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The Bank of Zambia has noted that weakening economic growth, load shedding and tightening liquidity in Zambia are threatening financial stability in the market.
And the Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee has maintained the policy rate, a key determinant in lending rates, at 10.25 percent.
BoZ Governor Denny Kalyalya says the committee took into account projected inflation remaining above the upper bound of the 6.8 percent target range, tightened liquidity and reduced production owing to electricity challenges.
Dr. Kalyalya noted that increased food prices owing to droughts in the last farming season have also had a negative toll on inflation.
He says the above factors required the upward adjustment for the policy rate but the Central Bank had to hold it pending some measures by the Ministry of Finance.
Speaking during the MPC quarterly briefing in Lusaka today Dr. Kalyalya noted that global growth has equally weakened with demand for copper by China having reduced owing to decline in investment in emerging markets and reduction in global trade due to ongoing trade tensions between the USA and China among others.
And Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Operations Francis Chipimo said access to finance has remained a challenge for private sector growth and investment.
Dr. Chipimo however said there are a lot of developmental issues being undertaken aimed at enabling the financial sector mobilize savings and lend money to investors with ideas.
HH and President Lungu meet at late Munkombwe’s burial in Choma
By Chimwemwe Mwanza
Vicious, vindictive and vengeful aptly describes the Zambian political arena. Former Presidents, Kenneth Kaunda, Rupiah Banda and the late Frederick Chiluba all have scars to prove this. In the 80’s, Kaunda locked up Chiluba on flimsy charges that failed to hold in a court of law. After he became Head of State, Chiluba retaliated by sending Kaunda to Mukobeko maximum prison.
The irony for Chiluba is that his handpicked successor, Levy Mwanawasa motivated Parliament to waive off the latter’s immunity thereby exposing Chiluba to several graft charges formulated by the now defunct Task Force on Corruption. With his legacy tainted by a skewed narrative, only death saved Chiluba from possible jail time. To erase his predecessor’s legacy and ensure his humiliation, the late Sata’s PF re-created this trend by consigning Rupiah to a life of court appearances.
Off significance to this conversation, UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema (HH) served time in Lilayi prison on a laughable treason charge – this at the hands of the current PF regime. For a fact, HH has never hidden his disdain for President Edgar Lungu and his stint in a tiny Lilayi prison cell has probably served to reinforce the UPND leader’s contempt for the President.
Just why such vindictiveness and blatant abuse of power seems to gratify incumbents is hard to understand. In the absence of reason, one might well speculate that this show of brutality is all about a naked flexing of political muscle – a bit more like, ‘can I show you who is the boss’. Whatever the reason, the difficulty is that this trend erodes the very democratic tenets and political maturity that Zambia is renowned for in the rest of Africa and the world over.
Which makes 2021 an interesting contest. Other than bread and butter issues, the fore mentioned factors will weigh heavily on the minds of both President Lungu and HH heading closer to the polls.
Who is likely to win?
The tiny but seismic shift in fundamentals on the ground seem to suggest that this will be a closely fought contest. Besides, recent electoral predictions across the globe – even by the most experienced pundits have gone against the grain making it even more difficult to provide an accurate outcome.
For example, in 2012, several analysts predicted an outright victory for Rupiah’s MMD only for the PF to spring a surprise. Suffice to acknowledge that, while characteristics of the Zambian electoral landscape may differ in comparison to mature democracies, there are similarities to draw from – especially in elections where the voter’s desire for change outweighs any other considerations.
Unaware of a groundswell desire for change, an over-confident former British Premier, David Cameroon called a snap referendum to determine Britain’s future in the European Union (EU). He was stunned at the outcome. Against odds, the British electorate voted for Brexit thus paving the way for what has now become Britain’s messy divorce from the EU trade block.
Humiliated by a razor thin loss to Brexit supporters, Cameroon was forced to call his time as leader of the conservative party. In yet one of the biggest election upsets of the 21st century, Donald Trump steam-rolled establishment candidate, Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President of the US. Therefore, the notion that either the PF or UPND might have an edge over the other heading towards 2021 is fallacious. Truth is, this is an election that could swing either way.
Why ECL will be desperate to win
Despite the PF’s public show of confidence, their determined focus on HH and constant whip-lashing of his perceived tribal inclinations, best illustrates their genuine fears and by extention their desperation. Rightly so, they can’t afford to be complacent. 2021 will be a referendum on their ten years in power. Be rest assured that this is one election where the PF’s well – oiled propaganda machinery will likely throw both the sink and kitchen at the UPND bearing in mind what is at stake. In fact, the proposed amendment to the constitution is intended to disadvantage the opposition ahead of the polls.
What troubles the mind is that the current constitution which the PF is attempting to discard was signed into law by the sitting President amid a jam-packed Independence stadium. Three years later, it’s tempting to ask. What has changed to warrant an amendment to this sacred document? By now, PF knows too well that the much-punted humility of their candidate might be a hard-sale more so to an electorate that appears too desperate for change. They can’t afford lethargic arguments such as they being the only party with a manifesto. Need they be reminded that having a manifesto is one thing and delivering on its content is another.
What about the promise that they would lower taxes and put more money in the pockets of the working class? Did they deliver on such including creation of job opportunities? You be the judge. The President is aware that he will be facing an electorate that is weary of rising food costs. A persistent drought over the last two seasons has only compounded the hunger situation – more so in outlying areas of the country. In addition, the policy uncertainty in mining taxation and the stand – off between government and sections of the mining community is taking its toll on economic growth. Perceptions around inaction on corruption might not help his cause either. While some of these challenges might not be, the PF’s making, the electorate always tend to punish a sitting government for their suffering – sometimes unfairly so.
