Zelensky Rejects Any Peace Deal That Requires Ukraine to Pull Troops From Donbas — ‘Ukrainians Would Never Forgive Us’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly refused the idea of unilaterally withdrawing Ukrainian forces from the remaining parts of Donbas under Kyiv’s control as part of any peace agreement a stance he reiterated immediately following this week’s US-brokered peace talks in Geneva.
In an interview amid the ongoing negotiations, Zelensky stressed that any plan envisioning Ukraine giving up territory or withdrawing troops without a reciprocal Russian pullback would be unacceptable to the Ukrainian people and would be rejected in a national referendum. He underscored that Ukrainians “would never forgive” such concessions and highlighted that only a freeze of current front-line positions or a mirrored withdrawal by both sides might be considered.
The comments come as Ukraine, Russia and the United States hold trilateral talks in Geneva focused on ending the war, with the future of Donbas remaining the core sticking point.
Source: Axios / Reuters / Kyiv Independent reporting on Zelensky’s position following the Geneva peace negotiations.
Three U.S Military Planes Land in Northeastern Nigeria Amid Counterterrorism Efforts
According to The New York Times, three U.S. military planes have landed in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, marking a new deployment amid ongoing security challenges in the region.
The arrival of U.S. troops underscores continued efforts to support Nigerian forces in counterterrorism operations, particularly against extremist groups operating in northeastern Nigeria. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as international cooperation continues to address security threats.
However, across many regions outside Europe, U.S. troop deployments have often coincided with prolonged conflicts and the rise of terrorism, creating cycles of instability that persist over time.
Chinese Satellites Reveal U.S THAAD Missile Defense Deployment in Middle East
MizarVision satellite imagery has confirmed the deployment of a U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
The Jordanian base has rapidly become one of Washington’s key forward operating locations as tensions with Iran continue to rise. According to a senior Pentagon source, the move is defensive: “Before any potential action against Iran, we need to bolster our defences.”
THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles at high altitude and is typically deployed to protect major bases and allied territories from long-range missile attacks.
The exposure of the system through Chinese satellite monitoring highlights how major powers are increasingly watching each other’s military movements from space, while the deployment itself signals U.S. preparations for a possible escalation in the region.
Iran Burns U.S and Israeli “Baal” Idol at Revolution Rally
At state‑organised rallies across Iran marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, demonstrators burned large effigies identified as “Baal,” an ancient idol figure.
The effigies featured the Star of David and imagery associated with the United States and Israel, while crowds chanted slogans like “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
Organisers described the act as a symbolic rejection of foreign influence and “evil” powers, using the name “Baal” to represent modern political enemies.
The striking imagery drew widespread attention and formed part of broader state-backed events in Tehran and other cities.
Ukrainians Frustrated with Zelensky Amid War, Corruption, and Defections
Former comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, now wartime president, faces growing public frustration as the conflict drags on. Many Ukrainians are tired of the NATO-backed proxy war, with protests and online movements calling for an end to senseless fighting.
At the same time, major corruption scandals have shaken his government, including high-profile cases where officials were accused of misappropriating millions of dollars, raising concerns about misuse of funds while the country fights for survival.
Adding to the tension, reports indicate that some Ukrainians…both soldiers and civilians…have defected to Russia, including prisoners of war who signed contracts to fight for Russian forces, and civilians seeking refuge or alignment with the occupying side. These developments have intensified public discontent, war fatigue, and skepticism of Zelensky’s leadership
BREAKING: FINALLY! United Nations experts reveal that Epstein’s offenses were so evil that they could rise to the level of “crimes against humanity” and call for a full investigation despite Trump dismissing it all as a “hoax.”
“Any suggestion that it is time to move on from the ‘Epstein files’ is unacceptable. It represents a failure of responsibility towards victims,” said a group of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. Their statement comes in the wake of the release of millions of Epstein files by the Trump administration — although many of them remain improperly unredacted or unreleased entirely.
“So grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls, that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity,” the experts wrote.
Not only that, but the UNHRC panel is demanding an investigation into Epstein and his co-conspirators within the transnational elite. They believe that he was part of a “global criminal enterprise.” Even a cursory glance at the files released so far supports that assessment.
Jeffrey Epstein appears to have been running a vast sex trafficking network, providing children to powerful figures to abuse in return for access, money, and power.
It also seems highly likely that he filmed much of that abuse to use for blackmail. Whether or not that blackmail material included Trump remains to be seen, but we know that he and the pedophile billionaire were close friends and that Trump is accused of sexual abuse and rape in the files.
“All the allegations contained in the ‘Epstein Files’ are egregious in nature and require independent, thorough, and impartial investigation, as well as inquiries to determine how such crimes could have taken place for so long,” the experts stated.
“The reluctance to fully disclose information or broaden investigations, has left many survivors feeling retraumatized and subjected to what they describe as ‘institutional gaslighting’,” they added.
THE TRAGEDY OF A CHALKBROKEN INTELLECT: SISHUWA’S 57-PARAGRAPH CONFESSION OF BITTERNESS, REJECTION, AND MENTAL DISTRESS DRESSED AS SCHOLARSHIP
Subtitle: When a Rhodes Scholar Becomes a Megaphone for Dimwits: A Paragraph-by-Paragraph Exposé of Propaganda, Demagoguery, and the Pitiful Spectacle of an Exiled Academic Fighting Ghosts He Ran Away From
Tagline: Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, hate-teach from Harvard while pretending to care about a country they abandoned
Preamble:
Dear Sishuwa Sishuwa,
I have read your 57-paragraph epistle this manifesto of misery masquerading as intellectual critique. Let me begin by acknowledging the sheer volume of your hatred. Fifty-seven paragraphs. That is not commentary; that is catharsis. That is not scholarship; that is therapy you should be paying for. That is not patriotism; that is obsession wearing an academic gown.
We have seen this movie before. Chile One dropped diss tracks wishing HH dead—today, silence. Edith Nawakwi cursed HH from every platform—today, silence. Edgar Lungu, who presided over economic collapse and literally begged for food at a funeral, wished HH dead—today, silence. They all discovered what you will soon discover: karma is real, and hatred projected outward is eventually reflected inward.
You sit in your Harvard office—rented, not owned—breaking chalk in a foreign land, writing 57 paragraphs about a president you fled from. You pay taxes in South Africa, not Zambia. You own no property here, invest nothing here, employ no one here. Yet you have the audacity to lecture us about patriotism? A patriot builds where he belongs. A patriot pays taxes where his children will live. A patriot invests in the soil he claims to love. You, sir, are a tourist with a laptop and a grudge.
Let me now dismantle this monument of mediocrity, paragraph by poisonous paragraph, exposing the demagoguery, the narcissism, and the pitiful spectacle of an educated man reduced to a megaphone for people who cannot spell their own names.
PART ONE: THE DEMAGOGUE’S CONFESSION—EXPOSING THE TACTICS
Paragraphs 1-5: The False Victimhood Complex
You begin by playing the victim, anticipating criticism, positioning yourself as a brave truth-teller besieged by the uneducated masses who “find no shame in confidently commenting on what they have neither read nor understood.” Classic demagoguery 101: preemptively dismiss all criticism as ignorance.
Exposed: You are not brave. You are safe. You write from Harvard, 12,000 kilometers away, shielded by an American visa and a South African tax ID. Real bravery is what President Hakainde Hichilema showed—contesting five elections, facing political persecution, being arrested, spending nights in prison, having his property destroyed, watching his security detail withdrawn, surviving an assassination attempt, and still refusing to abandon his country. Real bravery is staying when leaving is easier. You left. He stayed. Remember that when you type your next paragraph from your air-conditioned office.
Paragraphs 6-8: The Free Speech Fundamentalist Pose
You wrap yourself in the flag of free speech, claiming to welcome all criticism, even insults. You present yourself as a paragon of democratic virtue who would never block anyone or mute dissenting voices.
Exposed: This is performance. This is virtue signaling. You know perfectly well that free speech in Zambia is more protected today than it was under PF, when your kind of criticism would have earned you a visit from State House goons. You wrote similar critiques under PF—and survived. You write them under UPND—and survive. The only difference is the color of the insults you receive. But notice: you never criticize the system that actually silenced people—PF’s brutality. You only criticize the government that lets you speak. That is not principle; that is partisanship disguised as principle.
Paragraph 9: The “I Don’t Hate Him” Disclaimer
“I do not hate the President. I hate his bad leadership.” This is the oldest trick in the propagandist’s handbook—the “love the sinner, hate the sin” disclaimer that allows you to spend 57 paragraphs describing a man in the most hateful terms imaginable while maintaining plausible deniability.
Exposed: If it walks like hatred, quacks like hatred, and fills 57 paragraphs like hatred—it is hatred. You are not fooling anyone. The difference between criticizing leadership and hating a leader is proportionality. When every single thing a person does is wrong, when not one positive achievement is acknowledged, when you actively wish for death—that is not critique. That is pathology.
PART TWO: THE 14-POINT MANIFESTO OF HYPOCRISY—DEBUNKING THE PROPAGANDA
Paragraph 10: “Bad leadership means representing everything he spent 15 years in opposition fighting against”
Exposed: Let us apply this logic to you, Sishuwa. You spent years under PF criticizing tribalism, regionalism, and poor governance. Today, you have formed an unholy alliance with the very PF apologists you once condemned. You now share platforms with people who defended Edgar Lungu’s incompetence. You have become the megaphone for the very “dundaheads” and “dimwits” you once mocked. By your own definition, you represent everything you spent years fighting against. The difference? HH changed because governing requires compromise. You changed because rejection hurts. His evolution is policy-driven; your transformation is ego-driven.
Paragraph 11: “Bad leadership means tribalism, regionalism, and sectarian tendencies”
Exposed: Name one appointment HH has made that was tribal. Just one. The UPND government has appointed people from all provinces—Bembas, Easterners, Luapulans, Northerners. The Chief Justice is from Northern Province. The Attorney General is from Eastern Province. Key security appointments cut across regions. You make this accusation without evidence because evidence would destroy your narrative. Meanwhile, your new friends in PF presided over actual tribalism—remember the “Bembas must rule” chants? Remember the systematic exclusion of Tongas from key positions during PF’s decade? Your selective memory exposes your agenda.
Paragraph 12: “Bad leadership means tolerance for corruption including the kind that has facilitated ongoing plunder in mining, health, agricultural, and energy sectors”
Exposed: Provide evidence. Name names. Produce bank statements. File court cases. You are an academic—where is your data? Where are your sources? The government has actually arrested people for corruption—including from the mining sector. The ACC is working. The courts are functioning. Compare this to PF, where corruption was systematized, where ministers stole with impunity, where the President’s own relatives were implicated and protected. You know this. Every Zambian knows this. But you cannot acknowledge improvement because acknowledgment would undermine your narrative of total failure. So you lie by omission.
Paragraph 13: “Bad leadership means his refusal to publish asset declarations”
Exposed: HH’s assets are publicly known—they were debated throughout five election campaigns. Everyone knows he is wealthy. He never pretended otherwise. The issue is not secret wealth; the issue is whether he uses office to accumulate more. Show us one piece of evidence that he has. Just one. Meanwhile, your PF friends—where are their asset declarations? Where are Lungu’s? Where are the ministers who left office with unexplained billions? You demand transparency from your enemy while granting amnesty to your new allies. That is not principle; that is partisanship.
Paragraph 14: “Bad leadership means his compulsive lying”
Exposed: Name five lies. Specific lies, not generalities. We will wait. Actually, let us help you: HH promised to fix the economy—and inflation is down. He promised to stabilize the currency—and the kwacha has strengthened. He promised to engage the IMF—and we have a program. He promised to remove subsidies gradually—and he has. He promised to fight corruption—and arrests have been made. Where are the lies? The only lie is your claim that he lies.
