True Colours Magazine

05/03/2026

VACANCY – MEDIA CONTENT PRODUCERS

Vakwatu Media is looking for dynamic and motivated Mass Communication or Journalism graduates based in Lusaka to join our media production team.

Requirements:
• Degree/Diploma in Mass Communication, Journalism, or related field
• Self-starter with strong initiative
• Ability to communicate fluently in English and at least one local language
• Skills in TV programme production and news writing
• Strong interest in media, storytelling, and current affairs

Successful candidates will be involved in 'TV show production, news writing, and multimedia content development'.

📍 Location: Lusaka
📅 Application Deadline: Monday, 9 March 2026

Send your 'CV via WhatsApp to 0967880426' or email '[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])'.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

28/01/2026

Zambia's annual inflation for January 2026 has reduced to 9.4% from 11.2% recorded in December 2025.

This means that on average, prices of goods and services increased by 9.4% between January 2025 and January 2026.

Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) acting statistician general Sheila Mudenda attributed the reduction to price movements in both food and non-food items.

24/01/2026

What really defined Zambia in 2025?

From cyber security laws and constitutional changes to public unrest and global visa restrictions, 2025 was a year of quiet shifts and loud moments.

True Colours Magazine Issue no. 6 ranks the 10 most consequential events of the year using political, economic, and public impact — not hype.

Dive into the analysis to see the full Ranks 10-6 and find out how each event scored. What do you think will be in the Top 5?

Download Issue no. 6 from www.tcmagazine.online

17/01/2026

Issue No. 6 is out now! 🎉
True Colours takes a witty, satirical look at everyday life — proving that serious issues can still make us laugh, think, and reflect.
✨ Expect sharp writing, humour, and a carefully curated news buffet.
📖 Read Issue No. 6 & sign up at
👉 www.tcmagazine.online
📩 Share your thoughts with us at
[email protected]

17/01/2026

Stuck in the trenches

You stood firmly with the party when it mattered most. In the difficult days, you fought in the trenches—mobilising, defending, enduring insults, and sacrificing time and opportunity—convinced that loyalty would one day be recognised. When victory finally came, you waited patiently, confident that your turn would come.
The appointments took longer than expected, but you remained hopeful. Surely, dedication would not be forgotten. Yet when the lists were eventually announced, your name was nowhere to be found.

Still, you did not despair. Government, after all, is vast. You reassured yourself that it was only a matter of time before something suitable would open up.

Weeks passed. Then months. The opportunity you anticipated never arrived. Instead, you watched the news with growing unease. A minister’s cousin was appointed to a board. Another minister’s brother found himself in charge of a procurement unit. Even harder to stomach was seeing individuals who had openly aligned themselves with the previous regime—some of whom had been openly hostile to your party—now walking hand in hand with your former contacts, picking up contracts here and there. People you once stood with could no longer even consider you, even when the roles were well within your competence.

Seeking clarity, you reached out to your connections within the inner circle. Your calls went unanswered for weeks. When you finally got through, you were told they only had two minutes. You made your case briefly. The response was curt and dismissive: form a cooperative and access Constituency Development Fund (CDF) resources. That was it. No conversation. No recognition. No appreciation.

It is a bitter pill to swallow, but loyalty, it seems, often counts for very little once power has been secured. The harsh truth is that it is not what you know, nor even who you know—but how useful you are to those you know.

As the saying goes, palibe chako—there is nothing for you.
It is a painful lesson, but sometimes the reality is unavoidable: things will not always go your way, no matter how hard you fought or how much you sacrificed. In the end, you are on your own.

You either remain stuck in the trenches, or you carry your own cross and move on.

Download True Colours Issue no. 6 - www.tcmagazine.online

17/01/2026

Let us keep INYANCING the economy, look at how prices of mealie meal actually dropped in 2025

17/01/2026

The Journey of Mealie Meal Prices

Mealie meal, Zambia’s staple food, has undergone a sharp and difficult price journey over the past four years. Using August 2021 as a 100% baseline, price data for Breakfast and Roller Mealie Meal shows a period of intense inflation that has heavily strained household budgets.

From 2021, prices rose gradually before accelerating sharply from late 2022 to early 2025, the most volatile period. Roller Mealie Meal led the surge, peaking in January 2025 at about 175% above the 2021 level. Breakfast Mealie Meal followed, reaching its highest point in April 2025 at roughly 153% above baseline—meaning prices more than doubled in just over three years.

These increases coincided with rising production and transport costs, currency pressures, and most significantly, the severe 2023/24 drought, which cut maize supply and pushed prices higher.

A mid-2025 correction brought relief as prices fell sharply, supported by the bumper 2024/25 harvest. By December 2025, prices had stabilised but remained over 100% higher than in August 2021, signalling a new, higher price norm.