Never mind whether HH has genuine or has yet to formulate charges against the PF, he has consistently warned that the PF leadership will be called to account for wrong doing once he becomes President. The tacit implication of this threat is that, HH is already extending bed spaces at Chimbokaila, Kamwala Remand and possibly Lilayi prisons for use by the PF leadership. And knowing fully well what is at stake, a possible loss is too ghastly for the PF to contemplate. For President Lungu, there will be no better motivation to win the polls than lose to a sworn rival.
Its State House or bust for HH
PF has over-exposed the country to a mountain of debt that will outlive generations to come. It is precisely why the 2021 polls will boil down to the economy. As a businessman, HH knows too well the implications of our foreign debt on the fiscus. Zambia can’t afford to keep borrowing to fund consumption and expenditure on non-productive sectors of the economy.
This is the message he has been selling the grassroots. For a fact, he has the support of the broader investment community, including some global mining giants. Most important though, the International Monetary Fund appears to have factored in his possible victory in 2021 hence their reluctance to engage the current government on a possible economic rescue package.
The question is, has the UPND leader’s message of change found resonance with the electorate? While he appeals to the affluent and middle class in Parklands, Kansenshi and Kabulonga, the grassroots in Mandevu, kwa Nagoli and Chamboli seem to be struggling to grasp his vision for the country. Be reminded that he desperately needs this voting block to win the elections.
Against the backdrop of challenges, this looks like HH’s election to lose. Fact is, he can’t afford a record of 4 election loses on the trot. Such a scenario will certainly cast him into political wilderness and the glue that’s bound the UPND together over the years will finally loosen. Is this what he wants?
It’s entirely up to him and how he manages his campaign otherwise it might just well be that he will once again fall short of expectation and hand the PF another 5 years in power. And him being such a vexatious litigant, our Supreme and Constitutional courts will likely be kept busy. Watch this space.
The author is an avid reader of political history and philosophy. He loves Nshima with game meat. For feedback contact him on kwachaoneATgmailDOTcom
The politicisation of the Civil Service by political parties which get the instruments of power to run the country may be cancerous but healing is very possible. Healing begins with the leaders in the parties who suffer from an infectious disease which goes down into full scale abrogation of rules and regulations which govern the civil service. The old parties- ANC and UNIP were very conversant with the facts that the civil service was to operate independently and was there to play non-political sports in the broad field of service focused on development of the country which was to subordinate individual narrow and shallow interests to national interests. A professional service fully insulated against political interference is very possible where laws must be enacted by Parliament to protect career civil servants from the ineptitude and gross interference of political big wigs and heavyweights in the running of the civil service. The secretary to the cabinet is the chief civil servant and all matters pertaining to the civil service must be handled by his/her office. Zambia is replete with highly qualified career civil servants and lifelong civil servants in retirement such as Leslie Mbula, James Mapoma, (now a centurion still with an alert and awake mind and with capacity to offer sound counsel even from a seat of rest), Jack Kalala, Peter Kasanda, Villy Lombanya, the list is endless.
Zambia over the last 40 years has had problems with having servant-leaders. A servant leader is servant first. He/she leads as a shining example. A servant leader shines like a beacon in the dark tunnels of adversity, hopelessness and helplessness. A leader first is diametrically different from servant-first. The servant-first serves the highest priorities of the citizenry and subordinates personal interests to ensure that the broad masses are served as the masters of the government. A leader in the civil service must gauge oneself as to whether the people at large who are barely able to make ends meet are given prior attention as meeting the needs of such people is what makes a public servant judged and honoured as a selfless people first-servant. Even in the department a servant-first leader there must be clear-cut programmes where the senior most public servant is seen to gauge oneself as a selfless servant of the people. The subordinate officers and ancillary staff must be seen to be growing in their job experience, job satisfaction, their health, wisdom, self-supervision, humility and honesty. Honesty and humility are fleeting shadows in our public service. The registry clerks in many government departments opt for receiving bribes to push the pending files to the office where appropriate staff are supposed to handle the files with maximum attention paid to the details.
Files are hidden and times shredded by the officers in government registry offices especially when it comes to matters pertaining to leave pay, study leave, vacation leave and retirement package. Bribing the fellows tasked with the onerous task of forwarding files to the concerned officers with authority to sign the documents has become a normal and formal feature in public service just as paying money to traffic officers on weekly basis so that the ones with defective cars and without driving licences are given some form of immunity from impounding the vehicles. There are times when one would wonder as to whether the Ant-corruption Commission (ACC) is alive to the truths that such types of open corruption are growing in the public service. The servant-first leader in the public office relegates personal interests and upholds the interests of the common people barely able to offer bribes to some senior officer for some files to move to an appropriate office. He/she is a natural servant of the people and delights in making people happier than himself/herself contrary to the leader first who does not bother about the needs of the subordinates and the general populace they ought to serve with diligence and practical competence and jet-speed efficiency.
Mboya (1968:164) asserts that a civil servant must be a loyal and disciplined servant. Hard work must be the Hallmark of one’s personality, Honesty must be the milestone of one’s daily character running without ceasing. The civil servant must promote and implement government policy regardless of how the party steering wheels of statecraft perceive them. The nation other than the political party in the echelons of power should take precedence. The nature of the party in power, even with swarms of hoodlums with Gestapo-like brutality posing as cadres, should not scare professional civil servants. Cadres do not run the government system. It is a professional non-political system who can run a vibrant and radiant civil service. The civil service must serve all the people regardless of their wealth, poverty, height, weight, religion, creed, race or ethnicity.
