The Republican Progressive Party (RPP) has welcomed the recent call by Her Honour the Vice President, Mrs. Mutale Nalumango, to accelerate the implementation of Zambia’s National Gender Policy. Speaking during the International Women’s Day celebrations in Lusaka, the Vice President emphasized the importance of empowering women and ensuring gender equality across all sectors of society.

RPP National Women Chairperson, Onny Kayumba, expressed strong support for the Vice President’s remarks, stating that they reflect the government’s commitment to fostering inclusive national development. “Her reaffirmation of government’s dedication to ensuring that women are not left behind in national progress is both commendable and encouraging,” Kayumba said.

The RPP also extended its appreciation to the Non-Governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) for its continuous advocacy for women’s leadership. In particular, the party lauded the NGOCC’s call for increased female participation in the upcoming 2026 elections. The council’s sponsorship of women candidates, RPP noted, is a crucial step toward achieving greater gender balance in governance.

“As the Republican Progressive Party, we strongly support this initiative and applaud all stakeholders who are working to elevate women into positions of influence,” Kayumba said. “We believe that when women lead, communities thrive and the nation prospers.”

Encouraging young women and aspiring female leaders to seize this opportunity, the RPP urged them to step forward and take an active role in shaping Zambia’s future. “Zambia needs your voice, your ideas, and your leadership,” the statement concluded.

The RPP’s endorsement of women’s leadership initiatives aligns with its broader vision for inclusive governance and equitable national development.

Power generation at the Kariba North Bank Power Station is expected to see a gradual increase following a higher water allocation by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).

The authority has allocated 13.5 billion cubic meters of water to the Kariba North Bank Power Station, a significant rise from the 8 billion cubic meters allocated last year. This increase comes as part of the total 27 billion cubic meters of water shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe for power generation.

Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary for Electricity Arnold Simwaba confirmed that the allocation is divided equally, with each country receiving 13.5 billion cubic meters for their respective power generation operations at the Kariba Dam.

Addressing concerns regarding last year’s water distribution, Mr. Simwaba clarified that the 16 billion cubic meters allocated in 2023 was also shared equally between Zambia’s ZESCO Limited and the Zimbabwe Power Company. He dismissed allegations suggesting that ZESCO or its partner institutions were misleading the public to justify power tariff increases, calling such claims baseless and untrue.

President Hakainde Hichilema has set a target of 1000 megawatts electricity generation from solar energy by the end of the year.

President Hichilema said the current energy deficit that the country is currently facing can be quickly addressed through solar explosion and has tasked all stakeholders in the energy sector to work towards generation of 10,000 megawatts of electricity from solar, starting with 1000 megawatts by the end of the year 2025.

“As with the 3 million target for Copper production, we need 10,000 megawatts for power generation, which is 10gigawatts. Those are the targets we should be setting for ourselves. Starting with 1000 megawatts for this year,” he said.

Speaking during an energy engagement with public and private stakeholders at State house today, the President also encouraged financial institutions in attendance to support the initiatives set by ZESCO and other players in the industry to improve electricity supply to the country, which he said will help grow the economy and ultimately their profitability.

In the same meeting, President Hichilema also recognised and pledged to support a Mporokoso based Hydro power generation project by Chileshe Mubanga which is currently generating about 300 kilowatts of electricity to increase their capacity to possibly supply power to the entire Mporokoso town.

And Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote disclosed that the Ministry has formulated a road map for the recovery of the energy deficit in the country and that the immediate initiative is the Solar Explosion.

Mr Chikote said the rooftop solar solutions is the top priority as it will easily contribute to net metering and has called for the private sector and financial institutions to work with the Ministry to effectively implement the initiative.

Earlier, ZESCO Managing Director Justin Loongo shared that the country currently has a power deficit of about 1,400 megawatts created by the insufficient rainfall for hydro generation.

Mr Loongo highlighted that with the recently signed power purchase agreements and the expected power generation of 500 megawatts from their various solar plants across the country will enable the corporation to ease the burden of load shedding by the end of the year.

He further expressed confidence that the Green City initiative will help alleviate the energy deficit further and disclosed that the Corporation will need about 25 million dollars to implement the solar projects.

Vice President Mutale-Nalumango, has called on the University of Zambia (UNZA) management to foster continuous engagement with student leaders to prevent unrest and maintain a peaceful academic environment.

Speaking at the opening of the inaugural Leadership and Conflict Resolution Training for Student Leaders at UNZA, Dr. Mutale-Nalumango emphasized the government’s commitment to engaging with students across the country. She reaffirmed that leadership should be rooted in listening, engaging, and collaborating, encouraging students to adopt the same approach.

“Our leadership approach remains to listen, engage, and collaborate. We encourage all students to follow suit,” Dr. Mutale-Nalumango stated.

She further stressed that leadership is a privilege that must be undertaken with responsibility to drive positive change, highlighting the importance of constructive dialogue between student representatives and university authorities.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima noted that the training program equips students with essential skills in dialogue, consensus-building, and strategic negotiation. He underscored the importance of resolving conflicts through non-violent means and proactive engagement.

UNZA Deputy Vice-Chancellor Boniface Namangala acknowledged the positive shift in student leadership, citing improved relations between the student union and university management. He commended the current leadership for prioritizing peace and professionalism in their engagements.

UNZA Student Union (UNZASU) President Dixon Mutambo welcomed the government’s initiative, urging authorities to continue addressing student concerns to sustain harmony on campus.

The training marks a significant step toward nurturing responsible and solution-driven leadership among students, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering a conducive learning environment in Zambia’s higher education institutions.

Kabwata Police Station, received a report of a suspected murder from four juvenile males aged 10,12 and the other two 13.
All the juveniles are pupils at Kamwala South Primary School. They reported that while on their way to school and playing, they discovered the lifeless body of a schoolgirl wearing a Kamulanga Secondary School uniform. The body was found lying on the ground in a small bush of green grass behind a heap of blocks near Luckson Mapushi Police Post, within Kamwala South Secondary School premises. This incident is believed to have occurred between 1800 Wednesday and 09:00 hours Thursday.
Brief Facts:
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the deceased, identified as J/F Blessings Malekati aged 16 had returned home from school the on Wednesday 5th March at approximately 18:00 hours. She later changed into a pair of white plastic shoes (commonly known as bikiloni) and a maroon hood before being sent by her mother, Jane Mulenga, to purchase charcoal, sachets of water, and tomatoes from a nearby shop.

When she failed to return home within a reasonable time, her parents, Thomas Meleki and Jane Mulenga, began searching for her. Early Thursday morning, March 6,2025, they reported her missing at Maxwell Sibongo Police Post.

Upon visiting the crime scene, officers found the deceased lying on green grass, facing upwards. Her pants were slightly pulled down to her knees, and mucus was observed on her nose. The plastic bag containing the charcoal, sachets of water, and tomatoes was found nearby.

The body has since been transported to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Mortuary for postmortem, while investigations into the matter are ongoing.

The Zambia Police Service strongly condemns this heinous act and urges anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist in the investigation by reporting to any nearest police station.