It has been 17 years since John Edward Jones became trapped forever inside Nutty Putty Cave in Utah, in one of the most tragic cave accidents in history.
In November 2009, John, a young medical student and father, entered the cave with family members, believing he was exploring a familiar passage. In the tight, unmapped tunnels, he mistakenly crawled into a narrow chute that sloped downward. As he tried to turn around, he slipped deeper and became wedged upside down, unable to move.
What followed was a desperate rescue effort. More than 50 rescuers worked tirelessly for over 24 hours, using ropes, pulleys, and drilling equipment in the cramped, unstable cave. Every attempt to free him pushed his body further into danger. Being inverted for so long placed immense strain on his heart and lungs.
Despite extraordinary efforts, the rescue ultimately failed. John passed away inside the cave, surrounded by people who fought desperately to save him.
Because recovering his body was deemed too dangerous, Nutty Putty Cave was permanently sealed, and John’s resting place remains there to this day.
His story is a haunting reminder of nature’s unforgiving power—and of the courage, limits, and risks faced by those who venture into the unknown.
🇺🇦 UKRAINE LOCKS DOWN STARLINK TO BLOCK RUSSIAN DRONES
Ukraine’s government just rolled out a whitelist for Starlink terminals: verified ones stay connected, unverified get disconnected right away.
This move cuts off Russian forces from using smuggled or captured @Starlink units to guide their drone strikes, secures Ukrainian communications, and shields critical energy infrastructure from attacks.
Turning a game-changing tech into a frontline weapon for defense, not offense.
IRAN WILLING TO SHUT DOWN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS U.S. OFFICIALS HEAD TO ISTANBUL
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Iran’s foreign minister Friday, with Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt officials also attending.
It’s the first face-to-face talks since Trump moved his “armada” into striking range.
Iran is offering major concessions.
They’re willing to suspend the nuclear program and have already sent Ali Larijani to Moscow with a message from Khamenei: Iran could ship its enriched uranium stockpile to Russia like they did under the 2015 deal.
COMMENTARY ON THE LIVINGSTONE MAYOR CORRUPTION FINDING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ZAMBIAN CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE
Introduction
The judgment arising from the Livingstone Mayor corruption matter presents a troubling contradiction. On the one hand, the court expressly found that the accused, acting in her official capacity as Mayor of Livingstone, corruptly obtained a gratification of K180,000.00 in exchange for securing a 100% remission of property rates owed to the Livingstone City Council.
On the other hand, the court declined to sustain criminal liability under Count Two on the basis that the funds were transmitted through intermediaries rather than directly from the person named in the indictment.
This commentary argues that, as a matter of law, principle, and public policy, the latter conclusion is inconsistent with the Penal Code, settled criminal doctrine in Zambia, and the broader anti-corruption framework.
Corruption as a Substantive Offence, Not a Transactional Technicality Under Zambian criminal law, corruption is not defined by the path taken by money, but by:
the corrupt intent (mens rea), and
the abuse of public office for private gain (actus reus).
Once a court finds that a public officer corruptly received or agreed to receive a gratification in connection with an official act, the offence is complete.
This principle has been repeatedly affirmed by Zambian courts when interpreting offences involving abuse of office, theft by public servant, and corruption-related crimes. The focus has never been—and must never become—the elegance or complexity of the payment mechanism.
Statutory Position Under the Penal Code (Cap 87) Section 21 – Parties to Offences Section 21 of the Penal Code provides that any person who aids, abets, counsels, or procures the commission of an offence is deemed to have taken part in committing that offence and is criminally liable as a principal offender.
Applied to the present facts:
the intermediaries (Oliver Perry and PW3) are, at law, agents or accomplices, not legal shields;
the accused, as the ultimate beneficiary and decision-maker, remains fully liable.
The Penal Code does not recognise “distance” from the source of funds as a defence. Section 22 – Counselling or Procuring
Section 22 extends liability to any person who counsels or procures the commission of an offence, whether or not that person personally executes each step.
Zambian courts have consistently interpreted this provision broadly, recognising that complex crimes—especially economic and corruption offences—are often executed through layers of intermediaries. To hold otherwise is to reward sophistication in criminal design.
Section 23 – Accessories Before or After the Fact Section 23 criminalises knowing participation before or after the commission of an offence. A public officer who knowingly receives proceeds of a corrupt transaction cannot escape liability merely because the transaction was structured through third parties.
Zambian Judicial Approach to Criminal Responsibility (Principle-Based) While each corruption case turns on its own facts, Zambian courts have long rejected hyper-technical interpretations that defeat the substance of criminal justice.
The Supreme Court of Zambia has repeatedly emphasised that: criminal law must be interpreted purposively, and courts must guard against interpretations that defeat legislative intent, particularly in public-interest offences. In corruption and abuse-of-office matters, the identity of the conduit has never been treated as more important than the corrupt benefit and official abuse.
Persuasive Commonwealth Authority (Accepted in Zambia) Zambian courts routinely rely on persuasive Commonwealth jurisprudence where domestic authority is limited. Courts across the Commonwealth have consistently held that:
“The use of intermediaries does not negate criminal liability where the accused knowingly receives a corrupt benefit connected to an official act.” This principle has been applied in cases involving bribery, conspiracy, and joint enterprise, reinforcing that criminal liability follows intent and benefit, not transaction choreography.
The Dangerous Precedent Created. The implication of the Livingstone finding, if left unchallenged in principle, is severe:
It undermines anti-corruption enforcement It creates a blueprint for evasion by public officers It signals that corruption becomes legally survivable if properly “outsourced”
It weakens public confidence in equal application of the law Most dangerously, it creates a public perception problem—that political proximity or affiliation may coincide with legal insulation. Whether true or not, justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Perception alone, when fuelled by reasoning of this nature, erodes the moral authority of the justice system.
Conclusion
Once the court found that the Mayor corruptly obtained K180,000.00 in exchange for abusing public office, criminal liability was established in law. The route by which the money travelled is legally incidental, not exculpatory.
The Penal Code criminalises corruption directly or indirectly obtained.
It criminalises participation through intermediaries.
It criminalises benefiting from corrupt schemes, regardless of structure.
Any interpretation that suggests otherwise does not advance justice it invites impunity.
Final Note (Measured but Clear) This commentary does not attack the judiciary. It defends the integrity of the law. But it also serves as a warning: bad precedent is more dangerous than a bad judgment, because precedent outlives personalities and politics.
If corruption can be laundered through intermediaries and survive judicial scrutiny, then the very foundation of equality before the law is at risk.
A Ghanaian man identified as Benjamin Offei, has reportedly committed su!cide after DNA test results showed that the four children he had been raising with his wife were not his biologically.
A Germany based man, Bmm Swerdna, who disclosed this in a Facebook post on Sunday, February 2, 2026 said the Offei, was found d3ad in his garage in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“My friend Benjamin Offei who found out in a DNA test that all 4 children are not his children in his 19 years relationship with his Ghanaian wife has committed su!cide in his garage in Copenhagen,” he wrote.
It was gathered that the couple dated for 10 years before they got married.
LUNGU’S ‘PREFERRED SUCCESSOR’, DOES THIS CONCEPT REALLY MATTER?
We have heard a lot about ‘Lungu preferred this one, and Lungu preferred that one”.
This is debated so seriously as though it matters as much as the will of the deceased over their personal estate.
With due respect to the former and late President, his will is limited to his personal estate.
Beyond that, his desires and wishes may be taken only under advisement.
Even if he were still alive, they ll still be taken under advisement.
In fairness to all, it’s important that the field is left open for fair competition.
It’s also important that the wisdom of the voter is allowed to exercise itself in the choice of the next leader.
By so doing, you avoid creating cult personalities and this idea of ‘The Great Leader’ associated with dictatorial political systems.
Don’t forget this: just because someone once served as President doesn’t mean that they have become more wiser than the rest.
This seems to be the psychology that underpins our relations with former Presidents.
Experience does not necessarily lead to wisdom, let alone, the capacity to render sound advice.
So, whatever the preference was of the late President regarding his successor, trust the process by allowing the eligible members of the PF to elect their next leader.
SPEAKER URGES MPs TO MAINTAIN DECORUM AHEAD OF GHANAIAN PRESIDENT’S ADDRES
SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has urged Members of Parliament to conduct themselves in a dignified and orderly manner ahead of an address by the President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, scheduled for Thursday, 5 February 2026.
Ms. Mutti made the call today during “communication from the Speaker” session as Parliament resumed sittings, emphasizing the importance of decorum during what she described as a significant diplomatic occasion for the House and the nation.
She reminded the law makers that the address by the Ghanaian Head of State would be a moment of national and international importance, requiring members to uphold the highest standards of parliamentary conduct.
“The House must rise to the occasion and demonstrate the dignity befitting this august Assembly,” said Ms. Mutti.
Meanwhile, Ms Mutti, has urged Members of Parliament to ensure the completion of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) constituency office projects within the year, emphasizing the need for accountability and timely delivery of development initiatives.