The civil service required in Zambia is one blind to the colours of the attires of the party in power and parties in opposition. Over the years we have had the parties in power unleashing acts of brutality, savagery, banditry and murder with police officers watching fearfully as they would face instant transfer or dismissal when disobeying “ABA MU CIPANI”. Opposition to some members of the political party in power entails enmity. The re-introduction of multipartyism in the country in December 1990 and the election of the party which championed it the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) brought new areas of tension as the MMD under President Frederick Chiluba in power had not done enough to promote dissenting views but manifested lack of tolerance of opposition parties which had strong leaders and did its best to divide them by cajole and deceit, carrot and stick persuasion and coercion which ultimately brought one party tyranny in a democratic country. Even voices of dissent within the radical members of the party such as Levy Mwanawasa, Elias Chipimo Snr, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika, Arthur Wina, Humphrey Mulemba, Benjamin Mwila, Baldwin Nkumbula, Edith Nawakwi, Mbita Chitala, among many others were throttled and gagged. Weaker parties had to thrive as they had to be sponsored by the ruling party like satellite state agents of the most powerful man at the helm of the MMD. It is very unfortunate that the ruling party and the opposition parties cannot interact and share views on how the economy of the country can be developed by all Zambians. We only see alliance parties on either the side of the two implacable divides sharing platform. It is now practically impossible for the ruling party and its allies to meet the opposition parties in alliance to debate national issues as family. The two sides behave like two hostile soldiers ready to shoot each other. With a non-partisan civil service this can be a great possibility.
A professional civil service insulated against party politics can bring all the belligerent forces hateful of each other together with the support of non-partisan leaders of the clergy. A country can run with a professional and non-political civil service system. Politicians come to government and exit when the electorate gets fed up with them but the civil service remains. Firing senior civil servants and supplanting them with hardline party cadres and professional sycophants every after change of government has turned out to be a perpetual throwback to progress. The country is just too advanced in age at 60 to continue practicing politics of vindictiveness and obliteration. Such politics have stagnated and degraded Zambia as a great nation. The blame must be apportioned upon the shoulders of the politicians esteeming their cadres much more than a competent and practical civil service.
Some clinical officers at health posts have suffered the agony of forced transfers to remote places even upon being falsely reported by hateful cadres in need of cash that they were agents of a party in opposition.
The civil servant -servant-first leader – must be alive and alert to the fact that all Zambians must be served without compromise. Many politicians are not as learned as the civil servants. Zambia has had career civil servants who took professionalism to politics in government as ministers.
John Mwanakatwe, Elias Chipimo, and Kalombo Mwansa added value to government during their days as ministers working as professionals and insulated against politics of vengeance and malice. The professional civil servant not obsessed with politics of manipulation and domination are there to give sound advice to the political leaders at the wheel of statecraft. A civil servant must be dynamic and very conscious of the inevitability and imperatives of politics and economics of transformation in the country. The intellect of the servant -first should persuade and prevail on the politicians not to fall prey to abuse of office where they can have the audacity to dip their fingers in public coffers. Embezzlement of public funds is commonplace in the country and the buck must stop at the partisan senior servant who out of attempting to get undue favour from the political heavyweights in the echelons of power renders oneself to becoming a habitual thief. Thefts by public servant are rampant and are happening daily .
Neutrality of the civil service does not imply a closed civil service impermeable to new ideas, information and knowledge in consonant with new economic trends. Civil service neutrality is a gross misnomer. Every civil servant has a big part to play in tailoring oneself to serve the interests of the party in power. Policies and programmes of the party in power must be implemented to the letter unless they are tailored to divide the country other than unite it by allowing the civil servants to play politics of criminality and outright deceit of inferiority. Neutrality in the function of the civil service endeavours to throw more light on professionalism other than biased party militancy and suppression of the people who may be seen to be averse of the political party in power. The nation we call Zambia does not need divisive and hateful people. We must have a civil service which cannot pander to the dictates of tribal zealots and religious fundamentalists reminiscent of Boko Haram, Al Shabab and Al Qaeda. Our nation’s foundation was built on unity by founding fathers who saw no sense in politics of tribalism and hate speech. A professional civil service is what will consolidate the foundation of national unity which has made Zambia a unique country in the whole region of Southern Africa and Africa as a whole. A professional civil service can run government without worries ingrained in the citizenry even when there is a possibility of a run-off in national elections.
Trust is essential to all organisations and institutions. Bennis (2003:82) mentions that the main determinant of trust is reliability. A civil service must command the respect and trust of the citizens. This does not come at the drop of a hat or flick of the pain. The government must always ensure that people appointed to civil service portfolios are those insulated against partisan petty politics and tribal inclinations. It is the role of the civil service to create an atmosphere of confidence and trust in the government among the citizens of Zambia. An inefficient civil service propels a nation to a real nowhere land as it is led by real nowhere men and women making their real nowhere plans for nobody. It is as irrelevant as old currency stricken out of circulation.
The party cadres are ever invading the offices of civil servants especially those who belong to the ruling party. Over the years, when there are national and international events, unruly party cadres of the ruling party want their weight to be felt and gave instructions to the career civil servants on who to invite to the events and those to be kept out of the way to the venue for the events. Excess power the cadres give to themselves are largely ultra vires and result in total chaos. I bore witness to ruthless behaviour of party cadres who had the audacity to brutalise members of an opposition party in full view of the senior party leaders who stood by like powerless sicklings afraid of punches from the thickset cadres with the title of “commander”. Some opposition party leaders had been stripped of their clothes and whipped like slaves in chains by merciless cadres with blood oozing out turning their white vests into red. Police officers stood by and could not arrest the passionate law breakers as they feared retribution and reprisals from the army of merciless cadres with Gestapo inspiration driven by party leaders.