Paragraph 15: “Bad leadership means his vindictiveness”
Exposed: Who has HH persecuted? Name them. Edgar Lungu—enjoying freedom, traveling, even attending funerals where HH was present. Davies Mwila—walking free. PF ministers—living normal lives. Compare this to what HH suffered under PF: arrest, detention, security withdrawal, property destruction, assassination attempts. If HH were vindictive, half your new friends would be in prison. They are not. That is not weakness; that is magnanimity. Something you clearly cannot comprehend.
Paragraph 16: “Bad leadership means unbridled faith in the IMF”
Exposed: What is the alternative? Continue the PF approach of printing money, destroying the currency, and begging from questionable sources? The IMF program is restoring discipline, restructuring debt, and bringing credibility. Every responsible economist—including those at Oxford, your alma mater—supports this approach. You criticize IMF engagement while offering no alternative except vague populism. That is not economics; that is demagoguery.
Paragraph 17: “Bad leadership means anti-democratic behavior”
Exposed: Under HH, the media is freer than under PF. Under HH, the opposition speaks without fear. Under HH, courts rule independently. Under HH, civil society operates openly. You are proof—you write 57 paragraphs of hatred and face no consequences. Under PF, you would have been “disappeared.” Yet you call HH anti-democratic? The cognitive dissonance is staggering.
Paragraph 18: “Bad leadership means wasting money while failing to fund higher education”
Exposed: UNZA workers are being paid. Pensions are being cleared—slowly, because the economy was destroyed, but progressively. Meanwhile, under PF, universities went months without funding, workers went years without payouts, and the education system collapsed completely. You know this. You lived through it. But acknowledgment would require honesty, and honesty would destroy your narrative.
Paragraph 19: “Bad leadership means packing institutions with loyalists”
Exposed: Every president appoints people they trust. Kaunda did it. Chiluba did it. Mwanawasa did it. Banda did it. Sata did it. Lungu did it spectacularly, appointing relatives and unqualified cronies. HH’s appointees include some of the most qualified professionals in Zambia—the ECZ, the judiciary, the police, the security services. Are some political? Yes. But the difference is competence. Compare the current ECZ to the PF-era ECZ that tried to steal elections. Compare the current judiciary to the PF-era judiciary that jailed opposition leaders. The improvement is obvious—unless you refuse to see.
Paragraph 20: “Bad leadership means his Uncle Tom syndrome and contempt for black Zambians”
Exposed: This is the lowest blow. This is demagoguery at its most dangerous. You accuse HH of racial self-hatred? The man who built businesses employing thousands of Zambians? The man who educated hundreds of Zambian children through scholarships? The man who invested in every sector of this economy? You call him an “Uncle Tom” while you sit in America, benefiting from the very Western education and opportunities you now weaponize against a fellow African? The hypocrisy is breathtaking. HH engages with the world because Zambia needs investment, technology, and partnerships. You would know this if you understood economics—but you prefer cheap racial demagoguery to substance.
Paragraph 21: “Bad leadership means poor record on governance and human rights”
Exposed: Under HH, no journalist is in prison. Under HH, no opposition leader fears arrest. Under HH, no one is detained for criticizing the president—as your 57 paragraphs demonstrate. Under PF, we had the “GBM” detention, the imprisonment of Chishimba Kambwili, the harassment of journalists, the closure of media houses, the beating of opposition supporters. You know this. You wrote about it. But today, your new allies are the very people who defended those abuses. Your credibility is zero.
Paragraph 22: “Bad leadership means loyalty to self-gain and private business interests”
Exposed: HH was wealthy before office. He will be wealthy after office. That is not the issue. The issue is whether he uses office to enrich himself further. Show us evidence. Just one piece. Meanwhile, your PF friends left office with unexplained wealth—houses, farms, businesses, bank accounts they could not explain. The contrast is so stark that only willful blindness can miss it.
Paragraph 23: “Bad leadership means embarrassing foreign policy”
Exposed: Zambia’s foreign policy under HH has restored relationships with traditional partners, opened new markets, attracted investment, and regained respect. The West trusts Zambia again. International financial institutions engage constructively. Neighboring countries respect our leadership. You call this “pro-colonialism”? This is the language of the gutter, Sishuwa. This is what uneducated people say when they cannot engage with substance. You are educated—or claim to be—yet you parrot slogans that would embarrass a grade-schooler.
Paragraph 24: “Bad leadership means constant reference to PF as standard”
Exposed: When you inherit a completely destroyed economy, when you find empty treasuries, when you discover hidden debts, when you uncover systematic looting—the only comparison that makes sense is with the previous administration. HH is not comparing himself to an ideal; he is comparing himself to the disaster he inherited. And by that measure—the only honest measure—he is succeeding. Inflation down. Currency stable. Debt restructuring underway. Growth returning. Are we where we want to be? No. But are we better than 2021? Yes. You cannot admit this because admission would require honesty.
Paragraph 25: “Bad leadership means congratulating oneself for normal government deeds”
Exposed: When you fix what was broken, you celebrate. When you achieve what was impossible under your predecessor, you acknowledge it. This is not arrogance; this is leadership. Or would you prefer the PF approach—celebrating nothing while everything collapsed? The problem is not that HH celebrates; the problem is that you cannot bear to see him succeed.
PART THREE: THE REJECTED APPLICANT’S LAMENT—EXPOSING THE REAL MOTIVATION
Paragraphs 26-28: The Confession of Disappointment
Here it is—the heart of the matter, buried in paragraphs 26 through 28. You admit: “In a sense, the blame is on me. Whatever has come out is on me, not him.”
Exposed: Finally, honesty. You blame yourself—not for helping elect a bad leader, but for expecting recognition. You thought your “commentaries” during PF rule entitled you to something. You thought Dr. Elayas Munshya’s appointment as High Commissioner should have been your appointment. You thought the UPND owed you. When the call never came, when the recognition never materialized, when you were left out—the hatred began.
This is the tragedy of the rejected applicant. You built expectations on sand. You assumed that criticizing PF automatically made you a UPND loyalist. You assumed that commentary deserved reward. You assumed that your Oxford degrees and Harvard office entitled you to a position you never earned through party work, never campaigned for, never sacrificed for.
HH spent 15 years in opposition. He was arrested, imprisoned, impoverished, humiliated. He lost properties. He faced death. He kept going. Dr. Munshya paid his dues. Others who received appointments worked for the party, contributed to campaigns, sacrificed time and resources. What did you sacrifice? A few paragraphs from a safe distance? And you expected a reward?
Your bitterness is not patriotism. Your hatred is not principle. Your 57 paragraphs are not scholarship. They are the howl of a rejected applicant, the tantrum of a man who thought his pen deserved a palace.
Paragraphs 29-31: The Quoting of Levy Mwanawasa
You quote Levy Mwanawasa calling HH a cheat and a fraud. You claim you should have listened. You claim you owe Levy an apology.
Exposed: Levy Mwanawasa also said many things about many people. He said Michael Sata was irresponsible. He said the PF were troublemakers. He said many things that time proved wrong. More importantly, Levy Mwanawasa was a great leader—but he was also a politician with political rivals. Quoting him selectively proves nothing.
The real question: If HH is the same person he was in 2006, why did Zambians keep voting for him? Why did his vote share grow in every election? Why did he finally win in 2021? Was everyone blind except you and Levy? Or did HH evolve, learn, grow—as leaders do? You refuse to acknowledge growth because acknowledgment would undermine your narrative of permanent villainy.
PART FOUR: THE EXILE’S DILEMMA—WHY YOU WRITE WHAT YOU WRITE
Paragraphs 32-35: The Declaration That You Won’t Miss Him
You won’t miss him if he leaves office or dies. You would “rejoice with relief.” You would be sad at a personal level but relieved as a citizen.
Exposed: This is where your hatred becomes indistinguishable from pathology. Wishing for death—even indirectly, even with caveats—is not critique. It is not scholarship. It is not patriotism. It is sickness.
There is a saying: simple minds discuss personalities, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas. You have spent 57 paragraphs discussing one personality—obsessively, compulsively, pathologically. You have not discussed one idea for Zambia’s development. Not one policy proposal. Not one economic strategy. Not one constructive suggestion. Just hatred, wrapped in academic language, dressed in Oxford credentials, served cold from Harvard.
What have you written about mining sector reforms? Nothing constructive. What have you written about agricultural transformation? Nothing. What have you written about manufacturing, technology, education, health, infrastructure? Nothing. You have written about HH—and only HH—as if Zambia’s entire existence revolves around one man.
This is not the mark of an intellectual. This is the mark of an obsession.
Paragraphs 36-38: The Claim That You’ve Tried to Give Benefit of Doubt
You claim you have “tried—really tried—to give this president the benefit of the doubt.” You claim you have hoped.
Exposed: No, you haven’t. Fifty-seven paragraphs of hatred do not come from someone who has tried to be fair. Fifty-seven paragraphs of one-sided negativity do not come from someone who has sought balance. Fifty-seven paragraphs without a single acknowledgment of achievement do not come from someone who has given benefit of doubt.
You have approached this presidency like a prosecutor who has already decided the verdict. Everything is evidence of guilt. Nothing is evidence of innocence. This is not analysis; this is confirmation bias.
Paragraphs 39-41: The Tribal Defense
You claim you would “shut up and understand” if you were a tribalist, if you came from HH’s region, if you voted for him, if you feared Bembas and Easterners returning to power.
Exposed: This is projection. You accuse others of tribalism while organizing your entire critique around regional identity. You mock “herd mentality” while your own thinking is shaped by your rejection and bitterness. You claim to transcend tribe while constantly invoking it. The difference between you and the “tribalists” you mock is that they are honest about their biases. You pretend objectivity while swimming in subjectivity.
PART FIVE: THE EGO TRAP—EXPOSING THE INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE
Paragraphs 42-44: The Name-Dropping Tactic
You list names—James Skinner, Akashambatwa Lewanika, Edith Nawakwi, Fred M’membe, and others—as if association with great names confers greatness upon you.
Exposed: This is the name-dropping tactic of the intellectually insecure. You cannot stand on your own achievements, so you stand beside the achievements of others. You cannot claim your own legacy, so you borrow from theirs.
But notice: some of those names—Edith Nawakwi, Fred M’membe—are now your political allies. The very people you once criticized are now your friends. The very PF apologists you once condemned are now your partners. Your name-dropping reveals not your connections but your contradictions.
Paragraphs 45-47: The “Low Expectations” Lecture
You lecture Zambians about “the chronic syndrome of low expectations.” You tell us we expect too little from our leaders. You tell us we must demand more.
Exposed: From your Harvard office, you lecture Zambians about expectations? You, who fled the country and pay taxes elsewhere, lecture us about what we should demand? You, who will not live with the consequences of your advocacy, tell us to be braver?
Real courage is what Zambians show every day—surviving economic hardship, building businesses despite challenges, raising families despite uncertainty, hoping despite disappointment. You do not get to lecture us from a distance. You do not get to prescribe bravery from a place of safety. You do not get to demand sacrifice from people whose sacrifice you will never share.
Paragraphs 48-50: The Government Job Revelation
You reveal that Michael Sata, Edgar Lungu, and HH all offered you government jobs. You claim you declined them all. You mention this to prove your independence.
Exposed: This revelation destroys your credibility. If you were offered jobs by three different presidents from three different parties, you are not a principled critic—you are a perennial applicant. You keep making yourself available. You keep positioning yourself for appointment. And when it doesn’t happen—when the call finally doesn’t come—you react with 57 paragraphs of hatred.
The pattern is clear: you criticized PF because they didn’t give you what you wanted. You now criticize UPND because they didn’t give you what you wanted. Your “principles” are simply the mask your ego wears when rejected.