Ms. Mutti also called on lawmakers to fully implement the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative, which aims to establish small-scale solar power plants across the country, stating that the initiative targets the development of solar plants capable of generating up to two megawatts of electricity in each constituency, a move intended to improve electricity supply in all districts while creating a guaranteed income stream at constituency level.
Rhea Holmes, a 55-year-old African American woman from Syracuse, New York, had been sleeping on her husband’s grave for months when a chance encounter with Officer Jamie Pastorello turned into a lifeline. A simple ride to the cemetery ended up changing her life.
On a cold December day, Holmes was carrying a box of groceries up a hill when Pastorello noticed her. He offered her a ride, unaware of the struggles she had endured silently for nearly eight months.
During the short drive, Holmes spoke about her late husband, their 26-year marriage, and her faith. Before leaving the car, she asked Pastorello for a photo. The department shared it on Facebook, where a cemetery worker recognized her.
The worker revealed that Holmes had been living at the cemetery, sleeping on a tarp over her husband’s grave and wearing the same clothes daily. She had survived outdoors quietly, avoiding shelters and asking for help only rarely. Pastorello said, “We deal with homelessness every day. She had no signs whatsoever.”
Holmes’ hardships began after her husband, Rev. Eddie Holmes, died suddenly in 2020. She lost her administrative assistant job, was evicted, and endured months of cold nights. Despite this, she continued volunteering at food pantries and churches.
“I just kept giving to others,” Rhea told People. “It was the only way I could keep going.”
After learning her story, Pastorello helped Holmes secure temporary housing and launched a GoFundMe campaign. It has raised over $76,000 in a month. By January 2026, she moved into a fully furnished home, finally safe from the dangers of sleeping outdoors.
Holmes says the encounter was life-changing. She said, “I know I wouldn’t have made it. If that ride hadn’t happened when it did… I don’t even want to imagine.”
Now, she and Pastorello talk nearly every day and often meet for coffee. He said the experience shows that even small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the longtime former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in Libya.
Ahmed Khalifa, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent in Libya, said on Tuesday that Gaddafi is believed to have been shot and killed in the western Libyan city of Zintan, where he was based for the past decade.
The 53-year-old’s killing was confirmed by his political adviser, Abdullah Othman, but the attackers and circumstances remain unclear.
The Libyan authorities have yet to comment publicly.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi never had an official position in Libya, but was considered to be his father’s number two from 2000 until 2011, when Muammar Gaddafi was killed by Libyan opposition forces that ended his decades-long rule.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured and imprisoned in Zintan in 2011 after attempting to flee the North African country following the opposition’s takeover of Tripoli.
He was released in 2017 as part of a general pardon.
THE BRIAN MUNDUBILE PF FACTION PONDERS COMMENCING LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE GIVEN LUBINDA PF FACTION.
As the wrangles in the opposition Patriotic Front continue to deepen. Inside sources have shared that the Brian Mundubile Faction has advanced effort to commence contempt of court proceedings against the Lubinda group for recently expelling PF MPs from the Party as well as planning to hold an Extra ordinary Convention, when there is a High Court Matter that has not been resolved looking into the leadership of the Party.
The scheme is said to be meant to destabilize the Lubinda team and eventually knock him out of the Presidential race. To achieve the aim, the Mundubile Team will file the injunction in the Kabwe High Court.
The political theatrics being staged generate interest as the Mundubile Faction has in the past been accused to be aligned to the ruling UPND and it’s schemes appear to have the blessings of Hon. Robert Chabinga, PF President.
It remains to be seen how the Lubinda team will proceed after the action, especially that it promised it’s followers a convention in February 2026.
DAN PULE APOLOGIZES TO TONGAS OVER ‘TRIBAL APPOINTMENTS’ REMARK IN SEDITIOUS PRACTICES CAS
Christian Democratic Party President Dan Pule has apologized to people from the Zambezi region, particularly Tongas, if his remarks that President Hakainde Hichilema has been making tribal appointments offended them.
Testifying when he opened his defence in the seditious practices case before Lusaka Acting Chief Resident Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya, Dr. Pule said his remarks were not intended to disparage any group and sought to clarify his position.
The opposition leader is facing one count of seditious practices arising from a statement alleged to have been made between 16 and 28 May 2024, in which he accused the president of favoring the Zambezi region in official appointments.
When opening his defence, Dr. Pule told court he intended to call dozens of witnesses to support his account and to explain the context of his remarks, which he says were made during a United Kwacha Alliance press briefing attended by several opposition leaders.
However, Dr. Pule’s lawyers led by Sakwiba Sikota applied for an adjournment on the basis that the accused is still unwell to stand longer hours of trial, prompting the magistrate to adjourn the matter to allow the accused time to recover.
THE EXTENT OF UPND’S CORRUPTION WILL BE SEEN AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE – KALABA
…wonders why ministers under investigation are being shielded.
LUSAKA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 03, 2026
CITIZENS First party President Harry Kalaba says the extent of corruption under the UPND Government will be seen after they are voted out of office in August this year.
Speaking when he featured on ‘Let the People Talk’ program on Radio Phoenix this morning, Mr. Kalaba charged that the UPND is the most corrupt government in the history of Zambia.
Mr. Kalaba wondered why some ministers who are under investigation for corrupt practices are being shielded and their identities are hidden.
“The UPND came into government for their own benefit, they are the most corrupt as seen in the history of Zambia. Zambians will be able to see the extent of UPND corruption when they leave office this year. In 2021 we warned Zambians not to vote for the UPND and we still have some people who are even reglecting voting out ECL,” Mr. Kalaba said.
“This is the government that wants the names of ministers who are under investigation for corruption not to be published for the public to know. How can we fight corruption like that,” the CF leader wondered.
And Mr. Kalaba said contrary to assertions by some sections of society, his party is not being selfish by opting to field its own candidates in by-elections as opposed to rallying behind one opposition candidate.
He said the Citizens First Party was not formed to escort individuals into forming government but to provide leadership that addresses the needs of ordinary Zambians.
“Leadership should be about the people. We are not here to escort anyone into forming government but to address the real needs that are affecting our people such as flooding and by doing so we are not being selfish,” Mr. Kalaba said.
…says Citizens First party is more stable with tested leadership.
LUSAKA, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2026 (SMART EAGLES)
CITIZENS First Deputy Secretary Dr. Kasese Botha says party leader Harry Kalaba has what it takes to unseat the ruling UPND in the August 13 general elections.
Speaking when she featured on the ‘Pulse Nation’ program on Millennium TV this afternoon, Dr. Botha said Mr. Kalaba is a tested leader with a proven leadership record.
She said Citizens First is the most stable opposition political party in Zambia and is moving towards winning the 2026 polls.
“We are doing fine as a party, we are the most stable party in Zambia and we are moving to ensure we win the 2026 general elections. Alot is being said that we came a distant third in the Chawama and Kasama by – elections, but I want to say that by-election are never an indicator of a general election, they have there own dynamics,” Dr. Botha said.
“We have leadership that is tested and we have what it takes to unseat the UPND. Our party President Harry Kalaba has distinguished himself, he was a soldier of late President Sata but not only did he learn from Sata, he also learnt from his father who was a seasoned politician and all the time he spent at home with his father, Mr. Kalaba was learning how to look after people, ” she said.
And Dr. Botha said at the moment there is serious governance failure adding that the vote buying by the UPND in the last by- elections is testimony that hunger is rife in country.
She said there is need to create an environment where all citizens are able to afford three meals per day.
“You saw how meal meal was flying around during by – elections, people being given cooking oil in exchange for a vote, this is an acknowledgement that poverty is real, that there is hunger in Zambia. It is sad that we have weaponised food that people should eat into a transactional maneuver to win a vote, this dehumanizes citizens especially coming from the ruling party,” she said.
Compatriots; whether you and I like it or not, there can only be one President of Zambia at a time and right now it’s Hakainde Hichilema. This acceptance and submission is very very important and it cannot be construed as being part of the UPND.
It’s simply civility and respect for the sake of fostering a healthy policy-based politics. When the governing party picks some ideas from the opposite side of the divide Zambia wins and it’s beneficial to the Republic. To be precise, we must all be united in our political interests for what works for our country.
It seems to us, in UPP, that our country is so used to a divisive and vitriolic politics that whenever we issue an apolitical statement like we have done on ZESCO, some take it as “going to bed with UPND”. Let us stop this nonsense. What’s wrong with stating that ZESCO is not stealing or manipulating the units – it’s just that electricity is now expensive and government must adjust downwards the tariffs for low income households? Our statement was advisory for the good of all. Progressive policies can start even now if those in government care.
UPND is the worst performing government since 1964, but it cannot be compared to the MMD-run PF which lost power in 2021. Our country was in deep economic turmoil and if the MMD-run PF won what we are seeing now could have been worse. The debt stock was huge and unsustainable! State management was reduced to short term or temporary reliefs for the sake of the elections.
In order for the Kwacha to appear strong, BoZ would simply offload dollars onto the market. By now, Zambia could have been a junk and failed state worse than the weak DRC whose Katanga region the UPP-led Government will annex in less than 100 days of winning the elections.