Quality service delivery can only come from a non-partisan civil service orientated to serve all citizens. Development should not be taken discriminately to the strongholds of the ruling party. President Frederick Chiluba at times did not want to take development to UNIP strongholds in Eastern Province. His successor Levy Mwanawasa did the contrary. He wanted every Zambian to be a partaker of the national cake for development. President Michael Sata did his best to serve all Zambians. ECL had a semblance of what Sata stood for to a smaller extent. The incumbent president HH must have learnt from his six predecessors all out of this world. Balancing scales of economic development for all Zambians regardless of their political party affiliation is what we want in Zambia. Zambia is for all the 73 ethnic groups and need no political leaders who despise people from other regions which are not theirs.
Quality delivery of development by the civil service calls for dedication, sacrifice, total dedication to patriotic love, and sacrificial hard work. This is what would energise and guarantee high-performing systems.
Let the civil service build a better Zambia devoid of brutalisation of innocent people and demeaning some ethnic groups. All people must be partakers of our national natural resources and priority must be given to them when there is a clash of interests between the swarms of foreigners siphoning our minerals and timber and our people. Putting Zambians first in wealth creation and distribution is what will bring a Zambia far better than the one we have now.
Author is Luanshya based Historian and Academician
A Social Advocate has called on the government to put in place measures that will help ease challenges that the boy-child is currently facing in the country.
Richard Mfula observes that the boy child has for a long time suffered some neglect due to too much focus on the girl child.
Mr Mfula says that the majority of people called junkies are male.
He was speaking to ZANIS in an interview ahead of the opening of the Fifth session of the 13th National Assembly scheduled for Friday, September 12, 2025.
He has also called for legislation to protect the aged people from harassment and violence, citing incidences of witchcraft accusations and abandonment.
Mr Mfula alleged that most individuals who harass the elderly are failures that want to shift the blame of not making it in life on the old people.
Meanwhile, Mr Mfula has appealed to the government to consider making commercial banks as agents of the Bank of Zambia that will be buying gold from small scale miners and in turn selling to the Central Bank in order to stop the outflow of the precious mineral through foreign buyers.
“Right now, we are being short changed by foreigners who are buying gold from small-scale miners and are going to sell it in their country. If the Bank of Zambia can work with the commercial banks, it will stop the outflow of gold,” said Mr Mfula.
Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Doreen Mwamba, has called on traditional leaders in Central Province to work with the government in championing the fight against early marriages and other forms of child abuse.
Ms Mwamba says government will soon look at the possibilities of stiffening the law on child defilement and other vices against children.
The minister made the call in Chisamba when she paid a courtesy call on chiefs Liteta of Chibombo district and Chamuka of Chisamba district.
She has since appealed to the two traditional leaders to be proactive in advocating against all forms of child abuse in their respective chiefdoms.
Ms Mwamba said child defilement can only end when the government and the traditional leaders join hands in addressing the vice.
And Chief Chamuka of the Lenje people in Chisamba and Kabwe districts said his chiefdom will continue playing an active role in the fight against all form of child abuse.
Chief Chamuka said there is need to enact a law that will make sexual abuse against children a non-bailable offence.
Meanwhile, Chief Liteta has attributed the high levels of child abuse in his chiefdom to uncontrollable consumption of alcohol amongst his subjects.
COSAFA says all the players taking part in the football competition at the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 | COSAFA Qualifiers in Zimbabwe will undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) assessments to confirm their eligibility to compete.
Zambia is among 12 teams scheduled to participate in the regional competition to be staged in Harare from September 11-20 as teams seek to reach the continental finals that are to be held next year.
The tests are used to ensure the players are within the required birth date range for the competition
Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini and Zimbabwe were all excluded from the competition in 2020 after one or more players failed a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) assessment.
According to COSAFA, sports physician Dr Thulani Ngwenya says these tests are aimed at making sport fair and to be played on a level field.
“MRI is a FIFA-approved method used to determine eligibility to play in the Under-17 age group,” Dr Ngwenya said.
“The images are taken on the non-dominant wrist, which is usually the left hand. The image takes about nine ‘slices’ of the growth plate. There are different stages of grading the growth plate, from 1 to 6. Grade 6 is the last stage where the growth plate is completely fused,” he said.
“For the purpose of Under-17 tournaments, everyone who is a Grade 6 is therefore deemed ineligible to participate in this age group category. The Confederation of African Football introduced this method to make our sport fair and a level playing field.”
The Pretoria High Court’s handling of the Edgar Lungu dispute has stripped bare an uncomfortable truth: Zambia has no law that regulates the burial of former presidents. We are witnessing not simply a family-versus-state quarrel, but a constitutional void that risks repeating itself with every presidential death.
Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi’s argument — that “you cannot reinstate rights on a corpse” — spoke directly to the limits of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act. That Act governs pensions and allowances, not funerals. Edgar Lungu lost his benefits the moment he returned to politics in 2023. On this, there is little debate.
The government has shifted its weight to presidential immunity, claiming it provides the basis for state control over funeral arrangements. Yet immunity is no safe harbour: it can be stripped by Parliament, and many in Lusaka believed Lungu was already on the verge of losing it. To rest the government’s claim on immunity alone is therefore a fragile strategy.
The Pretoria court adds another twist: Zambian statutes do not apply in South Africa. Judges there are instead guided by international principles of dignity and comity. That is why earlier they sided with the government’s request for repatriation, but yesterday’s session showed just how uncertain that reasoning remains.