You claim you declined. But if you truly declined, why mention it? Why reveal confidential offers? Why name-drop presidents who wanted you? Because you want us to know you were wanted. You want us to know you could have been somebody. You want us to know the rejection hurts.
It shows, Sishuwa. It shows.
Paragraphs 51-53: The Oxford and Harvard Flex
You remind us repeatedly: University of Zambia degree, two Oxford postgraduate qualifications, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard office. Your salary is higher than the Zambian president’s. You are sufficiently educated. You are marketable anywhere.
Exposed: This is the insecurity of the educated elite—the desperate need to prove worth through credentials. Real intellectuals do not need to announce their qualifications. Real scholars let their work speak. Your constant credential-flaunting reveals what you fear: that without Oxford and Harvard, without Rhodes and research, you are just another bitter commentator with a laptop and a grudge.
You are educated, yes. But education without wisdom is mere information. Learning without humility is mere arrogance. Oxford gave you knowledge; it did not give you grace. Harvard gave you an office; it did not give you perspective. You have degrees; you do not have depth. You have credentials; you do not have credibility.
PART SIX: THE FINAL DECONSTRUCTION—EXPOSING THE PATHOLOGY
Paragraphs 54-56: The Vision of a Better Zambia
You describe the Zambia you want—a president who cares, restores democracy, fights corruption, promotes unity, builds professional institutions.
Exposed: This is exactly what HH promised. This is exactly what HH is trying to build. The difference between you and HH is not vision; it is patience. HH knows that destruction takes years to repair. You demand instant perfection. HH understands that economic recovery is a process. You demand magic. HH accepts that change is incremental. You demand transformation yesterday.
Your impatience is not principle; it is petulance. Your criticism is not constructive; it is destructive. Your vision is not a plan; it is a fantasy.
Paragraph 57: The Final Warning
You warn that the damage being done will take decades to repair. You warn that power used vindictively today will create something worse tomorrow.
Exposed: The damage to Zambia was done by PF—by the looting, the borrowing, the destruction of institutions, the normalization of corruption, the division of the people. That damage will take decades to repair. HH inherited that damage. He did not create it.
The vindictiveness you warn about is projection. You are the one consumed by bitterness. You are the one wishing death. You are the one whose hatred fills 57 paragraphs. The toxicity you fear in others lives in you.
CONCLUSION: THE REJECTED APPLICANT’S EPITAPH
Dear Sishuwa Sishuwa,
You have written 57 paragraphs. I have responded with more—not because you deserve the attention, but because the record must be corrected. Propaganda cannot stand unanswered. Demagoguery cannot go unchallenged. Hatred cannot be normalized, even when dressed in academic robes.
You asked earlier: “What would his former self think of him now?” Let me ask you: What would the Sishuwa of 2016 think of the Sishuwa of 2024? The one who condemned PF now embraces PF apologists. The one who fought tribalism now practices it. The one who demanded integrity now defends the indefensible. The one who claimed independence now serves as a megaphone for the very people he once exposed.
You have become what you beheld. You have joined the company you once condemned. You have sold your credibility for the fleeting pleasure of hatred. And for what? Because one man—Hakainde Hichilema—did not give you what you wanted? Because your expectations were disappointed? Because your ego was bruised?
This is the tragedy of the rejected applicant. This is the pitfall of the unexamined life. This is the danger of education without wisdom, credentials without character, intelligence without integrity.
You sit in Harvard, breaking chalk, writing hatred. HH sits in State House, breaking the back of poverty, rebuilding a nation. You have Oxford; he has experience. You have theory; he has practice. You have words; he has work. You have 57 paragraphs; he has 18 million Zambians whose lives are slowly, painfully, incrementally improving.
You will not miss him when he’s gone. But Zambia will. History will. The record will show that while HH fought to restore a nation, you fought to destroy his reputation. While he worked for the living, you wrote for the bitter. While he sacrificed in country, you criticized from abroad.
One day, you will get what you wish for others. Karma is real. The hatred you project will find its way home. The bitterness you spread will poison its source. The death you wish for will knock on doors you did not expect.
And when it does—when you finally understand that love builds and hatred destroys, that constructive criticism helps and destructive hatred hurts, that patriots stay and fight while exiles watch and curse—perhaps you will remember this moment. Perhaps you will recall that you had a choice: to be part of the solution or part of the noise. You chose noise.
HH chose solution. Zambia chose HH. History will choose accordingly.
The difference between you and him is simple: He failed five times and kept going. You wrote 57 paragraphs and called it a day. He built wealth that serves the nation. You built resentment that serves only your ego. He governs with the weight of a nation on his shoulders. You critique with the comfort of a foreign office around you.
He is a president. You are a pamphlet.
End of rebuttal.
” Simple minds discuss personalities, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas.” — Anonymous
You, Sishuwa, have discussed one personality for 57 paragraphs. Draw your own conclusions.
Ghost -WriterTHE TRAGEDY OF A CHALKBROKEN INTELLECT: SISHUWA’S 57-PARAGRAPH CONFESSION OF BITTERNESS, REJECTION, AND MENTAL DISTRESS DRESSED AS SCHOLARSHIP
Subtitle: When a Rhodes Scholar Becomes a Megaphone for Dimwits: A Paragraph-by-Paragraph Exposé of Propaganda, Demagoguery, and the Pitiful Spectacle of an Exiled Academic Fighting Ghosts He Ran Away From
Tagline: Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, hate-teach from Harvard while pretending to care about a country they abandoned
Preamble:
Dear Sishuwa Sishuwa,
I have read your 57-paragraph epistle this manifesto of misery masquerading as intellectual critique. Let me begin by acknowledging the sheer volume of your hatred. Fifty-seven paragraphs. That is not commentary; that is catharsis. That is not scholarship; that is therapy you should be paying for. That is not patriotism; that is obsession wearing an academic gown.
We have seen this movie before. Chile One dropped diss tracks wishing HH dead—today, silence. Edith Nawakwi cursed HH from every platform—today, silence. Edgar Lungu, who presided over economic collapse and literally begged for food at a funeral, wished HH dead—today, silence. They all discovered what you will soon discover: karma is real, and hatred projected outward is eventually reflected inward.
You sit in your Harvard office—rented, not owned—breaking chalk in a foreign land, writing 57 paragraphs about a president you fled from. You pay taxes in South Africa, not Zambia. You own no property here, invest nothing here, employ no one here. Yet you have the audacity to lecture us about patriotism? A patriot builds where he belongs. A patriot pays taxes where his children will live. A patriot invests in the soil he claims to love. You, sir, are a tourist with a laptop and a grudge.
Let me now dismantle this monument of mediocrity, paragraph by poisonous paragraph, exposing the demagoguery, the narcissism, and the pitiful spectacle of an educated man reduced to a megaphone for people who cannot spell their own names.
PART ONE: THE DEMAGOGUE’S CONFESSION—EXPOSING THE TACTICS
Paragraphs 1-5: The False Victimhood Complex
You begin by playing the victim, anticipating criticism, positioning yourself as a brave truth-teller besieged by the uneducated masses who “find no shame in confidently commenting on what they have neither read nor understood.” Classic demagoguery 101: preemptively dismiss all criticism as ignorance.
Exposed: You are not brave. You are safe. You write from Harvard, 12,000 kilometers away, shielded by an American visa and a South African tax ID. Real bravery is what President Hakainde Hichilema showed—contesting five elections, facing political persecution, being arrested, spending nights in prison, having his property destroyed, watching his security detail withdrawn, surviving an assassination attempt, and still refusing to abandon his country. Real bravery is staying when leaving is easier. You left. He stayed. Remember that when you type your next paragraph from your air-conditioned office.
Paragraphs 6-8: The Free Speech Fundamentalist Pose
You wrap yourself in the flag of free speech, claiming to welcome all criticism, even insults. You present yourself as a paragon of democratic virtue who would never block anyone or mute dissenting voices.
Exposed: This is performance. This is virtue signaling. You know perfectly well that free speech in Zambia is more protected today than it was under PF, when your kind of criticism would have earned you a visit from State House goons. You wrote similar critiques under PF—and survived. You write them under UPND—and survive. The only difference is the color of the insults you receive. But notice: you never criticize the system that actually silenced people—PF’s brutality. You only criticize the government that lets you speak. That is not principle; that is partisanship disguised as principle.
Paragraph 9: The “I Don’t Hate Him” Disclaimer
“I do not hate the President. I hate his bad leadership.” This is the oldest trick in the propagandist’s handbook—the “love the sinner, hate the sin” disclaimer that allows you to spend 57 paragraphs describing a man in the most hateful terms imaginable while maintaining plausible deniability.
Exposed: If it walks like hatred, quacks like hatred, and fills 57 paragraphs like hatred—it is hatred. You are not fooling anyone. The difference between criticizing leadership and hating a leader is proportionality. When every single thing a person does is wrong, when not one positive achievement is acknowledged, when you actively wish for death—that is not critique. That is pathology.
PART TWO: THE 14-POINT MANIFESTO OF HYPOCRISY—DEBUNKING THE PROPAGANDA
Paragraph 10: “Bad leadership means representing everything he spent 15 years in opposition fighting against”
Exposed: Let us apply this logic to you, Sishuwa. You spent years under PF criticizing tribalism, regionalism, and poor governance. Today, you have formed an unholy alliance with the very PF apologists you once condemned. You now share platforms with people who defended Edgar Lungu’s incompetence. You have become the megaphone for the very “dundaheads” and “dimwits” you once mocked. By your own definition, you represent everything you spent years fighting against. The difference? HH changed because governing requires compromise. You changed because rejection hurts. His evolution is policy-driven; your transformation is ego-driven.
Paragraph 11: “Bad leadership means tribalism, regionalism, and sectarian tendencies”
Exposed: Name one appointment HH has made that was tribal. Just one. The UPND government has appointed people from all provinces—Bembas, Easterners, Luapulans, Northerners. The Chief Justice is from Northern Province. The Attorney General is from Eastern Province. Key security appointments cut across regions. You make this accusation without evidence because evidence would destroy your narrative. Meanwhile, your new friends in PF presided over actual tribalism—remember the “Bembas must rule” chants? Remember the systematic exclusion of Tongas from key positions during PF’s decade? Your selective memory exposes your agenda.
Paragraph 12: “Bad leadership means tolerance for corruption including the kind that has facilitated ongoing plunder in mining, health, agricultural, and energy sectors”
Exposed: Provide evidence. Name names. Produce bank statements. File court cases. You are an academic—where is your data? Where are your sources? The government has actually arrested people for corruption—including from the mining sector. The ACC is working. The courts are functioning. Compare this to PF, where corruption was systematized, where ministers stole with impunity, where the President’s own relatives were implicated and protected. You know this. Every Zambian knows this. But you cannot acknowledge improvement because acknowledgment would undermine your narrative of total failure. So you lie by omission.
Paragraph 13: “Bad leadership means his refusal to publish asset declarations”
Exposed: HH’s assets are publicly known—they were debated throughout five election campaigns. Everyone knows he is wealthy. He never pretended otherwise. The issue is not secret wealth; the issue is whether he uses office to accumulate more. Show us one piece of evidence that he has. Just one. Meanwhile, your PF friends—where are their asset declarations? Where are Lungu’s? Where are the ministers who left office with unexplained billions? You demand transparency from your enemy while granting amnesty to your new allies. That is not principle; that is partisanship.
Paragraph 14: “Bad leadership means his compulsive lying”
Exposed: Name five lies. Specific lies, not generalities. We will wait. Actually, let us help you: HH promised to fix the economy—and inflation is down. He promised to stabilize the currency—and the kwacha has strengthened. He promised to engage the IMF—and we have a program. He promised to remove subsidies gradually—and he has. He promised to fight corruption—and arrests have been made. Where are the lies? The only lie is your claim that he lies.