Cadres took over virtually every aspect of life and disorder became commonplace. It was no longer about what you know, but who you know. It’s an act of national senselessness to be nostalgic about that era in the history of our country!
Nearly all former PF ministers must be behind bars. A forensic audit of all infrastructure projects under the central government and all councils countrywide will reveal that all contracts were highly inflated and companies owned by looter ministers awarded themselves contracts. It’s unbelievable how the MMD/PF-run UPND Government has failed to deal with these real cases of corruption and genuinely prosecute the looters who are now using the looted public funds to sow seeds of chaos. The UPND has its own share of stealthiness in corruption.
The UPP’s #BringBackOurMoney! anti-corruption crusade has dossiers on these corruption scandals that the MMD/PF-run UPND has failed to deal with.
Whereas we fully support the free education policy, there is much more that the UPND in government could have achieved by now if the most important man in terms of leadership and direction acted on basics such as scrapping off PAYE, increasing government spending in growth sectors, introducing windfall tax in the mining sector, introducing blockchain technology in all mining companies including precious stone mines to monitor extraction and procession up to revenue, reduce the reserve ratio to 5%, address supply bottlenecks (spurring growth and jobs), mandatory conscription of the youth into the army, opening army bases in all the districts, setting up army-run state farms in all the districts of Zambia, disbanding ZESCO (separate generation from distribution), legislation to allow Zambians to buy off the national debt, increasing the minimum wage to K15, 000, among other measures.
LILLIAN MUTAMBO AND THE POLITICS OF MISINFORMATION: A CALCULATED AGENDA AGAINST HON. MAKEBI ZULU
…her calculated effort is to promote propaganda on behalf of Hon. Brian Mundubile, while simultaneously working to discredit, undermine, and politically eliminate Hon. Makebi Zulu…
By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist
Those who have consistently followed the public commentary and political activism of Lillian Mutambo can clearly attest that her recent conduct has nothing to do with objectivity, patriotism, or unity.
What we are witnessing is a deliberate, sustained, and calculated effort to promote propaganda on behalf of Hon. Brian Mundubile, while simultaneously working to discredit, undermine, and politically eliminate Hon. Makebi Zulu.
Lillian Mutambo has positioned herself not as an independent voice, but as a political megaphone one that praises Hon. Mundubile uncritically while threatening to decampaign him the moment her personal views or directives are not followed. This alone exposes the transactional nature of her activism: loyalty is demanded, not earned.
Most troubling is her repeated public insistence that Hon. Makebi Zulu had stepped down as a presidential candidate a claim that was false, misleading, and clearly designed to psychologically edge him out of the race to pave the way for Hon. Brian Mundubile. This was not a mistake. It was political engineering through misinformation.
The same pattern emerged when Lillian Mutambo loudly championed calls for the arrest of Hon. Makebi Zulu upon his arrival at the airport. No arrest was made. No charges were announced. Yet she persisted in pushing a narrative that the UPND government was planning to arrest him a narrative meant to provoke sympathy for Hon. Mundubile while portraying Hon. Makebi Zulu as a political liability. When reality refused to cooperate with her storyline, she did not retract. She doubled down.
Today, the question is simple: how can the nation trust someone who openly wished to see a fellow citizen and political leader imprisoned for doing nothing wrong?
Anyone with open eyes can see how this political chess game is being played. The same camp that loudly claims it has “moved on” from the Patriotic Front leadership cried the loudest over a perceived expulsion by President Given Lubinda. If the so-called train they claim to be on was truly moving and full, such panic and emotional responses would never have surfaced. The truth is unavoidable: the train is stuck.
Those who have been using Lillian Mutambo to push factional agendas must seriously rethink their strategy. Political manipulation may work for a season, but it never survives truth.
Contrast this with Hon. Makebi Zulu’s return from South Africa. His message was not one of insults, fear, or threats but of unity, peace, and national healing. On Let the People Talk, hosted by Frank Mutubila, he made it abundantly clear that his ambition is secondary to unity. He went as far as stating that if unity demands it, he is prepared to step aside even to serve as a councillor so long as the opposition fields one candidate and the country remains peaceful.
That is LILLIAN MUTAMBO AND THE POLITICS OF MISINFORMATION: A CALCULATED AGENDA AGAINST HON. MAKEBI ZULU. That is leadership.
What clearly unsettles Lillian Mutambo and her allies is the undeniable momentum Hon. Makebi Zulu has generated in just three to four months. While Hon. Brian Mundubile has been pushing his ambition since 2022, the public response has not matched the effort. The numbers speak. Hon. Makebi Zulu’s social media following and public engagement surpass that of Hon. Mundubile, and that reality has made certain quarters deeply uncomfortable.
The truth many fear to admit is this: Hon. Makebi Zulu carries the political and moral face of the late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. He stood with him when it was unfashionable, when it was risky, and when opportunists chose silence. That history cannot be erased by online propaganda or coordinated misinformation.
Lillian Mutambo would be better advised to focus her energy on pushing the political project she believes in, rather than attempting to downplay or demonize Hon. Makebi Zulu. If President Given Lubinda truly “wasted time,” as her allies claim, then why the tears? Why the desperation to remain associated with PF structures they themselves declared empty shells; especially, after former Secretary General Davies Mwila publicly stated that President Lubinda was left with nothing?
One cannot abandon a house, declare it empty, burn it in words, and then cry when the door is closed.
Zambians are watching. They are listening. And they are no longer fooled by loud voices that mistake propaganda for truth.
THE ENERGY SECTOR BETRAYAL: HOW PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA HAS FAILED WHERE HE ONCE MOCKED
By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist
For years, President Hakainde Hichilema ridiculed his predecessor, the late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, branding him a “visionless leader.” Today, history is judging harshly, and it is President Hichilema himself who stands exposed, particularly in the *energy sector,* where policy failures have plunged ordinary Zambians into deeper misery.
Under the Patriotic Front (PF) government led by President Edgar Lungu, Zambia certainly faced challenges. However, electricity remained *relatively affordable,* and tariffs were managed with an understanding of the *real lives of citizens,* especially small businesses, informal traders, and low-income households. Power supply disruptions existed, but they were not *prolonged for years,* nor were they accompanied by crushing tariffs that strangled productivity.
Fast forward to the UPND government.
For *four years and some months,* Zambians have endured *persistent load-shedding,* crippling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of the economy. Salons, barber shops, welders, tailors, small-scale farmers, poultry producers, internet cafés, and market traders have watched their businesses collapse not because they lack ideas or work ethic, but because *energy has been turned into a luxury instead of a public good.*
Today, the government boasts of “partially controlling” load-shedding. But at what cost?
ZESCO tariffs have become *punitive.* Electricity units are now so expensive that even when power is available, many citizens *cannot afford to use it.* What kind of success is this, where supply exists, but people are priced out?
This is not pro-poor governance.
This is economic exclusion.
Under PF, *K100 bought more electricity units.* Under UPND, the same K100 disappears quickly, while businesses remain idle, machines silent, and workers laid off. SMEs cannot grow. Some cannot even survive. When electricity becomes a burden rather than an enabler, development becomes impossible.
President Hichilema’s administration claims economic growth, pointing to stabilised exchange rates and improved macro-economic indicators. *But growth on paper is not growth in people’s pockets.* GDP figures do not cook nshima, pay rent, or keep a salon running during load-shedding. A strong kwacha means nothing when citizens survive on *less than two dollars a day.*
True economic growth gives *relief.*
It creates *opportunity.*
It allows citizens to do *business, expand, employ, and live with dignity.*
By these measures, the UPND government has failed.
Energy policy should empower production, not punish it. Yet today, Zambia has a government that lectures citizens about patience while ignoring the daily reality of suffering households and collapsing enterprises. This is not leadership with vision. It is leadership disconnected from the ground.
Ironically, the very president who called Edgar Lungu “visionless” now risks being remembered as *worse than all the last six presidents,* not because of rhetoric, but because of *results or the lack of them.* Vision is not found in speeches or statistics. Vision is found in whether people can work, trade, and survive.
As the nation moves toward *August 2026,* the message from the streets is growing louder:
Zambians are tired.
Tired of excuses.
Tired of suffering.
Tired of policies that benefit reports instead of people.
Many citizens are already saying it plainly: Come August 2026, President Hakainde Hichilema *should go to the farm and rest* , because Zambia deserves leadership that understands that *energy is life, and without affordable,* reliable power, there can be no development only misery.
History will judge.
And it will judge by how people lived, not by what was claimed.
🇿🇲 REFLECTION | Makebi Zulu: Does He Deserve Election?
Few political figures in Zambia’s current cycle have risen as abruptly, and as controversially, as Makebi Zulu. His ascent has not followed the slow grind of constituency building or policy craftsmanship. It has followed crisis. Courtrooms. Funerals. Power vacuums. And the unresolved emotional afterlife of Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
This is both his advantage and his burden.