The mealie meal price journey is a clear indicator of Zambia’s economic and climate vulnerabilities—and a reminder that food security depends on resilient agriculture and stable supply chains.
Data Source: ZAMSTATS – Monthly Bulletin (2021–2025)

16/01/2026

True Colours - Tit-Bits

The Dancing Speaker

Over the last four years, despite her perceived links to the ruling party, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia has earned considerable respect for the tact and composure with which she has presided over topical and often sensitive matters on the floor of the House.

One incident that significantly contributed to her public acclaim was what came to be popularly known as nkani ya banana.

In 2022, a prominent female public officer found herself at the centre of a social media storm after allegations emerged that she was the woman featured in a viral video circulating online. In the video, a woman was seen exposing herself while suggestively sucking a banana.

Some political figures quickly seized the opportunity to scandalize the appointing authorities. Eventually, the matter found its way to the floor of the National Assembly, where a particularly zealous Member of Parliament (MP) raised a point of order.

Speaker: Order! Order! Honourable you may proceed.

The MP: “Let me take this opportunity to advise those outside who like using bananas that I have muscular youths in my constituency…”

House: Laughter

Madam Speaker: “Order! Order! Order! Honourable Member, can you please repeat what you have said?”

The MP: “Madam Speaker, those who are farming bananas can take advantage of our youths to assist in farming.”

Madam Speaker: “Honourable Member, how does the issue of bananas come into this?”

The MP: “Madam Speaker, I am promoting agriculture.”

As some members persisted in pushing the matter, the Speaker firmly brought the House to order.

“Let he who has not sinned or fondled himself throw the first stone,” she cautioned. One can easily imagine the stunned silence that followed in the chamber.

That was how the matter was effectively laid to rest. Many Zambians praised the Speaker for her tactful handling of a potentially embarrassing and inflammatory issue. The respect she earned on that occasion was well deserved.

It therefore came as a shock to many when she was seen dancing on the floor of the House following the passage of Bill 7. A number of observers felt that, as Speaker, she ought to have maintained strict neutrality and avoided any overt display of support for the ruling party.

“Chabulanda saana referee ukushana so,” some critics remarked — “It is shameful for a referee to celebrate like that.”

Nonetheless, others rushed to her defense, urging the public to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Referee nga balimusuminisha ukumako ama penalty elo aingisha, kuchita shani?” they argued — “If a referee is asked to take a penalty kick and then scores, what you expect?”

Sign up to True Colours Magazine and feast on jaw-breaking tit-bits you won’t find anywhere else.
👉 www.tcmagazine.online

16/01/2026

Is Bally Fixing the Economy? What the Data Says Four Years On!

As Zambia approaches 2026 elections, the question remains unavoidable: Is President Hakainde Hichilema fixing the economy? Over four years after taking office in August 2021, the answer depends on how “fixing” is defined.

On paper, Zambia’s economy is stronger. In daily life, many households still feel squeezed.

To move beyond politics and perception, this analysis uses the Zambia Economic Performance Index (ZEPI) — a data-driven measure built from 20 key economic indicators covering growth, stability, public finances, and productive sectors. The base year is 2015 (index = 100).

The results tell a clear story. Zambia entered crisis in 2020 as COVID-19 hit, with ZEPI plunging to 91.1, the weakest level in a decade. When the current administration took office in 2021, the economy was still fragile, with ZEPI at 97.6, debt distress high, and confidence low.

From 2022 onward, the economy rebounded sharply:
• 2022: ZEPI 109.8
• 2023: ZEPI 114.6
• 2024: ZEPI 116.2 (the strongest performance since 2015)

Growth was driven by higher GDP, rising copper production, a strong tourism recovery, expanding exports, and improved domestic revenue. Even in 2024 — a year marked by drought and power shortages — gains in mining, tourism, and revenues outweighed losses in agriculture and electricity.

But ZEPI also reveals a critical tension. While economic capacity has improved, comfort has not kept pace. High prices, expensive credit, and currency pressures continue to strain households.

The verdict?

If fixing the economy means stopping collapse, restoring growth, and rebuilding credibility — the data says yes.

If it means immediate relief in the cost of living — the work is not finished.

The real challenge for 2025 and beyond is closing the gap between economic strength and everyday life.

Read this story and more in True Colours Magazine – Issue No. 6.
Download your copy today at www.tcmagazine.online

14/01/2026

We are pleased to return with Issue No. 6 of True Colours. As many of our readers may recall, this journey began in 2021, with the aim of creating a platform through which the Zambian community could be informed and enlightened through seasoned, well-researched analysis and perspectives on issues that shape our daily lives and national discourse.

In total, five issues were published during that initial phase. In March 2022, we took a strategic pause, driven by the desire to identify a more sustainable model for publishing the magazine. However, as often happens, one thing led to another, months passed, and momentum was temporarily lost.

