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๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—˜๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ต ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ President Hakainde Hichilema has wrapped up a ...
04/08/2026

๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—˜๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ต ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€

President Hakainde Hichilema has wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Eastern and Western provinces, rolling out a long list of development promises just over a week before voters head to the polls.

In Eastern Province, Hichilema told crowds in Mambwe, Chipangali and Kasenengwa that the region would finally get its own public university, meaning young people would no longer need to travel to Lusaka or the Copperbelt to pursue a degree. He paired that announcement with plans for a skills training college in Mambwe aimed at students finishing high school, plus commitments to improve mobile network coverage and fix the long-troubled Mfuwe-Chipata road.

Agriculture and social welfare also featured heavily. Hichilema promised to expand the Farmer Input Support Programme, which helps small-scale farmers access seed and fertilizer, and said cash transfer and cash-for-work programs would reach more elderly residents and single mothers going forward.

The tour picked up several high-profile endorsements along the way, including from former lawmaker Miles Sampa and Resolute Party leader Martin Phiri, who praised the President's commitment to national development.

From there, Hichilema's campaign moved into Western Province, stopping in Mulobezi, Sichili, Mwandi, Sesheke, Shangombo, Nalolo and Limulunga before wrapping up in Senanga. That's where he made some of his biggest local promises yet: upgrading the Senanga-Mataa Road, improving the district hospital, and boosting each of Senanga's two constituencies with 40 million kwacha a year in development funding.

Former Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane told residents that keeping the current government in place was the surest way to avoid delays to projects already underway. Meanwhile, UPND Youth Chairperson Gilbert Liswaniso promised a fairer rollout of the cash-for-work program in a potential second term.

Throughout the tour, Hichilema kept coming back to a consistent message: that national achievements like free education and higher university housing allowances prove his government follows through on what it promises. Whether voters buy that argument may well decide the outcome when they cast their ballots.

With campaigning now entering its final stretch, this two-province tour looks like the President's closing pitch, betting that specific, local promises will carry more weight with voters than broad economic talking points alone.

NRPUP Presidential Affairs Chairperson Binwell Mpundu has alleged that three party members sent to Russia for specialise...
04/08/2026

NRPUP Presidential Affairs Chairperson Binwell Mpundu has alleged that three party members sent to Russia for specialised security training to protect presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu were abducted upon their return to Zambia, though the claim has not been independently corroborated.

Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, Mpundu said the decision to send members abroad for training in VVIP protection was taken as a precautionary measure following alleged attacks on the party during its campaign activities. He described the arrangement as an open, unsecretive process involving individuals selected from within the party's ranks.

"We decided in trying to save and protect the lives of our presidents to have three individuals receive this important training," Mpundu said. "They were returning through the international airport when, as we speak now, these individuals are missing. In short, they have been abducted."

Mpundu said the alleged incident carried the potential to undermine confidence in the credibility of the forthcoming election and called on international observers to pay close attention to what he described as a broader pattern of schemes aimed at disrupting his party's campaign, including the buying and intimidation of candidates.

He appealed directly to residents of Western Province, where NRPUP intends to campaign over the coming three days, urging communities to resist being used to sponsor confusion or violence against the party's leadership, which he alleged had been targeted by opposing political interests.

The claim has not been addressed by Zambia Police Service, airport authorities, or any independent source, and no details identifying the individuals involved have been released. Neither Mundubile nor Zulu had commented on the matter directly at the time of the briefing.

The allegation emerges against a backdrop of heightened political tension in the closing days of campaigning, with unverified claims of violence and sabotage increasingly circulating across party lines. Authorities have not confirmed any security incident at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport consistent with Mpundu's account.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ: ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ ๐˜„๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ, ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ผ๐—บ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ท๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€ Presiden...
04/08/2026

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ณ: ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ ๐˜„๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐˜‚๐—ฝ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ, ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ผ๐—บ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ท๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€

President Hakainde Hichilema this week wrapped up an extensive campaign tour of Eastern and Western provinces, using rallies in Mambwe, Chipangali, Kasenengwa, Senanga and surrounding districts to make his final appeal ahead of the August 13 general election. He told supporters that nine provinces had already resolved to back the UPND for a second term, presenting the election as a choice between continued development and a return to what he described as "dununa reverse." The President also unveiled a raft of development commitments, including Eastern Province's first public university, a skills training college for Mambwe, upgrades to the Senanga-Mataa Road and Senanga District Hospital, and an increase in Constituency Development Fund allocations in Senanga to K40 million.

He also defended the government's decision to increase the FRA maize producer price to K347 per 50-kilogramme bag and cited the rise in student accommodation allowances from K3,900 to K5,850 as proof that his administration was responding to citizens' needs. Elsewhere, Vice-President Mutale Nalumango, campaigning in Chongwe, challenged NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile to explain his party's economic programme, while UPND officials in Eastern Province questioned the development record of opposition figures, including Makebi Zulu, during their time in office.