Makebi Zulu’s public visibility today is not anchored in what he delivered as a Member of Parliament for Malambo between 2016 and 2021, nor in any enduring policy legacy from his time as Eastern Province Minister. Those years passed without leaving a defining political footprint. His relevance now flows from something else entirely: proximity to grief, power, and a wounded political base searching for a saviour.
The prolonged burial impasse of former President Lungu changed Makebi Zulu’s trajectory. Acting as the family’s lawyer and public voice, he stepped into a space heavy with emotion, loyalty, and unresolved national memory. In that vacuum, he spoke with certainty and moral urgency, positioning himself as defender of dignity against the state. For many younger PF supporters, this posture resonated. They read courage. They read defiance. They read destiny.
Others read something darker.
To a significant section of the public, the optics were unsettling. The body of a former Head of State remained frozen in South Africa while Makebi Zulu transitioned seamlessly from legal advocacy into open presidential ambition. What should have been closure became choreography. What should have been mourning became messaging. The line between legal duty and political leverage blurred, and the backlash was real enough that Makebi Zulu later found himself explaining, justifying, and recalibrating in public.
This episode gave him national name recognition. It also permanently attached ethical questions to his candidacy.
Since then, his politics have taken on a distinctly populist and quasi-messianic tone. Surrounded by figures like Godfridah Sumaili, a former religious affairs minister, and drawing heavily on faith-infused language, Makebi increasingly frames himself as a besieged but righteous figure. In interviews, he often speaks as a David facing a corrupt Goliath, invoking moral struggle more than economic strategy, divine justice more than institutional design.
This rhetoric is not accidental. It taps into what remains of Lungu’s perceived religious and spiritual constituency, a segment of the electorate that blends faith, grievance, and nostalgia. It is effective with a base that feels wronged and abandoned. It is far less convincing to voters asking practical questions about jobs, debt, food prices, and governance.
Politically, Makebi Zulu has moved across collapsing structures rather than building one. He filed interest to contest the PF presidency, later signalled willingness to step aside for opposition unity, then accepted nomination as the New Congress Party’s presidential candidate. Taken together, it paints a picture not of ideological clarity, but of tactical navigation through chaos.
Supporters call this pragmatism. Critics call it opportunism.
This is where the broader landscape matters. Zambia’s 2026 race is shaping into a contest between three types of actors: pragmatists consolidating state power, populists mobilising anger and symbolism, and dark horses hoping confusion creates opportunity. Makebi Zulu currently sits between the latter two. He is not yet a system-builder. He is not yet a national organiser. He is a figure riding emotional currents in a fragmented opposition space.
His strengths are undeniable. He is legally sharp. He understands constitutional process. He is articulate, combative, and comfortable under pressure. In a country where legal frameworks increasingly shape political outcomes, that matters. His parliamentary and ministerial experience gives him institutional literacy many outsiders lack.
But elections are not won on literacy alone.
Makebi Zulu has not demonstrated sustained grassroots mobilisation since leaving Parliament in 2021. He has not tested his appeal in a national election. He has not articulated a coherent economic vision beyond moral critique. His public record still carries unresolved baggage, including documented disputes with the Law Association of Zambia and the reputational drag of operating inside PF’s ongoing implosion.
Ambition is not in doubt. Capacity remains unproven.
So does he deserve election?
The record suggests a candidate whose visibility has outpaced his base, whose symbolism has outrun his substance, and whose moment has been manufactured by crisis rather than built through service. That does not mean his political journey ends here. It means it is premature.
Zambian politics has seen many such figures before: charismatic, aggrieved, convinced history has chosen them. Some mature into leaders. Many burn out once emotion meets arithmetic.
Come August 2026, voters will not be electing a lawyer, a spokesman, or a symbolic heir to unresolved grief. They will be electing a president.
For now, Makebi Zulu looks less like a consolidator of power and more like a beneficiary of disorder. And in electoral politics, disorder is a ladder that rarely holds long enough to reach the top.
Next in The Candidates: Populists, pragmatists, and the dark horses redefining Zambia’s 2026 battle.
🔖 Follow our platform as we bring you glimpses of politicians positioning themselves for presidency this year.
ECZ ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF DELIMITATION EXERCISE AND UPDATE ON ROAD FOR THE 2026 ELECTIONS
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has announced the launch of the Delimitation Exercise alongside an update on the 2026 General Election Roadmap.
In a stakeholder notice dated 3rd February 2026, ECZ invited political parties, civil society organisations and faith-based organisations to the briefing.
The event is scheduled for Friday, 6th February 2026, at 10:00 hours.
It will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Old Wing, in Lusaka.
ECZ has also invited the media to cover the meeting.
ZESCO URGED TO EXPLAIN FAST DEPLETION OF PREPAID ELECTRICITY UNITS
By Constance Shilengwe
A concerned Luanshya resident and former Luanshya Mayor, Nathan Chanda, has called on ZESCO to explain the rapid depletion of prepaid electricity units being experienced by customers.
Mr. Chanda says that despite the recent improvement in power supply and the apparent end of load-shedding, households and businesses are now receiving fewer electricity units than before.
He notes that while consistent power supply is welcome, the new Energy Regulation Board approved tariff model, which came into effect on 1st November last year, appears to have increased costs and accelerated the consumption of prepaid units
Mr. Chanda wonders whether the issue is linked to the new tariff structure or faulty prepaid meters, saying many customers may be facing the same challenge.
He has since urged ZESCO management to clearly explain the new tariff model and its impact on prepaid electricity users so that Zambians can plan and budget accordingly.
🔶 IMF’S $190M TO BE SPLIT BETWEEN BUDGET SUPPORT AND RESERVES, MUSOKOTWANE SAY
Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says Zambia’s $190 million IMF disbursement will be divided between budget support and strengthening reserves. Speaking as the government outlined the latest IMF funding arrangement, Musokotwane said the allocation follows the structure agreed under the IMF-supported programme.
According to the minister, part of the funds will be applied to budget support to help government meet planned expenditures within the approved fiscal framework. He said the remaining portion will be directed toward reserves, which he described as essential for supporting the country’s external position and macroeconomic stability.
Musokotwane said the IMF programme places clear conditions on how funds are used. He said allocations must align with agreed objectives, including fiscal discipline and adherence to programme benchmarks. The minister said the funding is not for discretionary use and is subject to monitoring and review.
He said reserve accumulation remains an important element of the programme, noting that adequate reserves provide a buffer against external pressures. Musokotwane said the government remains committed to meeting performance criteria under the programme and will continue providing updates during programme reviews.
A new gold mine has been discovered in Nakonde District, placing the area among districts that have recently recorded the discovery of untapped mineral resources. The development was reported in the Zambia Daily Mail, which stated that Nakonde is the third district, after Mpika and Shiwan’andu, to confirm such a discovery.
According to the report, the discovery was identified through exploration activities conducted in the district. The article refers to the find as a new gold mine, confirming the presence of gold in Nakonde. No figures are provided regarding the size or scale of the deposit.
The publication notes that Mpika and Shiwan’andu had earlier been reported as having discovered mineral resources. Nakonde’s discovery places it alongside these districts, adding to the list of areas where exploration has revealed mineral potential.
The report does not state whether mining operations have begun in Nakonde following the discovery. It also does not indicate whether any mining licences have been granted or whether further assessments are underway. No companies or entities are named in connection with the exploration or discovery.
The Zambia Daily Mail article does not provide details on the methods used during exploration or the duration of the exploration activities. It confines its reporting to confirming the discovery and identifying Nakonde as part of the recent mineral discoveries recorded in different districts.
The article also does not outline any anticipated economic impact arising from the discovery. There is no reference to employment prospects, investment interest, or infrastructure development linked to the gold find. The report maintains focus on the factual confirmation of the discovery.
By identifying Nakonde as the third district to record such a discovery, the publication places the district within a broader pattern of recent mineral findings. However, the report does not draw comparisons between the discoveries in Nakonde, Mpika, and Shiwan’andu beyond listing them together
The article concludes by restating that gold has been discovered in Nakonde District. No further information is provided regarding next steps or future developments related to the discovery.
GHANA SUSPENDS CITIZENSHIP PROCESS FOR PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
MORE than 1,000 members of the African diaspora have obtained Ghanaian citizenship in recent years Ghana has paused citizenship applications for members of the African diaspora in order to make the system more accessible and user friendly.
Since 2016, those who can prove their ancestors came from Africa have been able to get Ghanaian nationality. It was primarily aimed at the descendants of those who were victims of the transatlantic slave trade
More than 1,000 people including African American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder have obtained Ghanaian citizenship in recent years.
However, some applicants have complained about the number of stages involved, as well as the high cost.
Dr Erieka Bennet, ambassador for the Diaspora African Forum, which helps people relocate to Ghana, told the BBC that many applicants struggled with the requirement to submit DNA evidence within a week of the application, saying the timeframe was “impossible” for most and that some also questioned the reliability of DNA testing.
She said the one-week deadline for submitting all additional documentation was difficult to meet.
Another concern was cost. The application fee stands at $136 (£100), while shortlisted candidates are required to pay a further $2,280 (£1,700).