Paragraph 15: “Bad leadership means his vindictiveness”
Exposed: Who has HH persecuted? Name them. Edgar Lungu—enjoying freedom, traveling, even attending funerals where HH was present. Davies Mwila—walking free. PF ministers—living normal lives. Compare this to what HH suffered under PF: arrest, detention, security withdrawal, property destruction, assassination attempts. If HH were vindictive, half your new friends would be in prison. They are not. That is not weakness; that is magnanimity. Something you clearly cannot comprehend.
Paragraph 16: “Bad leadership means unbridled faith in the IMF”
Exposed: What is the alternative? Continue the PF approach of printing money, destroying the currency, and begging from questionable sources? The IMF program is restoring discipline, restructuring debt, and bringing credibility. Every responsible economist—including those at Oxford, your alma mater—supports this approach. You criticize IMF engagement while offering no alternative except vague populism. That is not economics; that is demagoguery.
Paragraph 17: “Bad leadership means anti-democratic behavior”
Exposed: Under HH, the media is freer than under PF. Under HH, the opposition speaks without fear. Under HH, courts rule independently. Under HH, civil society operates openly. You are proof—you write 57 paragraphs of hatred and face no consequences. Under PF, you would have been “disappeared.” Yet you call HH anti-democratic? The cognitive dissonance is staggering.
Paragraph 18: “Bad leadership means wasting money while failing to fund higher education”
Exposed: UNZA workers are being paid. Pensions are being cleared—slowly, because the economy was destroyed, but progressively. Meanwhile, under PF, universities went months without funding, workers went years without payouts, and the education system collapsed completely. You know this. You lived through it. But acknowledgment would require honesty, and honesty would destroy your narrative.
Paragraph 19: “Bad leadership means packing institutions with loyalists”
Exposed: Every president appoints people they trust. Kaunda did it. Chiluba did it. Mwanawasa did it. Banda did it. Sata did it. Lungu did it spectacularly, appointing relatives and unqualified cronies. HH’s appointees include some of the most qualified professionals in Zambia—the ECZ, the judiciary, the police, the security services. Are some political? Yes. But the difference is competence. Compare the current ECZ to the PF-era ECZ that tried to steal elections. Compare the current judiciary to the PF-era judiciary that jailed opposition leaders. The improvement is obvious—unless you refuse to see.
Paragraph 20: “Bad leadership means his Uncle Tom syndrome and contempt for black Zambians”
Exposed: This is the lowest blow. This is demagoguery at its most dangerous. You accuse HH of racial self-hatred? The man who built businesses employing thousands of Zambians? The man who educated hundreds of Zambian children through scholarships? The man who invested in every sector of this economy? You call him an “Uncle Tom” while you sit in America, benefiting from the very Western education and opportunities you now weaponize against a fellow African? The hypocrisy is breathtaking. HH engages with the world because Zambia needs investment, technology, and partnerships. You would know this if you understood economics—but you prefer cheap racial demagoguery to substance.
Paragraph 21: “Bad leadership means poor record on governance and human rights”
Exposed: Under HH, no journalist is in prison. Under HH, no opposition leader fears arrest. Under HH, no one is detained for criticizing the president—as your 57 paragraphs demonstrate. Under PF, we had the “GBM” detention, the imprisonment of Chishimba Kambwili, the harassment of journalists, the closure of media houses, the beating of opposition supporters. You know this. You wrote about it. But today, your new allies are the very people who defended those abuses. Your credibility is zero.
Paragraph 22: “Bad leadership means loyalty to self-gain and private business interests”
Exposed: HH was wealthy before office. He will be wealthy after office. That is not the issue. The issue is whether he uses office to enrich himself further. Show us evidence. Just one piece. Meanwhile, your PF friends left office with unexplained wealth—houses, farms, businesses, bank accounts they could not explain. The contrast is so stark that only willful blindness can miss it.
Paragraph 23: “Bad leadership means embarrassing foreign policy”
Exposed: Zambia’s foreign policy under HH has restored relationships with traditional partners, opened new markets, attracted investment, and regained respect. The West trusts Zambia again. International financial institutions engage constructively. Neighboring countries respect our leadership. You call this “pro-colonialism”? This is the language of the gutter, Sishuwa. This is what uneducated people say when they cannot engage with substance. You are educated—or claim to be—yet you parrot slogans that would embarrass a grade-schooler.
Paragraph 24: “Bad leadership means constant reference to PF as standard”
Exposed: When you inherit a completely destroyed economy, when you find empty treasuries, when you discover hidden debts, when you uncover systematic looting—the only comparison that makes sense is with the previous administration. HH is not comparing himself to an ideal; he is comparing himself to the disaster he inherited. And by that measure—the only honest measure—he is succeeding. Inflation down. Currency stable. Debt restructuring underway. Growth returning. Are we where we want to be? No. But are we better than 2021? Yes. You cannot admit this because admission would require honesty.
Paragraph 25: “Bad leadership means congratulating oneself for normal government deeds”
Exposed: When you fix what was broken, you celebrate. When you achieve what was impossible under your predecessor, you acknowledge it. This is not arrogance; this is leadership. Or would you prefer the PF approach—celebrating nothing while everything collapsed? The problem is not that HH celebrates; the problem is that you cannot bear to see him succeed.
PART THREE: THE REJECTED APPLICANT’S LAMENT—EXPOSING THE REAL MOTIVATION
Paragraphs 26-28: The Confession of Disappointment
Here it is—the heart of the matter, buried in paragraphs 26 through 28. You admit: “In a sense, the blame is on me. Whatever has come out is on me, not him.”
Exposed: Finally, honesty. You blame yourself—not for helping elect a bad leader, but for expecting recognition. You thought your “commentaries” during PF rule entitled you to something. You thought Dr. Elayas Munshya’s appointment as High Commissioner should have been your appointment. You thought the UPND owed you. When the call never came, when the recognition never materialized, when you were left out—the hatred began.
This is the tragedy of the rejected applicant. You built expectations on sand. You assumed that criticizing PF automatically made you a UPND loyalist. You assumed that commentary deserved reward. You assumed that your Oxford degrees and Harvard office entitled you to a position you never earned through party work, never campaigned for, never sacrificed for.
HH spent 15 years in opposition. He was arrested, imprisoned, impoverished, humiliated. He lost properties. He faced death. He kept going. Dr. Munshya paid his dues. Others who received appointments worked for the party, contributed to campaigns, sacrificed time and resources. What did you sacrifice? A few paragraphs from a safe distance? And you expected a reward?
Your bitterness is not patriotism. Your hatred is not principle. Your 57 paragraphs are not scholarship. They are the howl of a rejected applicant, the tantrum of a man who thought his pen deserved a palace.
Paragraphs 29-31: The Quoting of Levy Mwanawasa
You quote Levy Mwanawasa calling HH a cheat and a fraud. You claim you should have listened. You claim you owe Levy an apology.
Exposed: Levy Mwanawasa also said many things about many people. He said Michael Sata was irresponsible. He said the PF were troublemakers. He said many things that time proved wrong. More importantly, Levy Mwanawasa was a great leader—but he was also a politician with political rivals. Quoting him selectively proves nothing.
The real question: If HH is the same person he was in 2006, why did Zambians keep voting for him? Why did his vote share grow in every election? Why did he finally win in 2021? Was everyone blind except you and Levy? Or did HH evolve, learn, grow—as leaders do? You refuse to acknowledge growth because acknowledgment would undermine your narrative of permanent villainy.
PART FOUR: THE EXILE’S DILEMMA—WHY YOU WRITE WHAT YOU WRITE
Paragraphs 32-35: The Declaration That You Won’t Miss Him
You won’t miss him if he leaves office or dies. You would “rejoice with relief.” You would be sad at a personal level but relieved as a citizen.
Exposed: This is where your hatred becomes indistinguishable from pathology. Wishing for death—even indirectly, even with caveats—is not critique. It is not scholarship. It is not patriotism. It is sickness.
There is a saying: simple minds discuss personalities, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas. You have spent 57 paragraphs discussing one personality—obsessively, compulsively, pathologically. You have not discussed one idea for Zambia’s development. Not one policy proposal. Not one economic strategy. Not one constructive suggestion. Just hatred, wrapped in academic language, dressed in Oxford credentials, served cold from Harvard.
What have you written about mining sector reforms? Nothing constructive. What have you written about agricultural transformation? Nothing. What have you written about manufacturing, technology, education, health, infrastructure? Nothing. You have written about HH—and only HH—as if Zambia’s entire existence revolves around one man.
This is not the mark of an intellectual. This is the mark of an obsession.
Paragraphs 36-38: The Claim That You’ve Tried to Give Benefit of Doubt
You claim you have “tried—really tried—to give this president the benefit of the doubt.” You claim you have hoped.
Exposed: No, you haven’t. Fifty-seven paragraphs of hatred do not come from someone who has tried to be fair. Fifty-seven paragraphs of one-sided negativity do not come from someone who has sought balance. Fifty-seven paragraphs without a single acknowledgment of achievement do not come from someone who has given benefit of doubt.
You have approached this presidency like a prosecutor who has already decided the verdict. Everything is evidence of guilt. Nothing is evidence of innocence. This is not analysis; this is confirmation bias.
Paragraphs 39-41: The Tribal Defense
You claim you would “shut up and understand” if you were a tribalist, if you came from HH’s region, if you voted for him, if you feared Bembas and Easterners returning to power.
Exposed: This is projection. You accuse others of tribalism while organizing your entire critique around regional identity. You mock “herd mentality” while your own thinking is shaped by your rejection and bitterness. You claim to transcend tribe while constantly invoking it. The difference between you and the “tribalists” you mock is that they are honest about their biases. You pretend objectivity while swimming in subjectivity.
PART FIVE: THE EGO TRAP—EXPOSING THE INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE
Paragraphs 42-44: The Name-Dropping Tactic
You list names—James Skinner, Akashambatwa Lewanika, Edith Nawakwi, Fred M’membe, and others—as if association with great names confers greatness upon you.
Exposed: This is the name-dropping tactic of the intellectually insecure. You cannot stand on your own achievements, so you stand beside the achievements of others. You cannot claim your own legacy, so you borrow from theirs.
But notice: some of those names—Edith Nawakwi, Fred M’membe—are now your political allies. The very people you once criticized are now your friends. The very PF apologists you once condemned are now your partners. Your name-dropping reveals not your connections but your contradictions.
Paragraphs 45-47: The “Low Expectations” Lecture
You lecture Zambians about “the chronic syndrome of low expectations.” You tell us we expect too little from our leaders. You tell us we must demand more.
Exposed: From your Harvard office, you lecture Zambians about expectations? You, who fled the country and pay taxes elsewhere, lecture us about what we should demand? You, who will not live with the consequences of your advocacy, tell us to be braver?
Real courage is what Zambians show every day—surviving economic hardship, building businesses despite challenges, raising families despite uncertainty, hoping despite disappointment. You do not get to lecture us from a distance. You do not get to prescribe bravery from a place of safety. You do not get to demand sacrifice from people whose sacrifice you will never share.
Paragraphs 48-50: The Government Job Revelation
You reveal that Michael Sata, Edgar Lungu, and HH all offered you government jobs. You claim you declined them all. You mention this to prove your independence.
Exposed: This revelation destroys your credibility. If you were offered jobs by three different presidents from three different parties, you are not a principled critic—you are a perennial applicant. You keep making yourself available. You keep positioning yourself for appointment. And when it doesn’t happen—when the call finally doesn’t come—you react with 57 paragraphs of hatred.