Other countries have faced similar dilemmas, but some have handled them better. Tanzania has a clear statute that respects both state ceremony and family wishes. Zimbabwe has no such law, and the chaos around Robert Mugabe’s burial in 2019 was the result. South Africa, in Mandela’s case, struck a balance by granting the family the final burial choice while still giving the nation its full state funeral.
Zambia, by contrast, continues to stumble forward without codification. Kenneth Kaunda’s family backed away from litigation in 2021; otherwise, the courts might have faced the same quagmire we now see with Lungu.
And that is the lesson. Whichever way the Pretoria bench rules, one side will feel robbed the government of its protocol, or the family of its rights as kin. A judgment may settle the immediate matter but not the underlying problem. The best solution lies in compromise and reform. Out-of-court dialogue could both preserve Embassy Park’s dignity and acknowledge the family’s claim. And in the longer term, Parliament must legislate clear rules, so no future president’s funeral becomes a courtroom drama.
This saga is not only about Edgar Lungu. It is about how Zambia chooses to honour the presidency itself with clarity, respect, and law, not uncertainty and strife.
President Hakainde Hichilema has underscored the importance of legal, safe, and structured mining in driving Zambia’s economic growth, as he officially opened the country’s first-ever Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Conference in Lusaka. Addressing delegates yesterday, the Head of State emphasised that artisanal and small-scale miners must transition into formalised operations to contribute meaningfully to job creation, business opportunities, and treasury revenues.
Hichilema described the conference as a landmark moment for Zambia’s mining industry, noting that artisanal mining had long been sidelined in policy discussions despite its vast potential. “Zambia is endowed with various minerals of high economic value, and these minerals should be legally exploited by our citizens and sold to formal, structured markets. There must be no substitute to this methodical way of doing things in every sector,” he said.
The President insisted that mining, which remains the backbone of Zambia’s economy, must be practised under the pillars of legality, safety, formal trade, and security. He stressed that the government will not tolerate lawlessness in mining areas, warning that no site should be allowed to become a breeding ground for violence. “This government will not allow any mining area to become a violent spot,” he declared, drawing applause from participants.
Hichilema also highlighted the need for efficiency and transparency in the licensing regime for artisanal and small-scale miners. He said corruption in the issuance of mining licences had undermined growth in the sector for too long, and pledged that his administration would ensure fairness and accountability. “There must be an efficient system, devoid of any corruption, in the issuance of licences to artisanal and small-scale miners across the country,” he emphasised.
The President linked the theme of the conference to his government’s broader economic transformation agenda, which seeks to diversify mining while ensuring that benefits reach ordinary citizens. He said that by formalising artisanal mining, Zambia could unlock additional revenue streams, reduce illegal exports, and integrate small miners into global value chains.
Industry experts welcomed the President’s message, noting that artisanal and small-scale mining contributes significantly to employment in rural areas but often operates informally, leading to unsafe practices and loss of revenue. According to the Ministry of Mines, more than 500,000 Zambians are engaged in ASM activities, mostly in gold and gemstone mining, yet only a fraction are registered or licensed.
Hichilema said this was precisely why the conference was important, as it brought together stakeholders to chart a new course for ASM. He urged participants to use the platform to share ideas on how to professionalise the sector while ensuring environmental sustainability. “We are determined and committed to making lives better, so let’s all get involved,” he said.
The government’s stance has been applauded by civil society organisations, who have long argued that artisanal miners deserve recognition and support. They note that without proper training, access to finance, and legal protection, many miners remain vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen. Formalisation, they argue, would help miners access structured markets, improve safety standards, and reduce the risks of child labour and environmental degradation.
Economists say the move is also timely given global demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, manganese, and copper, which are abundant in Zambia. Artisanal miners are often the first to access deposits but lack the capacity to market their output competitively. By integrating them into formal supply chains, Zambia stands to expand its mineral exports while creating inclusive economic growth.
Hichilema’s remarks also addressed the social dimension of artisanal mining. He cautioned against violence and unsafe practices that have in the past led to fatalities in informal mines. “Mining must never cost us lives unnecessarily. Safety is not optional, it is mandatory,” he said.
As the conference drew to a close, participants pledged to collaborate on strategies for formalisation, including simplifying licensing procedures, providing technical training, and establishing mineral buying centres. The President’s intervention was widely viewed as a signal of government’s intent to reshape artisanal mining into a structured driver of development.
“May God bless our country,” Hichilema concluded, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and responsible governance.
Legal Wrangling Over Lungu’s Final Resting Place Deepens Divisions
By Lusaka Times Observer
PRETORIA/LUSAKA — The deeply personal question of where former President Edgar Lungu should be buried has landed back in a Pretoria courtroom, where lawyers yesterday sparred over family wishes and state protocol, leaving the issue more tangled than ever.
The Gauteng High Court had already ruled that his body be sent home to Zambia for a state-assisted funeral, but the latest hearing revealed just how raw the feelings are on both sides. The Lungu family’s legal team, which includes prominent South African lawyer Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, argued passionately for the privacy of earlier burial arrangements made by the former president himself. Meanwhile, lawyers for the state insisted that honouring a former head of state is a national matter, not a private family affair.
At the heart of the confusion is a glaring gap in Zambia’s laws. The often-mentioned 1993 Benefits of Former Presidents Act is silent on funerals, dealing only with pensions. This legal vacuum has forced the courts to step into a deeply political and emotional dispute.
The state’s counsel pressed the point that the presidency is bigger than any one person. They argued that the ceremonial send-off for a leader is a duty of the nation, warning that letting a family’s private plans override this would “strip the office of its dignity.”