The dream, however, never faded. We regrouped, reassessed our approach, and resolved to continue from where we left off—stronger and better prepared.

What we present today is more than a periodical magazine. True Colours has evolved into a fully fledged digital platform, accessible at www.tcmagazine.online, designed to deliver greater value to our readers and subscribers. The platform now features:
• Top online stories offering timely news, in-depth analysis, and diverse perspectives;
• Live reporting, keeping subscribers informed of breaking events as they unfold; and
• News snippets, providing concise and timely news flashes.
These features have been carefully developed to ensure that our subscribers receive real value for their investment.

This edition carries a number of compelling and thought-provoking stories. Our lead features include an analysis of the performance of the New Dawn Administration over its four years in office, as well as a review of key national and global events of 2025. For social media enthusiasts, we present the first in a short series profiling one of Zambia’s most prominent social media influencers, Mwizukanji.

As always, we also bring you our regular sections, including Book Review, Economic Monitor, Corruption Monitor, Titbits, Photo Focus, and Social Media Rantings, alongside other engaging content.

We invite you, our valued reader, to sit back, engage, and enjoy this edition. Your feedback is important to us, and we encourage you to get in touch via [email protected].

14/01/2026

Issue No. 6 is out now! 🎉

True Colours takes a witty, satirical look at everyday life — proving that serious issues can still make us laugh, think, and reflect.

✨ Expect sharp writing, humour, and a carefully curated news buffet.

📖 Read Issue No. 6 & sign up at
👉 www.tcmagazine.online

📩 Share your thoughts with us at
[email protected]

Is Bally Fixing It? In our next edition, we take a deeper look at the four years of the New Dawn Administration, focusing on the economy, politics, and governance. We ask a central question: Is Bally Fixing It? We begin by examining economic performance using an in-house analytical tool, the Zambia....

11/01/2026

Hoo, this sounds like sour grapes - look at the story we did in our very first Issue of True Colours Magazine in 2021 -

Men – Stop it! Vilekeke!

Ozi, Ooozi, Osa wayimanya, wayimanya, josi bwititi moto bweka bweka, Inside Vilekeke programme, with your senior stress terminator, Nya - uyu Nya - bae.

So goes the intro to online shows by one Nya -uyu, Nya - bae, the president of Vilekeke kingdom of Malawi. Felistus Nya - uyu Ngwira is a trending female comedian in Malawi. Nya- uyu won many hearts, including those in Zambia with her topical social commentaries in her video posts. She advises people to stop (vilekeke) doing things that injure others. For example, she would advise (in a mixture of Malawian Tumbuka and English) as follows:

“The topic of the day is draining the swamps. I have noticed that the government is busy draining the swamps, but I also believe that we also need to drain the swamps in our homes. There are a lot of swamps in our homes. I am sending a big shout out to every married man out there, men with children outside marriage but have not disclosed to their wives ......, good morning. You find that a person has fathered children outside marriage but keeps hiding them as if they are concealing ma*****na. Please stop it (vilekeke).”

As the President of Vilekeke kingdom was making waves, some hundred kilometres away, one Kazungo Emmanuel Ndeya (KEN), who is also known as Ken Dumbo, was also etching his way to social media stardom. Ken Dumbo is a Zambian comedian whose main offering is MCing at wedding ceremonies.

Just over a year ago, the two comedians embarked on a flirting game. They posted videos on their pages where they made romantic overtures to each other. Around September 2020, Nya-uyu posted a video wherein she claimed that if Ken Ndumbo was single, then she was ready to engage in a discussion. Ndumbo responded in another video, stating that “Nya-uyu my love, it’s not a question of whether Ken Ndumbo is single or not but a question of whether you and I are willing to take the bilateral relations between Malawi and Zambia a step further and in a different direction.”

The following day, Nya- uyu responded. She acknowledged the bold step Ken made but expressed fear about the trustworthiness of Zambian men. She alluded to a case of an Ethiopian lady who was reportedly disappointed by a Zambian man. Ken came back with more assurances. “I want us to have two wedding ceremonies, in Malawi and Zambia,” he promised.
On 24 September 2020, Nya-uyu posted a video where she said: “Ken Dumbo, I just want to salute you for taking a bold step. I was scared that this would end in tears but no it will not end in tears. All those who say my relationship with Ken Dumbo will end in tears, I rebuke you.” Fans were elated. One Aquilla Mwansa Chola Chiswakala remarked, “In-law, in-law, our own Nya Dumbo.

Video exchanges continued. The two kept on posting pleasantries that kept their followers awed. In another video Nya-uyu remarked, “Ken Dumbo, if this will end in tears, I will still be grateful that I once found a man who changed a lot in my life in a blink of an eye.”

To continue reading - You can download True Colours Magazine, Issue no. 1 from tcmagazine.online