They are then vetted and attend a one-day citizenship orientation before finally receiving their nationality at a ceremony overseen by President John Mahama.
Bennet expressed confidence that the issues would be resolved and that the application process would resume.
The government has said updated timelines and guidelines will be issued “in due course”, without giving a timeframe.
Uncertainty around the suspension has caused anxiety for some potential applicants planning their relocation or investments.
Ghana’s outreach to Africans worldwide is rooted in its post-independence Pan-African vision championed by the country’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.
It was relaunched in 2019 as the Year of Return to revive global interest in reconnecting with the country.
Today, members of the diaspora invest in sectors including real estate, agriculture, tech and small businesses, often seeking Ghanaian citizenship so they can own property, vote and access public services.
Countries such as Benin and Sierra Leone also offer citizenship to people of African descent based on verified ancestral ties.
Amid the confusion, factionalism and open warfare consuming the Patriotic Front (PF) and the Tonse Alliance, at least ten individuals fancy themselves as presidential material:
Miles Sampa, Brian Mundubile, Chishimba Kambwili, Given Lubinda, Mutotwe Kafwaya, Greyford Monde, Makebi Zulu, Emmanuel Mwamba, Chitalu Chilufya, and Chanda Katotobwe.
The landscape is fractured.
Brian Mundubile and Mutotwe Kafwaya have effectively exited the main PF orbit through a Tonse Alliance breakaway.
Given Lubinda, Miles Sampa, Chishimba Kambwili and Greyford Monde cluster themselves under the banner of the so-called “true greens.”
Makebi Zulu occupies a lonely lane of political experimentation, openly flirting with the idea of contesting under the NCP.
Chitalu Chilufya appears trapped between two impulses: loyalty to UPND and unresolved presidential ambition though under which party remains unclear.
Emmanuel Mwamba, in exile, disqualifies himself by circumstance.
And then, there is Chanda Katotobwe.
Unlike the rest, Katotobwe has not joined the daily exchange of political blows. He issues no press tantrums. He launches no proxy attacks. His name rarely features in factional skirmishes. He is present very but quiet.
Yet whispers persist. That he has been working quietly beyond Zambia’s borders. That resources are being mobilised. That alliances are being courted away from the noise and spectacle that now defines PF politics.
This silence is not accidental and that is precisely what makes it intriguing.
Within PF and Tonse Alliance, attacks have become routine and predictable.
Lubinda’s camp fires shots at Mundubile’s camp. Makebi’s supporters lob subtle jabs at Mundubile. Mundubile’s camp responds by nightfall.
Even Emmanuel Mwamba who is largely rational and restrained absorbs regular punches.
But no one attacks Katotobwe.
Not publicly. Not indirectly. Not even in passing.
In Zambian politics, this is not normal. Silence is rarely afforded without reason. Either a figure is irrelevant or is strategically untouchable. Katotobwe does not fit the first category.
So how has he remained unscathed in one of the most vicious leadership contests PF has ever witnessed?
That question alone demands serious reflection.
As PF and the Tonse Alliance drift deeper into mutual destruction, unity has become less a strategy and more a miracle. Yet even if unity were somehow achieved, a deeper problem remains: pedigree.
Most active camps appear driven by ego, nostalgia, or grievance rather than discipline, restraint, or conduct befitting leadership. And when leadership is judged not by volume but by behaviour, Katotobwe stands apart.
He minds his business. He avoids theatrics. He does not leak desperation.
Is he widely known? Partially. Is he hated? Hardly.
What exactly is there to hate about a man who refuses to join political mud wrestling while others disfigure themselves daily?
If the repeated claim that “what the opposition needs is leadership” is to mean anything, then leadership must be measured by conduct, not slogans.
With Socialist Party, Citizens First, FDD and others failing to ignite public momentum, the political gravity remains stubbornly fixed on PF fractured as it is.
And within that chaos, the quietest figure may yet prove the most dangerous.The Trojan in PF may not be shouting at the gates.He may already be inside.Absent from the noise.Present in the race.Chanda Katotobwe.
BOZ Wins Case Against Police Officers By Dickson Jere
The Bank of Zambia (BOZ) has won an appeal against police officers seconded to the bank to be paid same dues with those employed by BOZ because they perform same duties and roles.
The over sixty officers seconded to the BOZ based their claims on Cabinet Circular No.3 of 2001 which stated that seconded civil servants should never be disadvantaged in terms of wages when attached to Statutory Bodies and other government departments. The officers further argued that their colleagues who work for BOZ get higher wages and allowances than them who were seconded by Zambia Police but doing same jobs.
However, BOZ argued that this Circular does not bind BOZ, which is an independent constitutional body, and therefore cannot be bound to it.
The High Court heard the case on a preliminary point of law. Having looked at the Circular and how it was couched, the Judge opined that the Circular was addressed to all state institutions and therefore BOZ was bound by virtue of being a state institution.
Unhappy with the decision, BOZ appealed to the Court of Appeal arguing that the Cabinet Circular cannot cover BOZ as it has own structure and conditions of service different from civil service and other government institutions. In fact, it quoted the Constitution of Zambia which states that BOZ will be an independent body not subject to any direction or authority.
Three Judges looked at the appeal and ruled that the case should be remitted back to the High Court for full trial so that both sides should bring evidence to show whether this Cabinet Circular covers BOZ or not.
“Our considered view is that the question raised is one not suitable for determination without the need for a full trial,” the Judges stated.
“The view is fortified by the fact that the determination of whether the Cabinet Office Circular is also addressed to the Appellant and thus binding on the Appellant is one that requires a full trial and evidence to be adduced by both parties in support of their assertions,” the Judges said.
The Court observed that BOZ has a separate legal personality which is separate from government and determines its own conditions of service for its employees and if this Cabinet Circular applied to it, evidence must be adduced in Court.
“Having found merit in the appeal, we allow it. The matter is remitted to the High Court, before another Judge for trial,” the Court ordered.
Case citations- Bank of Zambia v Bernard Fundi (with 59 others) – Appeal No. 291/2024 and Ruling delivered last week 27th January, 2026.
Lecture Notes;
1. The High Court had initially interpreted the Cabinet Circular on preliminary point (without trial) saying the Circular covered BOZ as a state institution. It will be very interesting to see what sort of evidence will be adduced to aid the interpretation as to whether BOZ is covered or not.
2. Zambia Police seconds officers to BOZ who then get integrated into the bank security system. They were same uniforms, same shifts, same transport and same reporting structures but only differs on wages. BOZ insists that the seconded officers are still police officers on ZP payroll and therefore should enjoy those benefits and not BOZ ones.
🟣 MEALIE MEAL, SUGAR, COOKING OIL PRICES DROP AS MANUFACTURERS RESPOND TO GOVT
A fresh round of price reductions has been announced by the Zambia Association of Manufacturers, with mealie meal, sugar, and cooking oil among the products named. ZAM said on Tuesday that over 30 member companies have reduced prices after Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga pushed market players to lower costs.
ZAM President Muhammad Umar said the association views the price adjustments as a response to improved macroeconomic conditions that the group highlighted, including the kwacha’s appreciation and easing inflationary pressures.
ZAM said the purpose is straightforward: reductions must be seen by consumers where it matters most, at the shelf and the checkout.
ZAM provided examples of the price changes. It said Delicious Milling has reduced breakfast mealie meal under the Milling brand from K300 to K260. The association also said a 25-kilogram bag of breakfast mealie meal from Granny’s has been reduced by K300. Cooking oil from Mount Meru was listed among the reduced items, alongside other product lines the association named as part of the broader adjustments.
The association also cited reductions in areas outside basic food, mentioning products such as soya pieces, milk products, and irrigation pipes. ZAM said more companies are expected to issue reductions as they respond to the same call, and it urged retailers to pass on the cuts to consumers rather than keeping the benefit within the supply chain.
ZAM said it will continue engaging government on constraints that still affect costs, while backing national efforts aimed at reducing the cost of living.
Emmanuel Tembo is Totally Offside, I Pray He Apologises Immediately
Expelled Patriotic Front (PF) Feira Member of Parliament Emmanuel Tembo says he will not comment on his purported expulsion from the party until Hon. Given Lubinda is taken to Chainama Hospital to determine his sanity.
This is so sad for a leader of his calibre. I hope he will immediately apologise.
The action against Hon. Brian Mundubile and others was done by the Central Committee comprising many members.
To attribute this decision to Hon. Lubinda is to be dishonest.
We cannot degenerate our politics to this level of personalized, aggressive insults rather than policy discussions and respectful disagreement.
The erosion of decent discourse in this country is worrying and it is regrettable for a young leader like Hon. Emmanuel Tembo to engage in this despicable politics.
I pray that Hon. Tembo should immediately issue a video to apologise to Hon. Lubinda and to all of us that have witnessed these unpalatable insults.
You have no clue what a dictatorship is, Rev Mwambazi tells opposition
A PROMINENT Zambian clergyman has told opposition elements who claim that Zambia is turning into a dictatorship that they have absolutely no idea what it means to live in one.
