The Public Holidays National Assembly Amendment Bill Number 76 of 2026 has been withdrawn from Parliament.

Acting Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly Jack Mwiimbu announced the withdrawal of the Bill during its second reading in the House today.

“Madam Speaker, the Public Holidays National Assembly Amendment Bill Number 76 of 2026 be withdrawn in line with Parliamentary Standing Orders,” Mr Mwiimbu said.

The proposed Bill had sought to amend provisions relating to the observance of public holidays that fall on weekends.

However, some Members of Parliament (MPs) opposed the proposal, arguing that workers deserved adequate time for rest, recreation, and commemoration.

Contributing to the debate, Chilubi MP Mulenga Fube questioned the rationale behind the proposed changes, saying the amendment appeared to remove the long-standing practice where holidays falling on a Sunday are observed on the following Monday.

Mr Fube said Section Two of the Principal Act already provides clear guidance that whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday should be observed as a public holiday.

“The worker is supposed to rest, commemorate, celebrate, and venture into recreation to me, I am settled with that,” he said

He argued that the world was increasingly embracing stress management and work-life balance, adding that employees needed adequate time away from work.

Mr Fube also dismissed concerns that the observance of substitute holidays negatively affected productivity, noting that Zambia’s largely informal economy continued operating even during public holidays.

“The issues of production cannot come in because we have seen that Zambia is largely in the informal sector. Markets and shops continue running even on holidays,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shiwang’andu lawmaker Stephen Kampyongo, said Zambia’s declaration as a Christian nation supported the need for workers to enjoy such privileges, which were also recognised under labour and trade union rights.

Mr Kampyongo added that workers required motivation and proper rest in order to remain productive.

The withdrawal of the Bill means the existing provisions governing public holidays remain unchanged

Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Copperbelt University (CBU) to develop and roll out an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system aimed at modernising airport operations and boosting efficiency.

The partnership will see CBU provide technical expertise in the design, development and deployment of a locally driven ERP solution tailored to ZACL’s operational needs.

This is according to a press statement issued to the media today by ZACL Senior Manager Corporate Affairs and Communication Mwamba Siame and CBU Public Relations Officer Christabel Malama.

Ms Siame said that the collaboration will focus on innovation, automation, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, institutional capacity building and systems integration.

 ZACL Managing Director Urvesh Desai said the partnership is a strategic investment in Zambia’s digital future and local innovation capacity.

“At Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, we recognise that the future of aviation is digital, data-driven and innovation-led,” Mr Desai said.

 “As we continue modernising our airports and operational systems, strategic partnerships such as this one with Copperbelt University have become critical in helping us deliver smarter, more efficient and customer-focused services, he added

He said the agreement shows ZACL’s confidence in local expertise to provide sustainable solutions.

“For us at ZACL, digital transformation is ultimately about improving passenger experience, strengthening operational excellence and positioning Zambia’s airports to compete effectively in a rapidly evolving global aviation environment and together, we are not just building systems; we are building a resource bank and local capacity,” he added

Meanwhile, Copperbelt University Vice Chancellor Professor Imasiku Nyambe said the partnership aligns with Government’s broader digital transformation agenda and the need for locally developed technological solutions.

“This MoU reflects a shared recognition that sustainable digital transformation must be locally driven, institutionally embedded, and aligned to Zambia’s broader National Digital Transformation Agenda,” Prof. Nyambe said.

He added that prioritising locally developed systems will reduce long term operational costs, build national technical capability, retain knowledge within institutions, and contribute to Zambia’s digital economy.

He added that under the agreement, the ERP implementation will be done in phases, it will start with core operational areas including Human Resources, Procurement, Finance, Capacity Building and Business Intelligence, before expanding to other business-critical functions.

The partnership reinforces ZACL’s commitment to leveraging strategic collaborations, innovation and technology to improve operational excellence, customer experience and long-term sustainability in Zambia’s aviation sector.

A 33-year-old man accused of murdering his wife in Katanti Village in Senior Chief Mwamba’s Chiefdom in Kasama District, has been found dead.

Northern Province Police Deputy Commanding Officer, Charles Mbita, has identified the suspect as Edwin Mpange, who was wanted in connection with the death of his wife.

Mpange who has allegedly committed suicide has been on police wanted list in connection with the death of his wife Melace Mulenga, 24, who fied on May 8, 2026.

In a statement made available to the media in Kasama, Dr Mbita revealed that the body was discovered hanging from a tree in a bush about two kilometers from Katanti Village.

Dr Mbita says Mpange’s body, already in a semi-decomposed state, was found by a local farmer, identified as Sydney Mutale, 44, and later reported to Kasama Police Station by Community Crime Prevention Unit member, Jackson Katongo 69.

He added that police believe Mpange took his own life shortly after committing the alleged murder due to the condition of the body.

Dr Mbita said family members have since been advised to proceed with burial and mark the grave accordingly.

The Northern Division Deputy Police Commanding Officer said the matter is being treated as a suspected suicide.

Meanwhile, Dr Mbita, expressed concern that the couple’s children have been left vulnerable following the incident.

He urged members of the public to resolve disputes peacefully and to seek support from community and counselling systems during times of emotional distress.

Government has launched four productivity reports that are aimed at providing valuable insight on the progress made in the labour sector, while revealing critical constraints that limit the growth of productivity.

Speaking at the Launch in Lusaka, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Brenda Tambatamba, says that there is a need to adopt a productivity ecosystem that will ensure that interventions are well coordinated and mutually enforced for lasting results.

“The 2025 productivity monitoring report shows encouraging results from enterprises that have adopted productivity and quality improvement tools. These interventions have led to tangible outcomes including creation of over 1600 jobs,” she said.

Ms Tambatamba however noted the skills gap in the workforce such as limited access to finance and low adoption of technology is among barriers that have limited sustained productivity improvements.

She has since called for a strong collaboration among employers, workers, academia, including the private sector to invest in innovation, embrace continuous learning, and cultural excellence in order to generate relevant solutions.

President of the Zambia Federation of Employers, Myra Ngoma commend the government on its continued dedication and commitment towards advancing the productivity agenda.

Ms Ngoma added that productivity improvement must be treated as a national priority and a shared responsibility among government, employers, workers, educational institutions and development partners.

She called on employers to continuously invest in the development of their employees through training, mentorship, skills upgrading, and capacity building.

International Labour Organisation (ILO) representative, Gerald Tembo, highlighted that the reports will provide a strong foundation for informed policy making, social dialogue and targeted interventions that support national priorities.

Mr Tembo called on cooperating partners to actively use the findings and the recommendations that have been made to inform policy choices and investment decisions at delivering tangible improvements in workers’ lives and enterprise performance.

The Bankers Association of Zambia (BAZ) says levels of financial inclusion have increased across the country.

Speaking during a  programme Money Matters, BAZ Chief Executive Officer Leonard Mwanza revealed that the latest financial survey issued by the central bank for 2025 showed that financial inclusion levels have increased from 69.4 percent to 80.1 percent.

Mr Mwanza said the initiatives being implemented by BAZ and other stakeholders in the financial sector are yielding results as evidenced from the increased financial levels recorded in 2025.

He also cited digital financial services as one of the main drivers that has contributed to increased financial inclusion levels.

Mr Mwanza explained that mobile banking has also played a role in the improving of financial inclusion levels across the country.

He indicated that mobile banking accounts for 76.4 percent of financial inclusion services.

Mr Mwanza further pointed out that rural areas have also shown increased financial inclusion driving mobile banking.