SHAKAFUSWA RESPONDS TO “CALLS” BY BRIAN MUNDUBILE FOR MAKEBI AND LUBINDA TO JOIN HIS ILLEGAL MOVEMENT
We have carefully observed the public statement issued by members of the so-called Dunamis – Bill7 Tonse Alliance regarding an “offer” extended to PF President Given Lubinda and Hon. Makebi Zulu.
Let us be clear: leadership of Zambia cannot be reduced to ultimatums, social media publicity stunts, or arrangements crafted in isolation and later presented as faits accomplis. Leadership must be anchored in constitutional order, transparency, and the collective will of the people.
Genuine unity is not built by first isolating others, then inviting them to ratify decisions already made. Offers framed around personal positions, deadlines, and public fanfare are distractions, not dialogue. We reject attempts to shortcut processes that must be inclusive, lawful, and principled
President Given Lubinda and Hon. Makebi Zulu remains committed to transparent party processes, open conventions, and the fair participation of all aspirants who have complied with the rules — including those who have paid nomination fees and prepared to contest leadership through legitimate channels. Those who manipulate structures, hold illegal meetings, or rely on expediency over principle do not speak for the people.
Let us also be clear: political legitimacy comes from the people and lawful structures, not from media statements, endorsements, or artificial deadlines. Attempts to compare Zambian leadership to shortcuts taken elsewhere, or to suggest that positions can be acquired by negotiation or by joining another camp after abandoning your own, are unacceptable. Zambia deserves authentic, democratic, and accountable leadership — not arrangements crafted for convenience or personal gain.
If dialogue is to take place anywhere in the opposition space, it must be grounded in equality, consultation, and principle — not hierarchy, publicity stunts, or pre-determined outcomes. We will not be distracted. We will not compromise on process. And we will not allow political opportunism to dictate the future of our country.
The Zambian people are watching. Leadership is not declared; it is earned. Our focus remains unwavering: building a credible, transparent, and constitutionally grounded alternative for 2026. Those who respect process and principle are welcome to participate; those who do not will find that the people’s mandate cannot be bought, borrowed, or manufactured.
I’VE NEVER SEEN A GOV’T THAT PRAISES ITSELF LIKE UPND – M’MEMBE
17th February 2026
SOCIALIST Party leader Dr Fred M’membe says he has never seen a government that praises itself more than the UPND government.
Dr M’membe says the self-praise exhibited by the UPND government is an indication that it has not achieved anything, stating that good works speak for themselves.
Speaking when he featured on Radio Luswepo, Saturday, Dr M’membe said citizens were laughing at the UPND government because of their self-praise. “I have never seen people who like to praise themselves like the UPND government.
I have never seen such self-praise. You don’t need to praise yourself if you have worked, good works speak for themselves. If you start praising yourself, just know that you haven’t done anything [and] people cannot see…
Hichilema Wary Of Democracy That Enabled His Victory, International Community Says…..
“As the country approaches this electoral milestone, the international community’s perception has shifted from the unbridled optimism that accompanied the 2021 victory of Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) to a more nuanced and cautious appraisal of the country’s democratic trajectory.”
By KBN TV Staff Reporter
The international community has turned all analytical apparatus on Zambia and now perceives the upcoming 2026 election as a critical test of whether the “Hichilema era” will be defined by genuine democratic deepening or a strategic pivot to a more sophisticated form of hybrid governance.
According to a high-level international appraisal of Zambia seen by KBN TV titled: Geopolitical Risk and the 2026 Zambian General Election: A Comprehensive Analysis of International Perception, Democratic Resilience, and Predictive Modeling, the international community holds that the tightening of the legislative environment through Bill 7 and the Cyber Acts suggests a leadership that is wary of the very democratic forces that enabled its 2021 victory.
“The upcoming general election in Zambia, scheduled for August 13, 2026, serves as a pivotal moment for Southern African democratic stability and a critical case study in the evolution of third-wave democratization. As the country approaches this electoral milestone, the international community’s perception has shifted from the unbridled optimism that accompanied the 2021 victory of Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) to a more nuanced and cautious appraisal of the country’s democratic trajectory,” reads the analysis in part.
“This transition is characterized by a complex interplay between successful macroeconomic stabilization and a perceived tightening of the domestic political and civic space. International analysts and geopolitical risk entities are increasingly focused on whether the institutional reforms enacted since 2021 are intended to deepen democracy or to structurally entrench the current administration ahead of a potentially volatile vote.”
Meanwhile, the report says human rights organizations and diplomatic missions from traditional Western allies have expressed growing alarm over the strategic use of legislation to restrict opposition activities and control the digital information environment. This “managed democratic continuity” is increasingly viewed as a defensive posture by the Hichilema administration to mitigate the political risks posed by a dissatisfied and digitally mobilized youth population.
The international community is concerned that the passage of the Cyber Security Act of 2025 and the Cyber Crimes Act of 2025 is viewed by the Journal of Democracy and Freedom House as a “strategic recalibration of power”.
“These laws reintroduce concepts of criminal defamation in the digital sphere, effectively bypassing the 2022 repeal of the offense of criminal defamation of the President by applying it to cyberspace. International observers have noted that these laws provide for sweeping surveillance powers, including the mandatory installation of “full-time monitoring facilities” by internet service providers for the interception of communications. Section 39 of the Cyber Security Act allows for warrantless or ex parte surveillance, creating what civil society groups call a “direct pipeline” from private networks to government agencies. The arrests of individuals for allegedly spreading “false information” about the President’s health in early 2025 serve as a chilling precedent for how these laws may be utilized to suppress dissent during the 2026 campaign,” says the report.
While recognizing the peaceful transfer of power from the Patriotic Front (PF) under Edgar Lungu to the UPND, which by international consensus, portrayed Zambia as a rare beacon of hope in a region where democracy appeared to be on the retreat, is however, encountering significant friction as the 2026 cycle begins to take shape. “Geopolitical risk analysts now observe a backdrop of slow economic reform at the household level, which has begun to translate into social pressure despite favorable macroeconomic indicators. The international community’s perception is currently bifurcated. On one hand, multilateral financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and credit rating agencies like S&P Global and Credendo recognize the administration’s technical proficiency in managing the country’s debt crisis and restoring fiscal discipline.”
However, concerns are rife about what the international community sees as constitutional engineering, saying the most significant legislative development shaping the 2026 landscape is the passage of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7 in December 2025.
“The international perception of this reform is heavily colored by concerns over “constitutional engineering”—the practice of altering the fundamental rules of the political game in the immediate lead-up to an election. While the government has framed these changes as an effort to enhance inclusiveness and modernize the parliamentary structure, civil society groups and international observers have highlighted several provisions that appear to favor the incumbency,” says the report.
“A central point of contention is the revision of Article 68, which governs the composition of the National Assembly. Under the previous framework, the President was permitted to nominate a maximum of eight Members of Parliament. The 2025 amendments removed this fixed constitutional cap, delegating the authority to determine the number of nominated seats to an ordinary Act of Parliament. International analysts suggest this is a “regressive” step for democratic safeguards, as it allows a ruling party with a simple parliamentary majority to expand the legislature and “flood” the house with loyalists without the rigorous public debate required for a constitutional amendment.”
STOP THE IMPATIENCE: A RESPONSE TO THE TONSE ALLIANCE ULTIMATUM
By Bwembya Mwaume
The 12-day ultimatum issued by Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba and Hon. Brian Mundubile (BM) to Hon. Makebi Zulu and Hon. Given Lubinda is a sign of political desperation, not leadership. If you have truly “moved on” and have the numbers you claim, why are you so obsessed with issuing deadlines to leaders you say are “misled”?
Let us set the record straight:
1. The Real Tonse Alliance belongs to the People
The original mandate for the Tonse Alliance was entrusted to the leadership of Hon. Given Lubinda by President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL). Any “breakaway” faction attempting to self-impose their leadership is a counterfeit. You cannot walk out of the house and then try to give orders to those who stayed to guard the foundation.
2. True PF Leadership is not Self-Imposed
We reject this culture of “self-appointing” Presidents and “offering” running mate positions to others. Anyone truly committed to the formation must be ready to be led by whoever the conference picks. The True PF structures across the country recognize order, not ultimatums.
3. The Flag Bearer is Coming This Month
While others are busy talking to the media about 12-day countdowns, the real work is happening. The True PF will identify and announce its flag bearer for the August 13, 2026 elections before the end of this month. We are moving with the structures, not with “Shoprite plastic bags” or illegitimate political experiments.
4. Impombo wibilima, ababilima tabaya
To my brothers in the breakaway faction, remember the Bemba proverb: “Impombo wibilima, ababilima tabaya.” Do not be too fast; your reckless speed will only drag you into a ditch where it will be impossible to catch up with your friends. Political “fastness” is a recipe for failure.
5. Wait for God’s Time
True leadership is granted by God, not by a press release. If it is not God’s time, your ultimatums are useless. We advise you to tone down, stop the manipulations, and wait patiently. The real PF is intact, the structures are loyal, and the path to 2026 is clear.
The True PF is not for sale, and it will not be bullied. See less
MUNDUBILE’S 12 DAYS ULTIMATUM TO HON MAKEBI ZULU AND HON GIVEN LUBINDA FOR RUNNING MATE A JOKE, DEMEANING AND DISRESPECTFUL
The 12 days ultimatum given to Hon Makebi Zulu and Hon Given Lubinda by Hon Brian Mundubile for running mate is nothing short of a joke.
This award winning level of arrogance and pride In Mundubile’s camp is very demeaning and disrespectful to seasoned leaders like Hon Given Lubinda and Hon Makebi Zulu.
One wonders in which capacity is Mundubile offering an ultimatum to Hon Makebi Zulu and Hon Lubinda, as who?
In no certain terms, an illegal process cannot produce anything sustainable.
Whatever Mundubile did with his break-away Tonse Alliance is fake. His purported Presidency lacks legitimacy. His Presidency lacks basis and trust for the people . It simply has no capacity.
Breaking away to to go and compete with a finished politician, a person who has no basis and capacity in the political landscape of this country and you want to convince others that you are a “President” is the highest joke of the Century.
Why didn’t he stay and faced popular candidates like Makebi Zulu? What was the fear?
No normal human being would accept to be part of such jokes.
Desperation has now kicked in from a man who wants to be President at all cost. He has realized he has no numbers. He’s being lied to that he is popular, but reality is kicking in.
They have tried to force things, but PF remains intact, the structures are very loyal to the party.
Mark my words, Very soon this group will disband like ‘Ba Kapyanga’ once PF elects a leader.
THE ECONOMY IS ONLY DOING WELL ON PAPER, ON THE GROUND, THINGS ARE TOUGH– SILAVWE
Opposition Golden Party of Zambia President, Jackson Silavwe, has questioned why recent economic gains, including a reduction in inflation and the appreciation of the Zambian Kwacha against major convertible currencies, have not translated into lower prices of essential commodities on the market.
Mr. Silavwe said if the current positive economic indicators are genuine, there should have been a significant reduction in the cost of goods and services.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Mr. Silavwe noted that the appreciation of the Kwacha should have led to a substantial reduction in fuel prices, which in turn would lower the cost of goods on the market.
“With the reduction in inflation and the improved performance of the Kwacha, prices of goods and services should have come down,” said Mr. Silavwe.
He alleged that the perceived positive economic trends risk being labelled fictitious if they do not translate into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens through reduced prices of essential goods and services.
KBF RAISES ELECTORAL AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS AHEAD OF 2026 POLLS
Presidential candidate Kelvin Fube Bwalya has urged citizens to safeguard democratic principles as Zambia prepares for the August 13, 2026 general election, warning that the nation faces a critical moment in its democratic trajectory.
Addressing the nation, Bwalya said the country once earned continental admiration for a peaceful transition of power but now faces growing concerns from both citizens and international observers regarding the integrity of the democratic environment.