Posting on his Facebook page, Reverend Walter Mwambazi argued that those who accuse the government of drifting towards authoritarian rule are greatly exaggerating and do not understand the realities of countries where dissent is met with harsh consequences.
In his strongly worded post, Rev Mwambazi cautioned that Zambians enjoy freedoms that would be unthinkable in other African nations known for their strict political climates.
“People who think Zambia is turning into a dictatorship have absolutely no clue what it means to live in one!” wrote Rev Mwambazi.
“Try what you do here in a nation like Rwanda or Uganda and see what happens to you!”
The outspoken cleric insisted that Zambia still enjoys wide democratic space, noting that citizens frequently speak against leaders, including the President, without facing the severe reprisals seen elsewhere.
Mwambazi added that countries often cited in comparison to Zambia operate under systems where political criticism can attract immediate arrest or worse, arguing that such environments cannot be equated to Zambia’s situation.
“All who support dictatorship have never lived in one. No free speech, no opposition, disappearances, extrajudicial killings, lawless ruling elite, no social media, no free press, paranoia of state security, lengthy arrests with no charges! Easy to praise when you are not in such a country. Be grateful for good governance and rule of law,” he added.
The post triggered an outpouring of reactions from followers, many of whom supported Mwambazi’s stance.
One user remarked that some Zambians only repeat the word “dictatorship” without understanding its meaning.
“They just heard the word somewhere and they thought… well… we can all use it. They have no idea,” the user commented.
UPND’S PAUL MOONGA URGES GIVEN LUBINDA TO JOIN UPND, SAYS PF IS POLITICALLY STRANDED
By: Sun FM TV Reporter
United Party for National Development (UPND) member Paul Moonga has invited Patriotic Front (PF) faction Acting President Given Lubinda to join the ruling party, arguing that the former Justice Minister is politically stranded within his PF faction.
Mr Moonga claimed that Mr Lubinda still has strong ties to the UPND, noting that he was the first Member of Parliament under the late Anderson Mazoka’s leadership to be elected on a UPND ticket.
Speaking in an interview with Sun FM TV News, the former PF Lusaka Province Chairperson attributed the ongoing confusion in the former ruling party to its failure to critically examine the reasons it lost power the situation he likened to Isambo lyamfwa.
He said the same Isambo lyamfwa trend previously affected the United National Independence Party (UNIP) and the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) before spreading to the PF.
Mr Moonga has since invited PF members to defect to the UPND, citing the ruling party’s performance in good governance, economic management and adherence to the rule of law.
He further criticized Mr Lubinda for allegedly removing PF founding members from the central committee and expelling Members of Parliament who voted in favour of Bill 7, stating that leadership does not thrive on intimidation. #SunFmTvNews
There are Zambians that still ‘belong’ to UNIP because they feel they will be betraying Kenneth Kaunda if they left and joined another party.
There are people that will take offense because you have made a critical remark of Frederick Chiluba because they believe passionately that he is the father of Zambia’s multiparty democracy.
Of Mwanawasa, others believe he stands as the best President Zambia ever had.
Rupiah Banda? A diplomat-par-excellence!
If you question Michael Sata’s record in office, for some people, that’s sacrilegious because they believe he left behind an incredible example of public service.
And don’t say anything that may paint Edgar Lungu black because that would mean endorsing his ‘persecutor’, Hakainde Hichilema!
And speaking of Hichilema, the founder President of the UPND, Anderson Mazoka, must be spoken of reverently!
I get it, we need heroes to look up to. And no doubt, these brothers had something worth remembering them for.
But I think we exaggerate their virtues. These were ordinary souls who acquired their ‘unique’ credentials via the portraits their supporters created of them.
Unfortunately, this has obscured our ability at objective analysis. Often, unconsciously, we are revisionists who rewrite their record to suit what we believe.
But the cold hard truth is that these men lived in their time whose challenges are markedly different from ours.
Their examples may even be irrelevant to our time.
But most importantly, they are dead. They have no part whatsoever in the activities of the living.
If you have a proper appreciation of the state of the dead as the Bible teaches, they won’t come to haunt you if you go against what they believed in.
There is no part of who or what they were that is alive in any form or shape – none!
They were not any more intelligent and wise as you are. Their intelligence and wisdom were relevant to their time, not to yours.
God won’t give you their wisdom to deal with your challenges.
Their tools are outdated and not suitable for the challenges of your time.
Yes, respect their memories but be careful not to deify them.
They ran their race. It’s time for you to run yours.
🇿🇲 EDITOR’S NOTE | PF Becoming Holding Cell for Political Orphans
The Peter Phiri, Member of Parliament for Mkaika Constituency in Katete District, has formally defected from the Patriotic Front to the ruling United Party for National Development.
Phiri was received by UPND structures in Katete on February 2, declaring that he intends to recontest the August 2026 general elections under President Hakainde Hichilema’s party. He cited “good policies,” a “conducive environment for development,” and the need for unity as reasons for his move. Two former PF councillors joined him.
“I want to see development in my constituency move further by working with the leadership of President Hichilema,” Phiri said.
This defection did not happen in isolation. Only days earlier, Sibongile Mwamba, the PF MP for Kasama Central, was seen publicly celebrating the UPND’s historic mayoral victory in Kasama. On Sunday, Chanda openly endorsed President Hichilema. More MPs are quietly recalibrating.
The pattern is no longer deniable.
PF has responded with threats of expulsion. But those threats ring hollow. The Given Lubinda camp does not currently control the legally recognised party machinery. That authority rests elsewhere, under Robert Chabinga. MPs understand this distinction far better than party spokespersons do.
In electoral politics, legitimacy is not rhetorical. It is administrative. It decides who signs adoption papers, who submits nominations, and whose candidates appear on the ballot. Without that power, a party becomes noise.
That is why PF today increasingly resembles a holding cell for political orphans. MPs remain inside not because they believe in a future there, but because they are waiting for a door to open. When a viable exit appears, they take it.
Survival is the driver.
Adoptions are coming. Campaign financing laws are tighter. Running as an independent is no longer a romantic option. MPs know they must anchor themselves to a structure that can legally protect their political careers. PF, locked in court battles, factional warfare, and parallel leadership claims, currently cannot offer that certainty.
The Tonse Alliance complicates matters further. It is not a registered political party. It cannot issue parliamentary adoptions. It cannot protect incumbents at nomination time. MPs see the gap between political theatre and legal reality. They are acting accordingly.
UPND’s advantage is not perfection. It is coherence. One centre of authority. One chain of command. One adoption process. In contrast, PF is fighting yesterday’s battles while the calendar moves forward.
Calling defectors traitors avoids the harder truth. Parties that cannot organise themselves cannot expect loyalty. Political loyalty follows structure, not sentiment.
If PF does not urgently resolve its leadership question, clarify who holds legal authority, and present a single, credible pathway to 2026, the exits will accelerate. Not because MPs are immoral, but because politics rewards clarity and punishes indecision.
This lesson is not new. PF once benefited from it. Today, it is being undone by it.
MILLIONS OF ZAMBIANS HAVE SUFFERED INCREASED HARDSHIP UNDER THE WATCH OF PRESIDENT HH
By Rev Chilekwa Mulenga
Mon 2nd February, 2026
The cost of living in Zambia has increased under the watch of President HH a man that promised to lower it. Many had hoped he was going to be their messiah as they shouted the “Bally Will Fix It”slogan. The promise to unite the Nation has become distant as divisions deepen. Many had hoped that President HH would make a “saviour” and improve the standard of living but alas hope is deferred making many sick. The CDF, so called game changer, remains a sad story of a good program dented with corruption, divisive politics and political patronage.
Zambians have suffered the pain of loadshedding under the current administration more than during previous administrations in recent years. The UPND administration through Zesco just increased tariffs in the midst of loadshedding that has negatively impacted on families and small businesses. Small businesses have collapsed increasing the levels of poverty in the Country and weakening the economy.
The following is the narration from one citizen representing the millions hard hit by the hash economy under the UPND administration.
A citizen shares that they bought Zesco units on 3rd Nov, 2025 as follows;
ZESCO Token 63561924860462678780 Units: KWh 254.9 Meter: 74001902035 Amount: K320 TrxID: MP251103.1809.E57822.
(K320 gave 254.9 units)
On 31st Jan, 2026 about three months later, they bought units as follows;
ZESCO Token 59750674722497979476 Units: KWh 110.7 Meter: 74001902035 Amount: K320 TrxID: MP260131.0913.O77100.
(K320 gives 110.7 units)
Please note that it’s the same amount of money used to buy units between Nov 2025 and Jan 2026 but receiving different units which technically means Zesco under the current administration did increase the tariffs amidst loadshedding which pushes the cost of living even higher. How will people survive under this kind of leadership? How can a caring administration give tax holidays to foreign interests in the mining industry while squeezing citizens with high taxes and increased tariffs yet go on a borrowing spree?