On the other side, the family’s lawyers, led by Ngcukaitobi, countered that the state cannot simply steamroll the clearly stated wishes of a man and his kin. They framed it as a fundamental matter of family rights being trampled by government overreach.
Complicating the state’s argument is its reliance on Lungu’s presidential immunity. That shield was looking increasingly shaky before his death, with loud calls in Lusaka for Parliament to revoke it, making it a fragile foundation for the government’s case.
A further twist is that a South African court isn’t bound by Zambian law. The judges in Pretoria are weighing principles of international diplomacy and respect between nations, not statutes from Lusaka.
No matter the verdict, someone will leave feeling wronged. A win for the state will leave the Lungu family feeling their rights were disregarded. A win for the family will be seen by the government as a slight against the sanctity of Embassy Park, the official burial ground for Zambia’s presidents.
This is a painful replay of history we’ve seen before. The Kaunda family was overruled for Embassy Park, while Mugabe’s family in Zimbabwe won their fight for a private burial. Tanzania, wisely, passed a clear law to avoid these exact fights.
Many are now wondering if more courtroom battles are the answer. A compromise, forged through quiet dialogue rather than loud legal arguments, might be the only way to truly honour both the man and the office he held. It could find a way to respect the symbolism of a national site while granting the family the dignity of choice.
Until that middle ground is found, President Lungu’s body remains in limbo—a stark and sad symbol of a nation that never got around to making a simple law for saying a proper, and definitive, goodbye to its leaders.
Small-scale farmers in Central Province have accused government of failing to deliver fertiliser on time, warning that another season of delays could devastate yields and deepen food insecurity. Speaking to News Diggers, farmers in Kapiri Mposhi and Serenje districts said they had yet to receive full allocations under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), despite assurances that distribution would be completed before the rains.
Farmer leader Joseph Mwape said inputs often arrive months late, forcing farmers to plant without fertiliser or resort to buying at inflated market prices. “We cannot continue gambling with agriculture. Every season we are told distribution will improve, but on the ground nothing changes,” he lamented.
The Ministry of Agriculture has blamed logistical bottlenecks and foreign exchange shortages for the delays. Officials explained that importing fertiliser has become more difficult due to global supply disruptions and the depreciation of the kwacha.
Opposition leaders seized on the complaints, accusing government of mishandling agriculture — a sector that employs the majority of Zambians. They argued that repeated fertiliser delays contradict campaign promises of supporting farmers and boosting food security.
Agricultural experts warn that unless input distribution is streamlined, Zambia risks losing its comparative advantage in maize production. They argue that smallholders cannot continue absorbing the burden of systemic inefficiencies.
Civil society organisations have called for reforms in FISP, suggesting direct cash transfers to farmers to buy inputs from local suppliers, rather than relying on centralised procurement prone to corruption and delays.
For now, farmers say they feel abandoned, with one describing the programme as “politics with fertiliser” rather than genuine support.
The Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) has threatened to call a strike if government fails to resolve persistent salary delays affecting thousands of public workers. The union says delays of up to two weeks have become common in recent months, leaving employees struggling to meet basic obligations such as rent and school fees.
Union president Davy Chiyobe said the problem has been worsening despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Finance. “Our members are not begging; they are demanding what they have worked for. Salaries are a contractual right. Every delay is a breach of trust,” Chiyobe declared.
Civil servants across ministries reported borrowing heavily from informal lenders to survive, often at exorbitant interest rates. Teachers and health workers said morale was plummeting, with some threatening to abandon their posts if payments are not regularised.
The Ministry of Finance attributes the delays to “technical adjustments” in the payroll system linked to new reforms. Officials insist salaries are being paid within the month, though sometimes later than expected. But unions dismiss this as inadequate, arguing that consistency is essential for workers’ financial stability.
CSAWUZ has given government a two-week ultimatum, failing which it will mobilise members for industrial action. The union is also consulting with other public sector unions to mount a coordinated response.
Labour analysts warn that a strike by civil servants would cripple public services, especially in health and education. They argue that government must act quickly to restore trust, even if it requires short-term borrowing to stabilise the payroll.
With elections approaching in 2026, salary issues could become a flashpoint, as public sector workers represent a key voting bloc. For now, tensions remain high as unions prepare for possible confrontation.
Abduction Case Trial Against Sun Pharmaceuticals Directors Postponed to a Later Date
Lusaka — 9th September 2025
The matter in which Sun Pharmaceuticals Directors have sued the Attorney General together with five others, which was scheduled to come up on 15th September 2025 before the Lusaka High Court, has been postponed.
Vinod and Uddit Sadhu have sued Rashid Munali, Malambo (a police officer), Mwila Chintu, Bernard Phiri (a police officer based in Sesheke at the time), and Mweemba (a police officer).
The Sadhus were abducted on 29th September 2022 by persons claiming to be police officers and identified as some UPND members, and were held incommunicado for twenty-four (24) hours.
They were held for many hours at an unknown location, later identified as Plot No. 39, Lufubu Road, Kalundu, Lusaka.
They were threatened, forced to sign documents, and directed to surrender their shareholding in Sun Pharmaceuticals, a company they have owned since 1991.
They later managed to make a phone call for outside help, a matter that alarmed the abductors, and they were forcibly taken to Chelston Police Station.
The abductors continued to demand that the Sadhus sign the documents, which would be the basis for their release.
The matter is before Judge Hon. Mrs. Justice Conceptor Chinyanwa Zulu.
Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Paul Kabuswe, has called on big mining companies in the country to partner with licensed small-scale miners and engage them to source minerals on their behalf.
Mr Kabuswe said this would not only benefit both parties but would also ease the process of formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining for the government.
He explained that through partnerships with established companies, small scale miners will have access to capital and resources such as equipment.
The minister was speaking during the Inaugural Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Conference held in Lusaka under the theme “Unlocking AS Potential for Inclusive and Sustainable Development.”
Mr Kabuswe stated that the artisanal and small-scale mining sector has great potential to provide thousands of jobs, adding that the government therefore is focused on ensuring that this is actualised.
He also clarified that the government’s efforts to formalise the sector are not meant to stop small scale mining but rather protect those involved from exploitation, accidents as well as ensure economic benefits at both individual and national level are derived.
“We are not stopping you from mining. All we want is for you to mine safely, legally, formally and with security. We want to make sure that when you mine, you sell at the right price, ” Mr Kabuswe explained.
The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has, to date, issued a total of 1,488 licenses to artisanal and small-scale miners in the country.
And Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary, Hapenga Kabeta, said his ministry has put in place various interventions to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining, among them, facilitating the formation of cooperatives as well as issuance of licenses.
Dr Kabeta has however bemoaned the low productivity in the sector, attributing it to widespread informality.
“The subsector has the potential to contribute more than 10 percent of the mining GDP if properly harnessed. The taxation regime for artisanal and small-scale mining has been simplified but the contribution to tax revenue remains negligible,” he said.
Speaking at the same meeting, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, James Wakiaga, acknowledged the government’s efforts to empower artisanal and small-scale miners through the formalisation agenda.
Dr Wakiaga indicated that Zambia is leading the way on the African continent in developing the artisanal and small-scale mining sector.
Meanwhile, Association of Women in Mining president, Namakau Kaingu, said the association is aware of the benefits of formalising the sector, further pledging support to the process.
Ms Kaingu explained that the association has so far created over 50 cooperatives through outreach activities in rural communities.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Zambian government has made significant strides in the country’s economic growth agenda through a number of policy reforms.
IMF Resident Representative for Zambia, Eric Lautier, says over the past three years, the government has achieved the restoration of fiscal and debt sustainability.
Speaking during the ZNBC Sunday Interview night, Mr Lautier referred to the deficit before 2021, which was averaged in double digit as some of the reasons for borrowing heavily during that period.
Mr Lautier explained that with a 12 percent of overall fiscal deficit every year from 2018 to 2021, the country was always accumulating debt piles, a situation he said was unsustainable.
He however commended the government that it has, since 2021, introduced progressive reforms resulting in disciplined and better targeted spending, while social spending has remained protected.
He added that there is remarkable reallocation from ineffective spending to more targeted and effective spending, citing the health and education sectors where the country has witnessed massive recruitment that is helping to build the human capital.
In terms of debt restructuring, Mr Lautier commended Zambia for attaining about 94 percent debt under restructuring parameters that has been restructured.
“Since the programme began, the overall fiscal balance improved sharply, we had a 5.4 deficit in 2022, 4.5 percent in 2023 which was further narrowed to below two percent in 2024,” he said.
He further highlighted the positive reforms in the agriculture sector that are ensuring high productivity as farmers are getting access to finance to invest in their farms.
Mr Lautier cited the e-voucher as a game changer in the distribution of inputs and also the participation of the private sector in agribusiness.
And Mr Lautier said social spending should be coupled with reforms that focus on sectors that create jobs through tackling the structural barriers that keep small firms in the informal sector and give them incentives to formalise.
He however bemoaned the low rate of access to financing for SMEs, noting the need to improve the financial market infrastructure by modernising the credit information system.
He added that there is need to make formalisation of small businesses attractive by providing favourable incentives for SMEs such as simplifying tax policies, and licensing, which are adequate for development to SMEs.
And a Lusaka –based economist, Kelvin Chisanga, has supported the views of the IMF, stating that Zambia’s economy is on the recovery track due to pursuit in macroeconomic environment, with 2025 growth expected to be between 5.8 and 6.2 percent.
Mr Chisanga added that the budget reform is showing high credibility which is essential to ensuring value for money in public investment.
“IMF iodised debts for Zambia. At the point when we were not credible to sit with creditors, IMF fostered that balance,” he said.
He indicated that social inclusion and transparency must guide Zambia’s next phase of reforms.
A team of surgeons from the Mbala General Hospital has successfully removed a 6.5 kg tumor from a 27-year-old woman.
This is the second successful surgery the hospital has conducted in about three weeks after undertaking another operation on another woman last month.
Mbala General Hospital Medical Superintendent, Bornface Chisenga disclosed that the team managed to undertake a successful major surgery on the patient during which a mass weighing 6.5 kilograms was removed from her stomach.
Dr Chisenga, who is also an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist ,explained that the patient who was from Lusaka, went to Mbala to seek traditional treatment, and later decided to go to the hospital, to also seek cervical cancer services.
He further said after counselling, the patient did some check-ups and agreed to undergo treatment at the hospital, through which doctors managed to successfully conduct an operation on her.
Meanwhile, Dr Chisenga has appealed to traditional healers in the district, to encourage and refer their clients to health facilities whenever they encounter cases that are beyond their capability.
Dr Chisenga, who was the leading surgeon during the operation, made the call after successfully operating on the patient who had been battling with the condition for over a year while seeking help from traditional healers.
“This case is a clear example that help is available at our hospital if patients seek medical advice on time. I therefore urge traditional healers to play a critical role by directing their clients to the hospital when they feel the condition is beyond them,” Dr Chisenga said.
