major milestone in regional digital integration and trade facilitation.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati said the project positions Zambia as the most digitally connected country in Southern Africa, with fibre links to eight neighbouring countries.
“With this connection, Zambia is now linked to eight of our neighbours in the region. I may just boast that we have become the most digitally connected country within Southern Africa,” Mutati said.
The interconnector links Zambia’s national fibre backbone to Mozambique’s submarine fibre cable network, strengthening redundancy, improving internet reliability and enhancing cross-border data exchange.
Hon Mutati noted that digital infrastructure is now as important as roads, energy and rail, especially in supporting social cash transfer systems and e-government services in rural communities.
He attributed the achievement to deliberate policy reforms, including the removal of duty on digital infrastructure imports, and a regulatory environment that encourages private sector investment. The project is a partnership between Bayobab Zambia and Vodacom.
Mozambique’s Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation, Américo Muchanga, said the launch reflects strong bilateral cooperation and will improve the lives of citizens in both countries.
Mutati also invoked the spirit of former Mozambican President Samora Machel, saying the enduring message of “Tulipo… we are here” continues to define relations between Zambia and Mozambique as they deepen economic and digital integration.
ACC shared with me details of Muchende’s corruption – Gwaba
By Mubanga Mubanga It’s interesting that the same ACC that shared with me some details about Marshal Muchende’s corruption has now decided to clear his name, say Lusaka lawyer Frank Gwaba.
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday over the decision taken by ACC to clear Muchende of corruption allegations, Gwaba said it was a mockery for the commission to clear Solicitor General Muchende of corruption, when he was the one who took former Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) provisional liquidator Milingo Lungu to Keith Mweemba advocate.
Gwaba said there was no way Muchende could be corrupt free, when he https://dailyrevelationzambia.com/acc-shared-with-me-details-of-muchendes-corruption-gwaba/
POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED SÔDÔMY OF 13-YEAR-OLD NEPHEW
A police officer based in Kabwe has been arrested and charged with sòdòmy following allegations that he repeatedly assaulted his 13-year-old nephew over the school holidays.
The case was reported to Chawama Police Station on Saturday, February 7, 2026, by the victim’s father.
According to the police report, the suspect, Sammy Jere, an officer stationed at Kasanda Police Station in Central Province, is accused of having carnal knowledge of his nephew against the order of nature.
The alleged assaults occurred on multiple occasions at the suspect’s home in Bwacha compound, Kabwe, between December 2025 and January 2026.
The victim had traveled to Kabwe to spend the school holidays with his uncle. It is alleged that during this time, the suspect forced the boy to sleep in the same bedroom with him, exposed him to p0rn0graphic material, and proceeded to s£xually assault him.
The matter came to light after the boy returned to his parents’ home in Lusaka. His parents noticed significant behavioral changes and, upon questioning him, he disclosed the alleged abuse.
Following the report, police issued a medical report form. The victim was examined at Chawama Level One Hospital, where a doctor confirmed the findings.
The suspect has since been apprehended, officially charged and is currently in police custody awaiting court proceedings. Police have stated that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
“Africa Gets Nothing!”: Boris Kodjoe Sparks Firestorm Over France–Africa Ties
US-based actor Boris Kodjoe has ignited fierce debate after delivering a blunt critique of France’s historical and economic relationship with parts of Africa.
Speaking candidly, Kodjoe claimed that France extracts an estimated €500 billion from its former colonies, reinvests the funds into its own stock market, and generates even greater returns while African nations see none of the profits. He argued that such an arrangement leaves the continent disadvantaged and economically sidelined.
His remarks, including describing France as “an enemy of Africa,” have stirred strong reactions online, with supporters praising his outspokenness and critics challenging the figures and framing.
The comments tap into a long-running and highly sensitive conversation about post-colonial financial systems, resource control, and economic sovereignty. As debate intensifies, Kodjoe’s intervention has once again placed Europe–Africa economic relations firmly under the spotlight.
Lebo M Accuses Robert Marawa of Failing to Support His Child
South African composer and producer Lebo M has sparked fresh controversy by publicly accusing veteran sports broadcaster Robert Marawa of failing to provide financial support for his child with actress Zoe Mthiyane.
The allegation was made during a high-profile screening event for Lebo M’s new docu-reality project, Last Woman Standing, held in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
In a clip shown to guests at the screening, Lebo M, who was in a past relationship with Mthiyane, spoke about the child she shares with Marawa, stating:
“I didn’t get into a relationship to break hearts, but most women I’ve dated have kids from their previous relationships, and most of their baby daddies are deadbeats. I treat my partner’s kids as mine.”
“I can tell you now, Robert was aware I was taking care of his kid, but there was not a single cent from him as a contribution.”
The remarks were part of a broader discussion in which Lebo M portrayed himself as someone who embraces fatherhood within his partners’ families, contrasting his own actions with what he labelled as those of “deadbeat” fathers.
Marawa responded sharply to the allegation, dismissing Lebo M’s comments as a bid for attention. He denied exploiting their child’s situation to promote reality TV content and claimed he was unaware Lebo M was financially supporting his son.
The relationship between Marawa and Mthiyane has previously played out in the media, including past disagreements over maintenance and co-parenting. Earlier reports have documented court disputes regarding support and parental rights for their son, Awande.
At this stage, neither party has indicated plans to pursue further legal action following the latest statements.