The cost of living in Zambia has never reduced from where the previous administration left things despite the current administration having promising to lower it. The basic needs and nutrition basket (BNNB) by the JCTR, which serves as a vital measure of the minimum standard required to uphold the dignity of the human person, reveals increased cost of living in Zambia since 2022. Currently the BNNB stands at over ZK10,500 for a family of five. We think that civil servants who get below K5000 net salary must be surviving by God’s grace.
Zambia has experienced economic injustice under the UPND administration since 2022. Today most families endure immense pressure in securing adequate and balanced nutrition to the high cost of living. We assert that the continued high cost of basic survival, remaining above ZMW 10,500, is a profound concern and a challenge to the preferential option for the poor. The Hichilema administration has failed to workout a sustainable and broadened economic approach that benefits all citizens, especially the poor.
The current administration has lamentably failed to lower the cost of living and uniting the nation due to the following among others;
1. The fight against corruption in the administration.
2. To practically promote the one Zambia one Nation spirit.
3. To work with the Church in promoting genuine dialogue, reconciliation and unity.
4. Timely and decentralised distribution of subsidized farming inputs.
5. To subsidize clean and affordable energy alternatives to charcoal for vulnerable households.
6. To have a well coordinated targeted low-interest working capital facility for SMEs.
7. To invest in reliable, state-of-the-art cold-chain infrastructure for peri-urban markets to reduce on spoilage.
8. To unite key stakeholders to work in solidarity at implementing measures and ensuring every Zambian family live a life commensurate with fundamental human dignity.
9. To utilise locally available God given natural resources and mineral wealth to improve the economy for the benefit of all Zambians.
10. Weakened constitutionalism and democracy. Confidence in most state institutions has reduced since 2022.
From Dec, 2021:
Total Basic Needs & Nutrition Basket stood at K 6,432.76 (JCTR)
To Dec, 2025:
Total Basic Needs & Nutrition Basket standing at K10,833.47 (JCTR)
The difference between 2021 and 2025 in terms cost of living stands around K4,500 while people’s earnings remain low-growing. Salary increments for civil servants remains a sad story, as many Degree holder civil servants continue to get certificate holder salaries.
According to the UNICEF, Zambia’s economy remains constrained with high debt and inflation. These overlapping social and economic challenges have pushed more people into poverty. Child poverty, in particular, has remained persistently high. About 70% of Zambia’s population are living below the poverty line with majority in Rural areas unable to meet their daily basic subsistence needs. Majority Zambians have experienced increased monetary poverty under the UPND administration.
Zambians at present are in deep economic strain and democratic fatigue. The people need renewed hope under a new accountable leadership anchored in the rule of law, values, competence and compassion. The Country needs a leadership that can unite the people.
PEOPLE OF NORTHERN ARE NOT LIKE THOSE OTHER TRIBALISTS WHO VOTE BASED ON TRIBALISM
Frank Mutubila wrote:
Congratulations to the people of Northern Province for reminding us of what Zambia can and should be. Your action stands as a moral statement to the rest of the country, a clarion call that national consciousness must rise above narrow loyalties. Some will insist this cannot happen in certain provinces. Others will argue it will not happen in August. That resistance itself reveals how deeply the problem runs. The truth is painful, but it must be spoken, because a nation cannot heal from a wound it refuses to acknowledge.
Zambia is divided. Tribalism sits at the centre of that division. It breeds suspicion, resentment, exclusion and quiet hatred. It turns neighbours into rivals, citizens into strangers and politics into a contest of surnames rather than ideas. It rewards mediocrity when it wears the right identity and punishes excellence when it does not. In doing so, it kills merit, destroys trust and poisons national cohesion.
This issue disturbs me deeply on a personal level. My son Mwamba Mugwagwa Mutubila is of mixed parenthood. Which tribe does he belong to. What box does he fit into in a system obsessed with labels. There are millions of Zambians like him today. Children who embody the future of this country, yet are forced to inherit divisions they did not create. A nation that defines belonging by tribe condemns such children to confusion, rejection and silent discrimination.
When votes are dictated by tribal affiliation rather than performance, accountability collapses. Failure is tolerated. Corruption is excused. Incompetence is defended simply because it comes from one of our own. The result is poor governance, economic stagnation, deepening poverty and a growing sense of injustice among citizens who feel permanently locked out. Tribal politics does not only divide us emotionally. It impoverishes us materially.
I know that speaking this truth invites criticism. That criticism itself proves how normalised this disease has become. Silence would be easier. Silence would also be dishonest. We cannot continue burying our heads in the sand and pretending all is well.
Tribal affiliation must be banished from our politics. Let us differ on ideas, policies and visions for development, but never on identity. To all political parties the message is clear. Speak about governance. Speak about the economy. Explain how you intend to change the fortunes of our people for the better.
A nation only stands tall when tribe dies. As long as tribe lives in our politics Zambia will limp. When love for country defeats loyalty to tribe, Zambia will rise.
I won’t speak on my expulsion until Lubinda is mentally assessed – Tembo
FEIRA Member of Parliament Emmanuel Tembo has refused to respond to reports of his expulsion from the Patriotic Front, saying he will only speak after party president Given Lubinda undergoes a mental assessment at Chinama Hospital.
The move follows the PF central committee under Lubinda’s leadership, expelling Tembo and several other senior party officials.
The committee accused those expelled of violating party rules by participating in what it described as unlawful Tonse Alliance meeting.
The committee, in a resolution passed on January 31, 2026, said anyone who attended the conference acted against PF principles and automatically forfeited their party membership.
Those affected include, Mporokoso MP Brian Mundubile, Shiwang’andu MP Stephen Kampyongo, Nakonde MP Lukas Simumba, Mpika MP Francis Kapyanga, Japhen Mwakalombe, among others.
Reacting to this development, Tembo said he would only respond personally after Lubinda has undergone a professional mental evaluation.
In a a video, Tembo described the PF as a party founded in 2001 to defend the rights of the poor and noted it maintained structured disciplinary processes over the years.
He said only duly elected leaders have the authority to make binding decisions, adding that Lubinda is currently serving only as caretaker following late Edgar Lungu’s directive.
“Journalists have asked me to comment on my alleged expulsion and that of others, but I speak only for myself. I believe we must first investigate and understand the root cause of the issue. I will not comment on the expulsion until Lubinda undergoes a mental assessment at Chinama Hospital, which is one of the best facilities for such evaluations,” Tembo said.
“This is unprecedented, and while Lubinda is making mistakes, we should handle the matter carefully and not insult him. Understanding the root cause of what is happening is crucial, which is why I am asking that we wait for the evaluation at Chinama or another capable institution with expertise in mental health before making any further comments,” he stated.
Tembo added that if the government hospital cannot provide the necessary assessment, he is prepared to arrange for it at a private facility and cover the expenses himself.
“If the required assessment is not available at a government hospital, I am ready to have it done at a private facility and cover the costs myself, as long as the service can be properly provided despite the current economic challenges.”
ZDA WOOS SOUTH AFRICAN INVESTORS WITH 10-YEAR TAX HOLIDAYS IN MFEZs, GUARANTEES FULL PROFIT REPATRIATION
By: Thomas Afroman Mwale
The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has assured prospective investors from South Africa of 100 percent repatriation of profits, emphasizing that Zambia does not interfere with investors’ net earnings.
The agency further disclosed that the country offers up to 10-year tax holidays for investments in Multi-Facility Economic Zones and industrial parks.
ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa explained that Zambia’s incentive framework makes the country unique and highly competitive for foreign direct investment.
He revealed that the latest Fraser Institute report ranked Zambia as the third most attractive investment destination, citing good leadership, transparency in trade and investment, and private sector driven policies.
Speaking during the Intercontinental Energy and Infrastructure Investment Forum (CEIIF), Mr Halwampa highlighted opportunities in the energy sector, noting that Zambia aims to increase power generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts from the current 3,800 megawatts, of which about 85 percent is hydroelectric power.
Meanwhile, CEIIF South Africa Co-Convenor Ms Chiboni Evans described Zambia as action-oriented, commending its commitment to investment in the energy sector.
She stressed the need for Africa to adopt home-grown solutions toward energy self-sufficiency, citing South Africa’s electricity mix, which includes coal and nuclear power. #SunFmTvNews
THE PROPERTIES THAT MRS CHOMBO DEMANDED DURING THEIR DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS WILL SHOCK YOU 😭😭
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo is embroiled in an acrimonious property-sharing wrangle with his wife, Marian, from whom he has been separated for the past three years.
The protracted divorce and property sharing dispute is now before the High Court. The estranged couple agreed to divorce, but failed to reach a settlement on the sharing of vast properties spread countrywide despite several pre-trial conferences held to try to resolve the matter without going to trial.
On Wednesday, Judge President Justice George Chiweshe referred the contentious issues to trial after another attempt to resolve the matter hit a brick wall. During the civil trial, the court will seek to come up with a formula on how to share the matrimonial property.
The court will hear evidence regarding contributions made by each of the parties in acquiring the properties.
The court will look at money invested as well as generation of ideas.