Campaign tensions remained visible in Eastern Province after police in Chama District arrested two people following clashes between UPND and NRPUP supporters that damaged property and campaign materials. Both parties blamed each other for provoking the violence. Separately, NRPUP official Binwell Mpundu alleged that three party members who had travelled to Russia for security training were abducted upon arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, although no evidence was immediately presented to support the claim.

In Solwezi, musician Maiko Zulu condemned the reported attack on pro-opposition artistes, saying the response from authorities would likely have been different had NRPUP supporters been responsible. Democratic Union president Ackim Njobvu, speaking after signing the 2026 Elections Peace Pledge, said the governing party had a greater responsibility to curb political violence because it controls state institutions. Meanwhile, constitutional lawyer Dr Joseph Chirwa warned that the Constitutional Court's ruling on running mates had created legal uncertainty that could trigger wider constitutional disputes.

Economic developments also featured prominently during the week. The National Road Fund Agency reported collecting K2.1 billion in toll revenue during the first half of 2026 through toll gates, ports of entry and its mobile money payment platform. The agency also reported savings of more than K600 million on road projects since 2011 through tighter monitoring and improved oversight.

The Zambia Consumer Association urged businesses to pass on the benefits of lower inflation, a stronger Kwacha and reduced fuel prices to consumers, warning that failure to reduce retail prices could weaken public confidence in the country's economic recovery. In the mining sector, First Quantum Minerals disclosed that it paid US$902 million in taxes and royalties to government last year, while Konkola Copper Mines announced it had awarded K12.2 billion in contracts to local suppliers after exceeding 10,000 tonnes of monthly copper production.

Stanbic Bank also highlighted growing investment in productive sectors, announcing that it had mobilised more than US$418 million for energy and agriculture projects, including financing for solar developments at Chisamba and Itimpi. The announcements added to a week in which both government and the private sector pointed to continued investment in infrastructure, mining and renewable energy.

The nation also prepared to honour Zambia's Ambassador to China, Ivan Zyuulu, with an official funeral and a national day of mourning on August 6. Zyuulu, who served as ambassador from 2023 until his death on July 30, is being recognised for strengthening diplomatic and economic relations between Zambia and China. He will be laid to rest in Chikankata District after a funeral service in Lusaka.

In the health sector, the commissioning of the refurbished Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka marked a major milestone in specialised cancer treatment. The US$31 million refurbishment, undertaken in partnership with Siemens Healthineers, has increased Zambia's radiotherapy capacity to four machines, enabling the hospital to treat up to 3,000 patients annually. The expansion is expected to eliminate a backlog of about 1,600 patients who previously faced long waiting periods or referrals abroad, while strengthening the country's response to cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Zambian women.

๐—›๐—˜ ๐——๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—™ โ€” ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†, 3 ๐—”๐˜‚๐—ด๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ 2026 With ten days to the polls, President Hakainde Hichilema spent the weekend tourin...
03/08/2026

๐—›๐—˜ ๐——๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—™ โ€” ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†, 3 ๐—”๐˜‚๐—ด๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ 2026

With ten days to the polls, President Hakainde Hichilema spent the weekend touring Eastern and Western provinces, addressing rallies in Chipata, Vubwi, Chadiza, Katete and eight Western Province districts. He mocked Tonse-PF Pamodzi Alliance leaders Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu for underestimating the resources a presidential campaign demands, using the Bemba idiom of a paraffin lamp running dry to describe their prospects.

The President pledged to fast-track the Chipata-Chadiza and Chipata-Lundazi roads and expand Umodzi Highway into a dual carriageway. Mundubile's campaign, meanwhile, reported raising over K860,000 in cash and K2.8 million in pledges through a public fundraising platform. Civil rights activist Brebner Changala defended the appeal as no different from the UPND's own reliance on donations and foreign funding while in opposition.

Hichilema picked up fresh backing from the Lamba-Lima Royal Council of Chiefs and Resolute Party leader Martin Phiri, whose endorsement triggered his expulsion from the Tonse-aligned alliance and a tit-for-tat expulsion of the party's secretary general. Not all the week's political news favoured the ruling party. The Non-Governmental Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council publicly rebuked Hichilema for disparaging independent parliamentary aspirant Iris Kaingu in Mwandi, warning that such attacks discourage women from entering politics.

The Constitutional Court issued two landmark rulings during the week. It clarified that a presidential running mate cannot withdraw after nominations close, and that independent candidates need only have left a party two months before election day, not before nomination.