For months after the fall of Baghdad, Saddam Hussein seemed to vanish. No palace. No broadcasts. No sightings. The most hunted man in the world had disappeared into the dust of Iraq. What followed was one of the most intense manhunts in modern history.
🧠 WHO WAS SADDAM HUSSEIN? Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq from 1979 to 2003. His leadership was marked by power, fear, and war. He was known for leading Iraq into the brutal Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), invading Kuwait in 1990 which triggered the Gulf War, using chemical weapons against civilians and opponents, running an authoritarian government built on intimidation, and being overthrown in 2003 during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. When Baghdad fell, Saddam didn’t surrender. He disappeared.
🌫️ WHAT HAPPENED AFTER BAGHDAD FELL? By April 2003, Saddam’s government had collapsed, but Saddam himself was gone. The U.S. launched a massive manhunt. April–May 2003: Baghdad falls and Saddam goes into hiding. Summer 2003: top Iraqi officials are captured and the famous “Most Wanted” deck of cards is released with Saddam as the Ace of Spades. Mid-2003: Saddam moves constantly between farms, villages, and safe houses. Late 2003: U.S. intelligence begins closing in by tracking his inner circle, messengers, and family connections. The search was not about satellites. It was about people.
🕵🏽♂️ HOW THE AMERICANS ACTUALLY FOUND HIM The breakthrough did not come from high-tech surveillance. It came from human intelligence. U.S. forces relied heavily on informants, detainees, and local Iraqis. Small tips slowly narrowed the search area. They targeted Saddam’s inner circle by capturing and interrogating aides, guards, and couriers. Each arrest exposed another link in his hiding network until they identified the routes and messengers still loyal to him. On December 13, 2003, U.S. forces launched Operation Red Dawn near Ad-Dawr, close to Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit. Two farm locations were searched. At one of them, soldiers discovered a small underground bunker barely large enough to sit in. Inside it was Saddam Hussein. Bearded. Dirty. Isolated. He had food, a pistol, and cash—but no army. He did not resist. After months of hiding, Saddam Hussein was pulled from a hole in the ground.
⚖️ WHAT HAPPENED AFTER HIS CAPTURE He was handed over to Iraqi authorities, put on trial by an Iraqi court, convicted of crimes against humanity, and executed in December 2006.
🧩 THE REAL LESSON Saddam wasn’t found by machines. He was found because every system eventually leaks. Powerful men don’t fall when armies advance. They fall when their inner circle breaks. In the end, Saddam Hussein wasn’t hiding from technology. He was hiding from people. And people talk.
VIOLENT ERASURE: HOW GADDAFI’S CHILDREN WERE ELIMINATED ONE BY ONE.
History often tells us that when a leader falls, the chapter ends. But Libya’s story shows something darker: sometimes the fall of a leader is only the beginning and what follows is not just regime change, but family extermination, carried out slowly, publicly, and violently.
The deaths of Muammar Gaddafi’s children reveal a pattern that feels less like coincidence and more like a warning to anyone who dares to hold power outside the accepted global order. Over four decades, the Gaddafi bloodline was struck again and again through assassinations, bombings, airstrikes, and executions.
Not in secret. Not in silence. But in ways designed to send a message. Because in modern political warfare, the target is not only the leader.
The target is the name. A Family Turned Into Targets. The Gaddafi children were not all soldiers. Not all politicians. Not all rebels. Some were simply sons and daughters living under the shadow of a father who ruled with an iron grip.
Yet in the chaos of Libya’s collapse, they became symbols and symbols are dangerous. When a regime is being erased, the family becomes the most convenient final evidence to destroy. The world watched Libya burn, but behind the headlines was another story: a family being reduced, one body at a time.
The Violence Was Not Random it Was Strategic When violence keeps finding the same surname, the same bloodline, the same household it stops being “war.” It becomes political cleansing. Every death served a purpose: To weaken the remaining loyalists To prevent any future return To destroy the emotional centre of a legacy To ensure the family becomes a warning, not a dynasty
Because revolutions don’t just overthrow leaders. They often try to erase their roots. A Brutal Pattern Across Decades The tragedy of the Gaddafi children is that their deaths did not come all at once. They came in waves. Some were killed during foreign airstrikes.
Some died in armed conflict. Some disappeared into prison systems and silence. Some were hunted, tracked, and finished like enemies of war. And what makes it heavier is this:
Even after Gaddafi himself was killed, the violence did not stop. It continued as if the goal was not justice, not accountability, but complete elimination.
A Modern Lesson in Regime Change Libya became a case study of how quickly a nation can be dismantled and how quickly the language of “liberation” can turn into chaos. And in that chaos, families pay the price.
The Gaddafi story reminds us that the international system is not only about laws and diplomacy. It is also about power, and power rarely forgives.
The Real Horror: Erasing the Future Perhaps the darkest part of this story is not only the deaths. It is what those deaths represent. Because when a leader is removed, the country is supposed to move forward. But when the leader’s children are hunted, bombed, executed, or disappeared
That is not a political transition. That is an attempt to erase the possibility of any future return not only in politics, but in memory.
Conclusion. The violent elimination of Gaddafi’s children is not just a tragic family story. It is a mirror of modern political warfare where victory is not only taking power, but ensuring the defeated have no bloodline left to reclaim it. Libya’s tragedy did not end with the death of Muammar Gaddafi. For his children, the punishment continued.
And for the world, the message was clear: Sometimes, in politics, it is not enough for a leader to fall. The system wants the entire name buried with him.