He has further appealed to the residents not to delay seeking medical services, stressing that timely intervention can save lives.
Zambia is hosting the first ever Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) which is anchored on aligning skills of Africa’s industrial transformation.
Over 500 delegates from 13 countries on the African continent are expected to attend the event, which will run from September 9-10, 2025 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
Speaking ahead of the event, Minister of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati, said Zambia will use the opportunity to learn best practices surrounding skills in industries.
Mr Mutati said ISWA reinforces the continent’s commitment to building a competitive, future-ready workforce in line with Zambia’s Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) and Agenda 2063.
He however, called for a funding mechanism that will match with the desired skills for people working in industries.
And AUDA Director, Symerre Grey-Johnson, disclosed that the event will serve as a continental platform to accelerate dialogue, partnerships and action around the role of skills in powering Africa’s industrial transformation.
Mr Grey-Johnson said equipping Africa’s workforce with the skills is needed in order to drive sustainable industrial growth.
He called on countries on the African continent to prioritise skills development.
The event which will be held under the theme, “Powering Africa’s Industrial Future: Skills for Innovation, Growth, and Sustainability,” is organized by African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) in partnership with the Zambian Government.
The event seeks to mobilize stakeholders across sectors, to align Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with Africa’s evolving industrial needs.
The Ministry of Technology and Science, through its implementation agency, Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET), is playing a central role in convening stakeholders across the TVET ecosystem, such as industry leaders, government departments, youth networks, and training institutions to showcase their potential at the event.
The two-day event will showcase innovations linking TVET to employment and entrepreneurship, promote labour market intelligence and future skills forecasting, foster youth and women’s participation in industrial transformation as well as elevate Zambia’s leadership in demand-driven for youth-led -skills.
“Whose Body Is It?”: Clash Between State Power and Widow’s Rights By Guest Contributor – Musadabwe Ngoma Published: September 8, 2025
When former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu passed away, many hoped the country would unite in mourning. Instead, his death has triggered an unprecedented legal standoff, not in Zambia, but in South Africa, where his widow, Mrs. Esther Lungu, is fighting to keep his body from being repatriated against her will.
At the center of this deeply emotional and highly legal battle lies a question few expected to confront, Can the Zambian state demand the return of a body for a state funeral, even when the family refuses?
A Legal Case Built on Symbolism, Not Law
Contrary to what many assume, there is no Zambian law that governs the burial of a late president. No clause in the Constitution. No statute in the books. What exists is simply a gentleman’s offer, a political courtesy extended by the state to the family of a deceased leader.
In other words, it is not mandatory for a former head of state to receive a state funeral. It is not enforceable. It can be offered, but also declined.
This detail changes everything. The Zambian government is not standing on the firm ground of law, but on the shifting sands of tradition, and trying to impose that tradition inside the courtroom of another sovereign nation.
A Dispute with International and Constitutional Consequences
In the Pretoria High Court, the Zambian state argues that it has a right to repatriate the late President’s body based on a signed agreement, referred to as FAA 7, between itself and some family members. The state says this agreement grants them authority to organise a state funeral.
But Mrs. Lungu, his widow, has pushed back, stating that the agreement is not binding, and more importantly, contradicts her rights under South African law and constitution, where she lives and where the deceased’s body lies.
Her legal team makes two key points:
Under South African law, a corpse cannot be contracted over, human remains are not property, and are protected by dignity and family rights.
The South African Constitution guarantees everyone on its soil, including foreigners, rights to dignity, family integrity, and privacy, rights which Mrs. Lungu asserts are being violated by the attempt to override her wishes.
The Zambian Government’s Argument, A Matter of Legacy
The state, however, frames the issue as one of national importance. They argue that President Lungu was not just a private citizen, but a national figure, and that it is in the public interest to honour him with a state funeral in Lusaka.
They lean heavily on the existence of FAA 7, and cite a South African court precedent (Sengadi v. Tsambo) which allowed the state to take over funeral arrangements for a public figure, even against parts of the family’s wishes.
But this is where things get murky. The South African case involved intra-family conflict, not a foreign state attempting to override a widow’s rights inside South Africa. And unlike Zambia, South Africa does have clear constitutional protections in place.
So… Who Decides?
The broader question is no longer just legal. It’s philosophical.
Who decides what happens to the body of a national leader? Is it the family, who loved and lived with him? Is it the state, which he once served? Or is it something we must now define through international legal precedent?
What’s clear is that if Zambia has no law mandating state funerals, then the government’s demands are based not on legal rights, but on symbolic expectations. And when those expectations clash with a widow’s constitutional rights in another country, the law must favour the living over the ceremonial.
Final Thought, Justice Must Be Human, and Honest
As this case moves toward a likely hearing at the Supreme Court of Appeal, one thing must be made clear, Zambia has no binding law that mandates how a former president should be buried. There is no statute, no clause in the Constitution, no Act of Parliament that enforces a state funeral upon a family’s wishes. What exists, at best, is a gentleman’s understanding, a political offer, not a legal obligation. An offer that, like any offer, can be accepted or declined.
And yet, a widow now stands in a foreign court, fighting to decline what should never have been forced upon her in the first place.
This changes the dynamics of the entire dispute. The government is not invoking law, it’s invoking precedent dressed as entitlement. But tradition cannot override rights, and ceremony cannot outweigh the Constitution. Not in South Africa. Not anywhere.
This isn’t a legal standoff. It’s a human one. It’s about who we honour more, the legacy of a statesman, or the love of the one who knew him best.
May the courts remember, the dead do not belong to governments. And dignity, in death, should not require litigation.