The hearing date is yet to be set.
Mr Wilson Manase of Manase and Manase is acting for Minister Chombo while Mr Motsi Sinyoro of Sinyoro and Partners is representing Mrs Marian Chombo (nee Muhloyi). The two separated in 2007 and Minister Chombo wants a divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
“The marriage between the two parties is irretrievably broken down to an extent that the two are not reconcilable and no prospects for . . . restoration of a normal marriage relationship,” stated the minister in his declaration filed with the court.
He says the two have not lived together as husband and wife for at least 24 months and there is no more love or affection. Minister Chombo has pledged to look after their two children, born in 1986 and 1989.
“He will take care of his two children’s educational requi-rements, including air fares once a year to and from school, tuition and ancillary expenses,” he said.
Minister Chombo says during the subsistence of the marriage they acquired property like furniture, utensils and electronic equipment. He wants the couple’s two houses in Alexandra Park and Greendale awarded to his wife.
The minister also proposes that all movable property at their Allan Grange Farm go to Mrs Chombo on condition that farming equipment which is not on loan or not yet fully-paid for is valuated and shared.
He also wants to be granted the first offer to buy the equipment. Minister Chombo, however, is not agreeable to paying his estranged wife the US$2 000 monthly maintenance she is claiming, arguing that she can earn a living from the properties and businesses he wants to cede to her.
Mrs Chombo, in her summary of evidence, claims she was customarily married to the minister in the United States in 1985.
In 1993 she said they renewed their vows and remarried under the Marriages Act (Chapter 5:11).
“Defendant (Mrs Chombo) will testify that the relationship became strained when plaintiff (Minister Chombo) left matrimonial home saying that he wanted to sort out some personal issues and promised to come back home,” Mrs Chombo says.
She says since then the marriage has been strained but there are prospects for restoration of normal marriage. Given a chance to reflect on the matter without undue influence, Mrs Chombo feels the marriage can be successfully resuscitated.
On the matrimonial assets, Mrs Chombo says she signed a post-nuptial agreement stating that they will share 50 percent of all properties acquired — whether held personally or in proxy — during the subsistence of their marriage.
She averred that on top of fixed assets including a borehole, generator, coldroom, it will be just for Minister Chombo to pay a monthly maintenance of US$2 000 until her death or re-marriage.
She also wants the court to award her 15 of the family vehicles that include:
4 Toyota Land Cruisers 3 Mercedes Benzes Mahindra 2 Nissan Wolfs, 1 Toyota Vigo, 1 Mazda BT-50, 1 Bus 1 Nissan Hardbody 1 Toyota Hilux Mrs Chombo is also claiming other properties that include:
2 Glen View houses 2 flats in Queensdale, A property in Katanga Township, Stand Number 1037 Mount Pleasant Heights 4 Norton business stands 3 Chinhoyi business stands, 4 Banket business stands, 1 commercial stand in Epworth, 2 residential stands in Chirundu 4 commercial stands in Kariba 1 stand in Ruwa 1 stand in Chinhoyi, 2 stands in Mutare
2 stands in Binga. 4 stands in Victoria Falls 1 stand in Zvimba Rural Chitungwiza (two residential and two commercial stands) Beitbridge (four stands), 20 stands in Crow Hill, Borrowdale 10 stands in Glen Lorne, 2 flats at Eastview Gardens (B319 and B320)
1 flat at San Sebastian Flats in the Avenues, Harare Number 79 West Road, Avondale. Greendale house Number 36 Cleveland Road, Milton Park Number 135 Port Road, Norton, 2 Bulawayo houses. Number 18 Cuba Rd, Mount Pleasant Number 45 Basset Crescent, Alexandra Park, 2 Chegutu houses 1Glen Lorne house (Harare) 2 houses (Victoria Falls). Stand along Simon Mazorodze Road, Norton (one stand) Avondale (two stands) 365 Beverly House (one stand) Bulawayo (three stands), Mica Point Kariba (one stand). She further wants the court to share farming equipment at New Allan Grange Farm including three tractors, two new combine harvesters, two boom sprayers and two engines.
She is also seeking an order compelling Minister Chombo to cede to her shares in the family’s 10 companies including Dickest, Hamdinger, Landberry and Track in Security Company.
Mrs Chombo, in her court papers, is also claiming cattle at Darton Farm, shared chicken runs, pigsties, a shop, grinding mill, house, mills, tractors, lorries, six trucks, five of which are non-runners, four trailers (three non-runners) and one truck.
She added that other interests were the Mvurwi Mine, hunting safari lodges in Chiredzi, Hwange, Magunje and Chirundu as well as properties in South Africa.
A Kenyan family is seeking answers and support to repatriate the body of their 29-year-old relative, who was killed in Ukraine while fighting for Russia.
Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, 29, initially left Kenya for a job in Qatar in 2024, but later told his relatives that he was travelling to Russia.
On Saturday, Ukrainian authorities reported that he had died in a so-called “meat assault” – one involving high casualty numbers – in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after being recruited in Qatar. They said the Russians did not evacuate his body, and he was carrying the passports of two other Kenyans.
His death comes amid growing concerns about Kenyans being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Vincent Okemwa, Mogesa’s cousin, said they did not believe it when they were informed of his death. He said the news was first relayed to Mogesa’s brother by a colleague who had a relative in Russia, before it was made public.
He told the BBC Newsday programme that Mogesa had notified them when he moved to Russia from Qatar and they were in communication during his training there for three weeks.
They had however not heard from him after the training, and the last time they had spoken was on 28 October.
Okemwa told the BBC that after his death, Mogesa’s family was now in a “pathetic state”. He said Mogesa’s father had sold land to facilitate his son’s travel to Qatar and he was his family’s hope for a better life.
“I don’t know how I can put it, but things are not good,” he said. “He had good plans for the family and now everything has been shattered.”
LIVINGSTONE MAYOR ACQUITTED ON ALL CORRUPTION CHARGES
LIVINGSTONE Mayor Constance Nalishebo Muleabai has been acquitted on all two counts of corruption she was facing before the Livingstone Magistrate Court.
In the first count, Ms. Muleabai was accused of soliciting K120,000 in cash gratification from Mark Gabites in order to facilitate the cancellation of property rates bills for Zam Nuka Farm Limited at the Livingstone City Council.
In the second count, she was accused of obtaining K180,000 in cash gratification from the same complainant to facilitate the cancellation of property rates bills at the council.
Delivering judgment, Lusaka Magistrate Trevor Kasanda, sitting in the Livingstone Magistrate Court, ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove both counts beyond reasonable doubt.
Magistrate Kasanda further urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to thoroughly investigate matters before proceeding with indictments.
Following the ruling, Ms. Muleabai, accompanied by community members and officials from the ruling party, including Katombola Member of Parliament Dr. Clement Andeleki and Sesheke Member of Parliament Romeo Kangombe, celebrated the outcome with songs of thanksgiving.
Kim Kardashian was clearly caught off guard after her daughter, North West, asked viewers for money during a recent Instagram Live session.
According to Daily Mail, the 45-year-old reality star joined her 12-year-old daughter for the live chat but stayed off-camera, only waving her hand to show she was there. That didn’t sit well with North, who seemed eager for her mum to show her face — likely to attract virtual gifts.
“I want some money!” North said playfully, flashing a grin with a blacked-out grill on her teeth.
A shocked Kim immediately shut it down.
“No, we don’t ask — no, no, no,” she responded firmly.
After the brief scolding, Kim softened and tried to understand what North meant, quickly realizing her daughter may have mixed up Instagram Live with TikTok Live, where viewers can send creators paid virtual gifts.
https://youtu.be/k_z4p-9pmis?si=qkiiGb4Eqx4O9SPW
“This isn’t TikTok, this is Instagram,” Kim calmly corrected her, laughing off the moment.
The clip has since gone viral, with many viewers amused by the mother-daughter exchange — and others debating whether kids should even be going live on social media.
North, who shares massive followings across TikTok and Instagram, continues to keep the internet talking.
“Create Balance” – VDM Reacts as Tyla Beats Davido and Others to Win Grammy
Social media activist Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has voiced his opinion following South African singer Tyla’s victory at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Tyla clinched the Best African Music Performance award for her song Push 2 Start, defeating a lineup of Nigerian heavyweights including Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Ayra Starr.
The “Big 3” Theory
In a video shared on his Instagram page, VDM questioned the outcome and expressed that he had strongly rooted for Davido to win. His reasoning was not just about the song, but to establish what he termed “balance among the Afrobeats Big 3.”
He noted that since Burna Boy and Wizkid have already secured Grammy wins in the past, a victory for Davido would have completed the circle and leveled the playing field for the superstars.
Fanbase Rivalry
The “Ratel President” acknowledged the quality of the Nigerian entries but lamented that Davido’s loss denies the industry the excitement of a balanced rivalry among the major fanbases, the “Outsiders, 30BG, and FCs.”
Back-to-Back Wins
This victory marks Tyla’s second consecutive win in this category, having taken home the inaugural award in 2024 for her global smash hit Water