He argued that recent constitutional amendments and digital security legislation had reshaped the electoral landscape in ways that risk weakening fairness and public confidence in governance systems.
Bwalya emphasized that practice must extend beyond election day, stating, “democracy is not only about voting day.”
He added that fairness must be guaranteed well before ballots are cast, insisting, “democracy is about equal opportunity before voting day.”
While acknowledging government claims of economic stabilization under programmes supported by the International Monetary Fund, the candidate noted that many households continued to struggle with rising food prices, high living costs, youth unemployment, and limited economic opportunities.
According to him, economic growth statistics offer little comfort if ordinary families do not experience improvement in their daily lives.
Bwalya called for a level electoral playing field, institutions that serve constitutional principles rather than political incumbency, and digital laws that protect citizens’ freedoms while encouraging economic policies that improve household welfare.
He pledged that, if elected, his leadership would protect constitutional integrity, empower young people, shield public institutions from partisan influence, and translate economic recovery into tangible benefits for citizens.
The presidential hopeful urged voters to view the upcoming election as an opportunity to rebuild public trust rather than simply maintain the status quo.
Stressing the importance of citizen participation, he declared, “Zambia’s democracy is bigger than any administration.”
He rallied citizens to safeguard democratic gains, saying, “the power belongs to the people.”
NUNDWE SPOKE FROM THE HEART, WE DIDN’T COERCE HIM TO PRAISE HH – UPND
UPND Deputy Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu says the ruling party does not need to coerce someone to praise government when they do something commendable.
Recently, during the commissioning of Kuku Police Post, Chawama FDD MP Bright Nundwe thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for the CDF initiative, saying it demonstrated that he meant well for the country.
However, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson Anthony Chibuye claimed that Nundwe was under siege and had been coerced to praise President Hichilema.
Commenting on the matter in an interview, Monday, Nkandu argued that Nundwe’s praise came from the heart.
“I want to appeal to all members of parliament in the opposition that we should not just tell political lies. When there is development, let us accept that indeed this government has done well and vice versa. Constructive criticism is always welcome, that’s what we have said. So there was no coercion whatsoever. That is a big man, a big person. Remember, he was an administrator. He has been in government of PF for some time. He was PS, Copperbelt Province. I think that was his last assignment. So he understands what development is all about and how you can work with government to propel development in a respective region or constituency,” Nkandu said.
“I think if you were there, or someone was there, you saw that he was not even reading any statement. Maybe if there was a statement, he would have said it was written by us. But it was just coming from his own inner part, from his heart. Because that is the only way you are going to evolve functions. That is the only way decentralisation will be achieved through matching resources. And this is what we have done. So I would very much like to commend President Hakainde Hichilema for his vision and leadership to see to it that money is decentralised. And I think that’s what it is”.
He added that Nundwe’s action was worth commending.
“So what the MP for Chawama did is something that should be commended. It is the government’s money, and he is now presiding over the people of Chawama. Something that maybe when he was campaigning he was even told that we need this police post. And now that it has come to fruition, the best you can do is to thank the people that have made it possible for the people of Chawama to have that police post. Before CDF was enhanced, our colleagues, the same opposition, were saying that this is a hoax. Free education is something that is unattainable. Everything that we always put on the table, they always disagree, they always disapprove. But at the end of the day, those are the issues that have come now to fruition,” Nkandu said.
“And now today they want to be champions of our idea. So there was nothing like coercing anybody. But as usual, we have people who have been in opposition for some time, who would want to be antagonistic every time to government. But I hope that the MP for Chawama may be different, not that we want to tell him what to say or what to do. Let him differentiate politics from development. Anything that would develop in his constituency, at the end of the day, credit will go to him as well as the President. So he has no option but to commend something that is right. What was being commissioned there was the police post which the people of Chawama have been longing for. And it was okay for the member of parliament to praise something that is good. You don’t need to coerce anybody to praise you when you’ve done something nice”.
He insisted that it was only right to praise what was good.
“When someone has done something wrong, you can criticise because it’s the wrong thing. When you’ve done something good, it is just prudent that you praise something that is good. After all, we are presiding over the same people. Chawama member of parliament is presiding over the people of Chawama. The UPND government is also doing the same. So there must be a convergence point where we meet and agree on something tangible and also sustainable. So I’m happy that the member of parliament realised that it does not pay just to always object on everything. There could be something that we can agree on,” said Nkandu.
“For instance, it’s today that the opposition now wants to even speak the loudest. For example, I heard [John] Sangwa talking about, let’s delimitate Lusaka in 30 constituencies. Remember, this is the same person who took us to court. Who didn’t want us to delimitate. He was saying we have no time, the time is wrong. These are the people that should just keep quiet. But today they want to be champions. They want now to dictate the process. Something that they didn’t want to participate in. But for us as UPND we always embrace everyone”.
The Unburied Silence: A Nation’s Conscience on Ice
The calendar is a cold witness. On March 5th, 2026, the remains of former President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu will have spent nine months in a mortuary. Nine months, the same duration it takes to bring a life into this world, is how long we have allowed a former Head of State to remain in the transition between life and the earth. This is no longer a political stalemate; it is a profound moral crisis that strips away our veneer of “Ubuntu.”
The core of the deadlock is well-known. The government maintains its duty to provide a “dignified state funeral.” Conversely, the bereaved family has remained firm on a single, specific condition: that President Hakainde Hichilema does not preside over the ceremony.
While legalists argue over state protocol, we must ask: Whom does a body belong to? In Zambian culture and many spiritual traditions, the family is the primary custodian of the deceased’s peace. By insisting on protocol over the family’s emotional and spiritual requirements, the state hasn’t just provided a “send-off”, it has created a standoff that borders on the inhumane.
To many, this delay is not merely an administrative hiccup; it carries heavy spiritual connotations. We are a nation that believes in the sanctity of the dead.
There is a universal biblical spiritual principle: you reap what you sow. To sow bitterness and delay in the face of death is to invite a harvest of the same. There is a burden on the land which you can’t see with physical eyes: Keeping a leader unburied for nearly a year, creates a “frozen” state of mourning for the country, preventing the collective psyche from healing and moving forward.
Imagine, for a moment, that the roles were reversed. If this were your father, husband, or grandfather, would you accept his body being used as a pawn in a political chess match? The Lungu family has been in an active state of mourning for over 270 days. While the rest of the country goes about its business, working, laughing, and living, this family wakes up every morning to the reality that their patriarch is still on ice. Even against one’s worst enemy, there is a line that humanity forbids us to cross. That line was crossed months ago.
We have failed Dr. Edgar Lungu, not as voters or partisans, but as human beings who confess the love of God. Arguments about “state rights” lose their flavor when weighed against the tears of a widow and children.
To those in power and those advising the standstill: Look deep into your souls. Find that small grain of humanity that exists beyond the corridors of power. To “do the right thing” is not a sign of weakness; it is the ultimate sign of leadership.
Give the family their peace. Give the late President his rest. Let us bury the bitterness before it buries our national conscience.
The Struggle Continues
Sensio Banda Former Member of Parliament Kasenengwa Constituency Eastern Province
STATE TO DEPLOY $100M FROM IMF TO CONSTRUCT 300 TOWERS
MINISTER of Technology and Science Felix Mutati has said government has procured US $100 million from International Monetary Fund (IMF) to construct 300 additional towers across the country.
Mutati said this in Kapiri Mposhi on Saturday when he launched the Kapiri Mposhi Telecommunications Tower, marking another milestone in the government’s mission to digitise Zambia.
“This isn’t just a structure of steel and cables, it is a gateway to opportunity for over 7,000 residents in the area,” Mutati said.
He said working with IHS, the government has ensured the tower launched on Saturday would remain operational 24/7 independent of the national grid.
“By utilising a hybrid system of generators, lithium batteries and solar energy we are guaranteeing uninterrupted service for our people,” Mutati said.
He said digital infrastructure is the backbone of a modern economy.
“During my visit, it was clear that improved connectivity is already transforming lives,” he said.
Mutati said farmers are accessing market information faster while traders and marketeers are conducting secure mobile money transactions.
He said social services like the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and Social Cash Transfer are becoming more efficient.
Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, we are determined to leave no citizen behind,” he said
Mutati said the government has already erected 14 towers across Central Province, with four specifically in Kapiri Mposhi.
On nationwide expansion, Mutati said the government has secured $100 million from the IMF to construct 300 additional towers across the country.
“This infrastructure belongs to you. I urge the community to safeguard these assets against vandalism. They represent a significant investment in our collective future,” he said.
Mutati said the journey towards a fully digital Zambia continues.
“We will continue to allocate more towers to ensure total coverage and equitable access for all,” said Mutati.
POLITICIANS WARNED AGAINST BELIEVING FOREIGN PROPHECIES OF WINNING AUGUST 13 GENERAL ELECTIONS.
By: Thomas Afroman Mwale
The Bishops Council of Zambia has cautioned politicians against relying on foreign prophecies to predict who will emerge as president in the forthcoming August 13th General Elections.
The Council noted that several recent prophecies allegedly made by foreign clergy did not materialize, raising questions about the credibility of such declarations.
Bishop Charles Phiri told Sun FM TV News in an Interview that the country must scrutinize the growing influence of self proclaimed PAPAs on social media many of whom are accused of brainwashing unsuspecting citizens.
He recommended a reformation of the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs to address these issues and suggested imposing bans on certain foreign men of God whose teachings are questionable.
Meanwhile,Bishop Phiri welcomed President Hakainde Hichilema’s pronouncements on the institutionalization of the National Day of Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, and Reconciliation, including the potential gazetting of the day Zambia was declared a Christian nation.
R. KELLY PLACED IN ISOLATION AS U.S. PRISON INVESTIGATES NOTEBOOK DISCOVERY
By: TMZ
American R&B singer R. Kelly has been placed in isolation at a federal prison in the United States as authorities investigate how he came to have the phone number of a retired prison warden in his possession.
Kelly is currently serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Butner Medium in North Carolina.
According to his lawyer, Beau Brindley, the singer was transferred to the prison’s Special Housing Unit (SHU), a segregated section of the facility, while officials review the matter.
Brindley said the situation stems from Kelly’s involvement in a mentorship programme within the prison, which was overseen by the former warden.
Before retiring, the warden allegedly gave Kelly his personal mobile phone number so he could seek advice related to the mentorship initiative.
The issue surfaced after Kelly’s cellmate was reportedly found with a prohibited mobile phone considered contraband under U.S. federal prison regulations.
During a search of the shared cell, prison staff discovered Kelly’s notebook containing the retired warden’s contact number.
Authorities are now examining whether any prison rules were violated.
In response to media inquiries, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said it does not comment on specific inmates’ conditions of confinement or internal security procedures, citing privacy and safety concerns.
Kelly is serving lengthy federal sentences following multiple criminal convictions in the United States.
In 2021, he was convicted in New York on charges including racketeering and sex-related crimes and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In 2022, he was convicted in Chicago on additional federal charges, including producing child sexual abuse material and enticement of a minor, receiving a 20-year sentence.
Two men were caught on camera fighting allegedly over a woman at Lafia City Mall in Nasarawa State.
The altercation reportedly occurred on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026, drawing the attention of shoppers at the busy mall.
Eyewitnesses said the disagreement quickly escalated into a physical confrontation before bystanders intervened. The incident has since gone viral on social media, sparking mixed reactions among users.
Many criticized the men for engaging in a public fight over a woman in 2026, describing the behavior as immature.
Others, however, blamed the woman involved, accusing her of allegedly leading both men on. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The exhibition boxing match between legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been confirmed.
According to The Ring’s Mike Coppinger, Tyson and Mayweather Jr. are “tentatively” planning to go head-to-head in the ring on April 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Muhammad Ali once fought George Foreman in the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle.”