On the economic front, the Bank of Zambia cut the statutory reserve ratio on kwacha deposits from 26 to 21 percent. Governor Denny Kalyalya said the move would free up liquidity for commercial banks to lend more to agriculture, manufacturing and small enterprises. Foreign currency deposit requirements remain unchanged, and banks will now meet reserve targets weekly rather than daily.

The easing came alongside a Cabinet Office report crediting the New Dawn administration with lifting GDP growth from 3.6 to a projected 5.5 percent and cutting inflation from 22.1 to 6.6 percent. Copper production is edging toward 890,000 tonnes, even as the trade surplus narrowed to K4.2 billion in June on higher consumer goods imports. The statistics agency also launched a rebasing of GDP to a 2023 base year, replacing the outdated 2010 benchmark to better capture the mining, digital and services growth of the past decade.

In healthcare, President Hichilema commissioned the refurbished US$31 million Radiotherapy and Imaging Unit at the Cancer Diseases Hospital, ending a closure of more than five years that had forced many patients to seek treatment abroad. The Non-Governmental Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council and the Zambia Cancer Society both welcomed the restoration, noting women account for more than 60 percent of the hospital's patients.

The government also confirmed the death of former Patriotic Front cabinet minister Joseph Katema, 62, who died in India while receiving specialised treatment. He had served as minister of community development, information and broadcasting, and chiefs and traditional affairs under the late President Edgar Lungu.

On accountability, Community Action Against Corruption welcomed the arrest of former Copperbelt police commanding officer Mwala Yuyi, a magistrate, two police officers, a court clerk and a businessman over the alleged theft of copper cathodes worth nearly US$450,000. The arrests featured across multiple papers as a signal of even-handed enforcement in the campaign's closing stretch, alongside continued criticism of Hichilema's decision to raise UNZA student meal allowances just days before the vote, which Tonse Alliance mobilisation chairperson Peter Sinkamba dismissed as a desperate, short-term gesture rather than durable policy.

๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐——๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—™ โ€” ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ก๐——๐—”๐—ฌ, ๐—”๐—จ๐—š๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ง 2, 2026 With eleven days remaining before the 13 August general election, President Hak...
02/08/2026

๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐——๐—”๐—œ๐—Ÿ๐—ฌ ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—˜๐—™ โ€” ๐—ฆ๐—จ๐—ก๐——๐—”๐—ฌ, ๐—”๐—จ๐—š๐—จ๐—ฆ๐—ง 2, 2026

With eleven days remaining before the 13 August general election, President Hakainde Hichilema dominated the day's national agenda on two fronts: governance delivery and campaign messaging.

He commissioned the US$31 million refurbished radiotherapy and imaging section at Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, ending a six-year suspension of services and clearing a backlog of over 800 patients previously referred abroad. The Head of State also revealed that his administration had cleared a legacy debt owed to Indian hospitals for Zambian cancer patients.

He announced the Ndola Cancer Treatment Centre, now 85 percent complete, will be commissioned before year-end, and directed the Ministry of Health to expedite the Livingstone Cancer Centre.

In a second major welfare announcement, the President raised the University of Zambia accommodation allowance from K3,900 to K5,850 with immediate effect, after thousands of students marched from the Great East Road campus to State House.

He pledged to accelerate stalled hostel construction and urged students to pursue institutional dialogue over street demonstrations.

Separately, Hichilema called on the business community to pass on the benefits of Zambia's improving economy, easing inflation, a stable Kwacha, a bumper harvest and falling fuel prices, through fairer consumer pricing. He stressed that economic management remains a government responsibility rather than a political exercise.

On the campaign trail, the contest showed signs of shifting terrain. NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile launched a voluntary campaign-funding platform inviting Zambians to bankroll his bid, a move echoing tactics associated with independent contender Sakwiba Sangwa. He separately pledged to raise school grants if elected.

The UPND Alliance, through spokesperson Leslie Chikuse, predicted a first-round win of at least 60 percent for Hichilema, citing expanded CDF allocations and the end of load shedding. The Electoral Commission of Zambia said campaigning this cycle has been markedly more peaceful than in 2016 or 2021.

That calm was tested, however, by continued friction over detentions and defections. Tonse-PF Pamodzi Alliance official Kennedy Kamba applied to the Lusaka High Court for a writ of habeas corpus over his continued, uncharged detention at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.

Former Ngambela Clement Sinyinda meanwhile announced he was abandoning Hichilema for NRPUP's Mundubile-Zulu ticket, accusing the President of ruling on "lies and false promises."

On the economic and diplomatic front, Zambia notched a significant institutional win when its engineering profession was admitted to the Washington Accord. The recognition places locally trained engineers and their qualifications on par with global standards and is expected to boost investor confidence in mining, energy and infrastructure.