Last September, Tyson confirmed on social media he had signed on to face fellow Hall of Fame inductee Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition being put on by CSI Sports/Fight Sports, and in February he reaffirmed the bout’s legitimacy.
“Yeah that’s happening,” Tyson said of the fight in an interview with TMZ Sports. “You think I’d give that up? I was minding my business, he challenged me.”
Tyson last fought in November 2024 when he suffered a defeat by unanimous decision to Jake Paul in a professionally sanctioned bout.
Mayweather Jr. hasn’t competed in a professional fight since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017, but he has fought in a number of exhibitions, most recently taking on John Gotti III in August 2024 rematch.
Vice Premier Minister of Congo, Mobutu Nzanga Ngbangawe confirmed the date in location via social media. “Very happy to hear the great news from @MikeCoppinger of @RingMagazine that boxing legends @MikeTyson and @FloydMayweather will face off in an exhibition match on April 25th in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, honoring the legacy of the Rumble in the Jungle 52 years later,” he wrote on X.
Police in Machinga have launched a manhunt for two suspects believed to be behind the killing of 38-year-old Fred Ligomeka.
Machinga Police spokesperson Western Kansire said Ligomeka was allegedly caught stealing chickens from a house in Lipagani Village during the night.
According to Kansire, the house owner raised an alarm after noticing the suspected thief, which attracted community members who apprehended the suspect and assaulted him.
He said Ligomeka sustained severe injuries during the beating and was taken to Chikwewo Health Centre where medical personnel confirmed he died due to excessive blood loss.
Ligomeka hailed from Mwikawa Village under Traditional Authority Ngokwe in Machinga. Police have since intensified investigations and are searching for the two suspects in connection with the incident while urging the public to avoid mob justice and report crime through proper legal channels.
Authorities in Chikwawa have uncovered a shocking charcoal smuggling scheme in which traffickers staged a fake funeral procession to transport illegal charcoal.
Forestry officers intercepted a hearse at the Thabwa Roadblock over the weekend after receiving a tip from concerned citizens about a suspicious convoy S in a coaster written Serenity Funeral Services.
. Inside the vehicle, officers found an empty coffin placed on top of loose charcoal that had been loaded in Ngabu and covered with a green funeral carpet commonly used at burial sites.
Deputy Director of Forestry for Zone South, William Mitembe, described the case as the most complex illegal charcoal trafficking operation the country has seen.
“The vehicle is a hearse. It travelled to Ngabu where charcoal was loaded into the vehicle. The charcoal was wrapped with the green carpet used during funerals at the burial site and on top sat the coffin,” Mitembe said.
He added that people were even singing as if in a real funeral procession to avoid suspicion.
The operation was foiled after forestry officers thoroughly searched the hearse, opened the coffin and discovered it was empty before uncovering the hidden charcoal beneath the funeral carpet. Authorities say investigations are ongoing as the fight against illegal charcoal trade intensifies.
A Nigerian man who reportedly proposed to his girlfriend with a N24 million car has taken back the vehicle after she turned down his marriage proposal.
In an earlier video, the man surprised the lady with the car key before going down on one knee to ask her to marry him.
Although she appeared excited about the car gift, she declined his proposal, creating an awkward scene.
A new trending clip shows the visibly upset man forcefully retrieving the car keys from her when she refused to hand them over.
The dramatic exchange has since sparked widespread reactions online, with social media users divided over the incident.
This man collected his car key back after his girlfriend rejected his proposal in public. pic.twitter.com/acUwNZcycw
A wedding celebration in Pure Ganai village, India, took a dramatic turn when a 22-year-old groom was allegedly identified as being associated with the transgender (kinnar) community shortly after the marriage rituals were completed.
The marriage had been arranged six months earlier, and on February 13, the groom, identified as Rishu, arrived with a festive “baraat” that was warmly received by the bride’s family. Traditional ceremonies, including the seven vows, were conducted, and guests retired after dinner.
However, around 4 a.m., as preparations were being made for the bride’s departure (bidai), a group of kinnars from Kadopur arrived to collect customary gifts.
The atmosphere reportedly changed when members of the group claimed to recognize the groom as someone previously associated with them.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the groom’s family offered the group money to remain silent, a claim that heightened suspicion among the bride’s relatives.
When asked to clarify the allegations, the groom reportedly refused, leading to tensions at the venue, and police were alerted.
No formal complaint was filed, but following discussions between the two families, the groom’s side allegedly agreed to reimburse the wedding expenses, and the baraat left without the bride.
Drama erupted online after a Kenyan pastor was publicly accused by his wife of engaging in romantic relationships with more than 13 women. The allegations, shared through a series of emotional social media posts, quickly went viral and sparked widespread debate.
In her posts, the wife claimed her husband had been unfaithful and exposed names and images of women she alleged were involved with him.
The revelations drew intense reactions from social media users, with some expressing sympathy for the wife while others questioned the decision to address the matter publicly. Members of the pastor’s congregation also raised concerns, noting that religious leaders are expected to uphold strong moral standards.
Critics argued that the accusations could damage both the church’s reputation and the faith of followers.
Supporters of the pastor, however, urged caution, pointing out that claims circulating online may not always present the full story.
As discussions continue, many are waiting for an official response from the pastor, while the incident has reignited broader conversations about accountability and privacy in the digital age.
A court has heard that a transgender defendant is accused of s3xually ass@ulting a former girlfriend while wearing a prosthetic pen!s during their two-year relationship.
Zainab Jamshaid, 20, who was born female and identified as a man at the time of the alleged offences but now identifies as a woman again, is on trial at Hove Crown Court. Prosecutors say Jamshaid wore the prosthetic device at all times during the relationship and used it during alleged assaults, even when the complainant was crying and asking for it to stop.
Jurors were told the pair met at college and began what was initially described as a “perfect” relationship. The prosecution alleges the relationship deteriorated after the complainant discovered Jamshaid had been unfaithful with a former partner, leading to arguments and increasingly controlling behaviour.
The court heard allegations that during one dispute Jamshaid locked the woman in a bathroom for a day and strangled her. It is further alleged that Jamshaid struck her with a wine bottle, punched her repeatedly until she lost consciousness, and scratched a ‘Z’ into her leg. Prosecutor Sarah Lindop told the court: “It was as if marking her as his.”
The jury was told that one alleged assault involving the prosthetic device took place at a hotel in Woking in April 2023. The complainant told police that Jamshaid would “wear it at all times.” Describing the incident, Ms Lindop said: “The complainant had got out of the shower and defendant had started to kiss and touch her but then began getting aggressive.
“She told him to stop but to no effect. He told her to shut up and carried on. He had on him his prosthetic penis and that was when he used it on her. She was crying throughout this. She was saying no and asking him to stop.”
Another alleged assault is said to have taken place in October 2023. The complainant ended the relationship in February 2024, citing what she described as coercive and violent behaviour.
The court heard that on one occasion after the relationship had ended, Jamshaid allegedly entered her home and later assaulted her again despite her using a pre-agreed “safe word.” Ms Lindop told jurors: “She spoke of saying ‘No’, using the safe word but the defendant carrying on regardless and getting a some sort of thrill. “He was getting some sort of kick out of it.”
Jamshaid denies 14 charges, including assault by penetration, common assault by beating and controlling and coercive behaviour. The trial continues.
President Arthur Peter Mutharika has ordered doctors and other public health workers to divest from private hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies while employed in government facilities.
In a document that Face of Malawi has seen, the President expressed concerns that some health personnel have been directing patients from public hospitals to their private clinics to access better treatment.
According to the order, any public health worker owning, operating, or holding shares in a private clinic or pharmacy must divest within 30 days. Failure to comply will result in dismissal and potential legal action.
The directive also reinforces a strict ban on soliciting payments from patients in public hospitals, warning that any staff caught demanding money for services will be fired and prosecuted.
The President’s measures are aimed at restoring integrity in the health sector and protecting citizens’ constitutional right to access healthcare without discrimination.
German football manager Jurgen Klopp rejected Manchester United and Chelsea after leaving Liverpool, his agent has claimed.
Klopp, 58, left Anfield in the summer of 2024, when Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Chelsea and United were exploring replacements for Erik ten Hag.
After leaving Liverpool the German said he could not see himself managing any other English side and that he was burnt out after nearly nine years on Merseyside.
Though his agent, Marc Kosicke, has claimed that it did not stop two of Liverpool’s rivals approaching him, while he added that he could have replaced Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Kosicke told Transfermarkt: “Maybe at some point he’ll say he needs to smell the locker room again. But at the moment he’s very, very happy in his role.
“Before joining Red Bull, Jurgen could have coached the USA or England. Probably also Germany, if Julian Nagelsmann hadn’t already been there.
“Even Chelsea and Manchester United inquired, although Jurgen had clearly stated that he would not coach any other club in England. These inquiries keep coming.
“He’s extremely happy with what he’s achieved. And it’s still wonderful to go down in history as one of the few coaches who only managed three clubs and were never fired.”
Chelsea eventually appointed Enzo Maresca, who won the Conference League and Club World Cup last season before being sacked in January.
Newly released emails appear to show how a glamorous niece of the president of the Ivory Coast acted as a fixer for paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein by introducing him to powerful politicians and young women.
Nina Keita, whose uncle Alassane Ouattara has led the West African nation since 2010, was named in the three million documents published on January 30 by the US Department of Justice.
According to the report, Nina began corresponding with Epstein in 2011.
At the time, she was a model who had worked in France before later returning home to take up a senior role at state oil storage firm Gestoci. She is now married to Employment Minister Adam Kamara.
The emails suggest Keita visited Epstein in New York, flew on his private jet, and organised a trip for him to Abidjan, where he was scheduled to meet the president and senior ministers to discuss investment projects.
But the correspondence also takes a darker turn, according to The Times.
In May 2011, Keita asked Epstein if he wanted to meet one of her friends in Paris. He replied: ‘How old is she tell me about her? Do you have other friends.’
Keita responded: ‘She is 25. But she has a lot of friends too in Paris. You can meet her first and ask her, I’m sure she’ll be happy to do that.’
Months later, after an apparent meeting at the Ritz in Paris, Epstein wrote: ‘Ask [redacted] to send pictures of her sister. I prefer under 25.’
When none were sent, Keita forwarded photographs herself.
The same year, Epstein floated selling his Boeing 727 – believed to be the so-called Lolita Express – telling Keita: ‘I am told your uncle is trying to charter my 727. The same one you flew on to Europe. I suggest he buys it instead.’
In January 2012, Keita set up a packed itinerary in Abidjan, including meetings with the president, the economy and interior ministers, and senior officials, including the late Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who later became prime minister.
Ahead of one engagement, she wrote: ‘Also what’s your maximum bed time? Hamed has something planned for you but I’m afraid it might go very late ( dinner at his house with wife + drinks somewhere+ private night at his penthouse( he knows what you like).’
Years later, Keita also appeared central to efforts to free Karim Wade, son of former Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade.
After Wade was jailed for corruption in 2015, she begged Epstein for financial help to hire US lobbyists.
‘[Wade] is asking again if you could help with hiring a lobbying firm ( as I previously told you). Jeffrey, he really, really needs your help… A lot of his friends have disappeared, he has few one left and most people are afraid to help.’
Emails indicate Epstein sent $100,000. When Wade was freed the following year, Keita wrote: ‘Thank you for everything you have done for him!!!!’
It comes as over 18,000 images and 2,000 videos or 14 hours of footage – were published by the US Department of Justice on January 30 in a tranche of over three million files related to the late child sex offender.
A Russian guy has reportedly visited Ghana in recent years on a certain “mission”.
He approached as many as he could to complement him, and it all worked out; they met him at night for sessions between the two of them alone.
Unfortunately, recorded every single meeting with each lady who visited him at his hotel.
Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has condemned the actions of a Russian man, Vyacheslav Trahov, who recorded his intimate sessions with different Ghanaian women without their consent.
The Ministry is working with the Ghana Police to get to the bottom of this matter.
According to the statement, the guy is currently out of the country, but they would collaborate with international bodies to explore lawful options. They are urging the general public to stop sharing the disturbing videos.
The Minister for Communications and digitalisation, Honourable Sam Nartey George, has revealed that the government is working around the clock to extradite Vyacheslav Trahov to face the full wrath of Ghana’s law.
The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Ghana has taken note of the reports in the Ghanaian media on the alleged involvement of a supposedly Russian citizen engaged in sexual activities with some Ghanaian women and recorded those acts without consent.
The organisers of the Winter Olympics in Seoul are facing a serious challenge after the athletes used 10,000 available condoms in 3 days in Northern Italy.
Before the upcoming Winter Olympics, intimacy among athletes was prohibited, as the Olympic organisers had placed a ban on it.
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The ban was lifted for this current game, and condoms were shared among the participants, but after 3 days, shocking news came out from the Olympic Village.
The 10,000 Condoms are out of stock, and now the organisers have to make a swift decision to avoid the spread of STIs.
According to reports, the Olympic committee did not expect this news just 3 days after the commencement of the games.
They have no option but to order in abundance to avoid any scarcity until the end of the Winter Olympics.
People who read or heard the news are eager to know what athletes did with all the 10,000 in just 3 days instead of relaxing and training for their future events.
Some jokingly said the athletes used some to float water, and others used it as balloons
Over 2,900 athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics are dealing with a shortage of condoms after the free supply in the Olympic Village in Cortina d’Ampezzo finished in three days.
Organizers promised more were on the way.
The previous Winter Games distributed over 300,000 condoms across the event.
New US Ambassador Brent Bozell III Arrives in Pretoria with To-Do List as Stormy Relations Test Mettle
Leo Brent Bozell III, the newly appointed United States ambassador to South Africa, has arrived in the country to officially take up his post, touching down at a moment when diplomatic relations between Washington and Pretoria are arguably at their most fraught in decades.
Bozell, a conservative activist and writer selected by former President Donald Trump, is expected to present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the coming days, a formality that will formally recognize him as the US envoy. His arrival in Pretoria marks the end of a prolonged vacancy in the high-profile posting.
The ambassador-designate enters a diplomatic minefield. Relations have deteriorated sharply over the past year, fueled by Washington’s accusations that South Africa is persecuting its white minority, its criticism of Pretoria’s ties with Russia and China, and the imposition of steep tariffs on South African exports.
The tension peaked when the US expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, after he made critical comments about the Trump administration, leaving the country without a top envoy in Washington
Bozell’s agenda signals potential flashpoints ahead. During his Senate confirmation hearing in October, he outlined a mandate that includes pressing South Africa to end its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice a cornerstone of Pretoria’s foreign policy and advancing Trump’s controversial refugee programme for white South Africans, particularly the Afrikaner minority.
“I come before you at a challenging moment for US-South Africa relations,” Bozell told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee late last year. He promised to communicate Washington’s objections to what he termed South Africa’s “geostrategic drift” towards US competitors . However, he also stated he would approach his role “with respect for the South African people”.
South Africa has firmly rejected the narrative of state-sanctioned persecution of whites, but has signalled it will not interfere with the US refugee programme. Recent closed-door meetings between U
Magaya Vs Makandiwa: Prophet Demands Prosecutor’s Removal Over UFIC Allegations Embattled PHD Ministries leader Walter Magaya has launched a stunning attack on the prosecutor handling his rape trial, demanding her removal and alleging she is on a direct mission from Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa to destroy him and his church.
In an explosive letter to the Prosecutor General’s office, Magaya’s legal team accuses chief prosecutor Tendayi Shonhayi of being a member of Makandiwa’s United Family International Church (UFIC) and using her position to wage a war against a rival ministry. The sensational claim has thrown the already scandal-plagued rape trial into unprecedented chaos.
The Makandiwa Link The Herald reports that the letter, formally submitted to the court by Magaya’s lawyers Admire Rubaya and Everson Chatambudza on Tuesday, does not hold back. It directly links Shonhayi’s courtroom actions to her spiritual allegiance, painting a picture of a prosecutor on a personal crusade.
The legal team states in the letter dated February 17, 2026:
“Our client instructs, and has it on good authority, that Ms Tendayi Shonhayi is a member of a rival church known as United Family International Church (UFIC), which is considered by our client as a rival church to Magaya’s church, PHD Ministries, as well as to Magaya himself.”
But the letter goes far beyond stating the facts. It accuses Shonhayi of actively working to bring down Magaya for the benefit of her own “PAPA.”
“It is our client’s considered view that Ms Tendayi Shonhayi is on a mission of her own to try and persecute him on the basis that she wants to destroy our client’s church for the benefit of UFIC, which is a competing rival church. She is doing the bidding for her own ‘PAPA’ Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa in circumstances where she should be detached from the case.”
The legal team argues that this deep-seated conflict has poisoned the entire prosecution. They claim she unilaterally pushed to move the trial to the Victim-Friendly Court before any official ruling, a move they believe was designed to create the impression that Magaya is already guilty.
An Alleged Pattern Of Suspicious Conduct
Magaya’s lawyers have laid out what they call a clear pattern of conduct by Shonhayi, alleging she has manipulated legal documents and proceedings to suit her agenda. They point to the initial charge sheet and witness statements, which they claim were served without the names of the complainants – a direct violation of Section 146 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
The letter states:
“She only had to serve Magaya’s defence counsel with new charge sheets, which now had names after they had taken her to task. She further had to write the witness names on the typed witness statements using a blue pen. For your convenience, we have attached the defective documents that our client was once served with.”
They further accuse her of running the show behind the scenes, overstepping her role and whispering instructions to the lead counsel. The defence also claims she previously raised what they term “flimsy reasons” for the recusal of a High Court judge during bail proceedings and is now pushing to appeal the very bail Magaya was granted.
“Our client has also observed that the proceedings seem to be marred by the overbearing preponderance of Ms Shonhayi, who is not the lead counsel. Instead of leaving Mr Clemence Chimbari (lead counsel) to argue, she is always seen whispering something to him, showing that she is the one in charge.”
The letter concludes with a direct appeal to the Prosecutor General, arguing that allowing Shonhayi to continue would be a travesty of justice. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has remained tight-lipped and has yet to respond to the dramatic allegations.
Meanwhile, the trial itself remains gridlocked. On Monday, February 16, 2026, proceedings stalled as Magaya’s lawyers pushed to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court.
They are fighting a ruling allowing some witnesses to testify via video link, insisting that Magaya has the right to face his accusers in open court. Magistrate Esthere Chivasa has granted the defence until Tuesday to file their application.
Magaya faces four counts of rape involving adult congregants from Harare and Chegutu, with allegations dating from 2016 to 2023. He is also due back in court on March 2, 2026, on separate rape allegations involving two other women.
Breaking: Nigerian, South African Facebook/Instagram users successfully hunt-down K!llers of SA “Yango” Driver🇿🇦🇳🇬
South African police in Pretoria have arrested 3 dangerous suspects in the brutal k!lling of Isaac Satlat, a Nigerian born Bolt Driver (the Yango of SA) thanks to a Niger-SA online collaboration and investigation team.
Unknown to the trio partners in cr!me, the dashcam (vehicle CCTV) streamed live the entire horror episode as Isaac fought for his life, and sent it to Isaacs family in Nigeria, who then released it to the South African public and appealed for help to identify the culprits.
Within 30 minutes of the footage upload on social media, the first suspect, a woman calling herself “Lunch Money” on instagram was identified, and she discovered that she had become an instant instagram celebrity, growing from 600 followers to 6000 followers in 1 hour…until
Unitil she realized late, Ohh sheet😳, kanshi she was being HUNTED, forcing her to first deactivate, and then finally delete her account- but it was too late, the entire Mzanzi nation knew what lunch money looked like, where she stayed, her school, her boyfriend hideout, and her favorite perfume and pets name; and police had already set a table for a lunch date, at her location.
The second suspect whose Xhosa name is very difficult to spell or pronounce, was found chilling on Facebook, but was quick to realize, react and deactivated his account after he too begun to gunner followers from Nigeria 🤔- but like lunch money, it was too late, the entire 250 million strong online Nigerian population had downloaded and disected his entire online history – and cr!me history too, and literally set him up for lunch with the South African Police.
Meanwhile, the outraged SA Taxi drivers association has vowed that should the trio be released from Police custody, they will be “given a necklace” which is South African street way of saying they’ll send you to meet your ancestors by putting a car tire around your neck and then…well, you know how it ends
The trio appeared in court yesterday and refused to be realeased on bail as Taxi drivers waited for them outside.
The Bauchi State Police Command has rescued a man who was illegally confined and chained for 17 years by his biological father.
The spokesperson of the command, SP Nafiu Habib, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 said that a good Samaritan reported that the victim, Muhammad Lawan, had been confined by his father for almost a decade without care.
The PPRO explained that upon receiving the report, a team of detectives visited the scene in Shadawanka village of Bauchi LGA and successfully rescued the very emaciated victim.
“The Bauchi State Police Command has rescued a middle-aged man who was allegedly confined and leg-chained by his father for seventeen years,” the statement read.
“On 16th February, 2026, at about 1620hrs, information was received from a good Samaritan that one Muhammad Lawan, popularly known as Babangida, had been confined by his biological father, Mohammed Lawan, in his house for seventeen (17) years without care.
“Upon receipt of the report, a team of detectives led by the DPO ‘B’ Division, in conjunction with the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), visited the scene in Shadawanka village of Bauchi LGA and successfully rescued the very emmaciated victim.
“The father of the victim has been arrested and is currently in custody. The victim has been taken to hospital for proper medical attention and rehabilitation as directed by Commissioner of Police.
“CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, mni, psc(+), has also directed the DPO to conduct a preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding this inhumane act and subsequently transfer the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough investigation.”
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused President Donald Trump of overseeing what she described as a “cover-up” involving documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an interview published by BBC.
Speaking in Berlin ahead of her scheduled congressional testimony, Clinton called for the full release of the remaining records. “Release the files. They are slow-walking it,” she said.
Last month, the United States Department of Justice published more than three million documents, images and videos linked to its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 in what authorities ruled a suicide.
Although former President Bill Clinton is mentioned multiple times in the files, no evidence has emerged implicating either of the Clintons in criminal conduct.
Both Hillary and Bill Clinton have been directed to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is examining Epstein’s relationships with influential figures and how information about his crimes was managed. Hillary Clinton said she would prefer the testimony to be held publicly.
“We will appear, but we believe it should be done in public,” she said. “I want it to be fair. I want everyone treated equally.”
Clinton insisted that she and her husband “have nothing to hide” and have repeatedly supported the full disclosure of the documents.
While the Justice Department maintains that no additional files remain for release, some lawmakers argue that internal communications including memos and emails have not been made public.
Clinton alleged that Republicans are attempting to divert attention from Trump, whose name also appears numerous times in the documents. “They’re pointing to a shiny object — dragging in the Clintons, even me, despite the fact that I never met him,” she said.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, emphasizing that being mentioned in the files does not equate to criminal guilt.
Bill Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private plane in the early 2000s for humanitarian trips connected to the Clinton Foundation but has said he never visited Epstein’s private island. Hillary Clinton has maintained that she had no meaningful contact with Epstein, never traveled on his aircraft and never visited his island.
In the BBC interview, she also confirmed meeting Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, on a few occasions.
Responding to Clinton’s claim that the testimony is politically motivated, Trump told reporters he had been “totally exonerated.”
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on February 26, while Bill Clinton is expected to appear the following day.