Government also reaffirmed its target of 10 million tonnes of annual maize production by 2030, pointing to a rebound to 3.9 million tonnes in the 2024/2025 season after the prior year's drought.

Copper output rose 0.45 percent in the first half of 2026 on stronger performance at Kansanshi, Lumwana, Konkola and First Quantum's operations, even as Mopani and Chibuluma recorded declines.

The Energy Regulation Board and ZESCO jointly cleared the utility of overcharging allegations following months of complaints over rapid prepaid token depletion. The regulator assured the public that load shedding will not return after the elections.

Finally, accountability proceedings against traditional and business figures featured prominently. The Lusaka High Court ordered Chief Mumena and the Attorney General to jointly pay over K600,000 to three petitioners tortured and unlawfully detained in a metal container in 2024.

The court found the State jointly liable for failing to intervene despite awareness of the abuse, a judgment that lands squarely within the pre-election conversation about the limits of both traditional and state authority.

See the results in Real time. pvtresults.com vist for moree details
01/08/2026

See the results in Real time. pvtresults.com vist for moree details

๐—จ๐—ฃ๐—ก๐——, ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—–๐—ญ'๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ The Electoral Commission of Zambia has confirmed that a...
31/07/2026

๐—จ๐—ฃ๐—ก๐——, ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐—–๐—ญ'๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has confirmed that all ballot papers required for the August 13 general election have now arrived in the country. This marks the completion of a critical logistical stage in the polls.

The final consignment, comprising 185 pallets, arrived at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport aboard a chartered Boeing 747 from Dubai. It brings the total delivered to 387 pallets, following a separate consignment of 202 pallets a day earlier.

ECZ chief electoral officer Brown Kasaro received the shipment in the presence of political party representatives and civil society observers.

"In today's consignment, we have the last 185 pallets of ballot papers. Together with yesterday's consignment of 202 pallets, this marks the completion of the delivery," he said.

Mr Kasaro said the ballot papers have now been transported to the commission's warehouse in Silverest, Chongwe District, where verification will begin.

He was clear, however, that this is not the final checkpoint. Verification exercises will be repeated in every constituency across the country before ballots are dispatched to polling stations.

"Verification here at head office is not the final stage, as this will be conducted in each constituency in the presence of stakeholders before final dispatch to polling stations in readiness for poll day," he said.

The announcement drew praise from across the political spectrum. UPND media director Mark Simuuwe said the consistent involvement of stakeholders throughout the process had strengthened confidence in the commission's conduct.

He also used the occasion to dismiss circulating claims that opposition figures had been denied access to Zambian airspace during campaigning, pointing to NRPUP leader Brian Mundubile's own remarks that his party had chosen to travel by road voluntarily.

Pamodzi Alliance secretary general Celestine Mukandila echoed the sentiment, saying the commission had upheld democratic principles by keeping critical electoral processes open to observers throughout.

Civil society groups were equally positive. Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes executive director Arthur Muyunda urged the public and political actors alike to resist spreading misinformation that could undermine confidence in the process.

NGOCC board chairperson Beauty Katebe said the transparency demonstrated throughout the ballot delivery process has strengthened the overall credibility of the forthcoming election, a sentiment widely shared among the stakeholders present.

With verification now under way at national level, attention turns to the district-by-district checks that will precede the final movement of ballot papers to polling stations ahead of August 13.

Harry Kalaba is not taking this one lying down. The Citizens First leader has gone straight to the Constitutional Court ...
30/07/2026

Harry Kalaba is not taking this one lying down. The Citizens First leader has gone straight to the Constitutional Court asking them to throw out, with costs, a petition that wants him removed from the presidential race just because his running mate Moses Mawere pulled out.

Kalaba's argument is pretty straightforward. He's saying that when he was nominated by ECZ, everything was done properly, him and Mawere together, meeting all the requirements. Yes, Mawere later withdrew, but according to Kalaba, nowhere in the Constitution or the Electoral Process Act does it say that a running mate leaving automatically kicks the presidential candidate out of the race too.

"Where the Constitution intends to disqualify a presidential candidate, it does so in clear and mandatory language," is basically his whole defence. In other words, if the law wanted him out, it would say so directly, and since it doesn't, he's arguing the court shouldn't just assume he's disqualified.

He's also denying that he broke any of the specific constitutional articles the petitioner accused him of violating, saying none of those sections actually deal with what happens when a running mate withdraws.

Now, this whole thing started because Youth Alliance Party's Mark Mwachilenga filed a petition wanting both Kalaba and OPP's Brian Mushimba thrown off the ballot entirely, since neither of them currently has a running mate. If the court doesn't go that far, Mwachilenga is asking as a backup plan that both men at least be given a chance to nominate replacement running mates before people go to vote.

This is actually just one of several cases like this happening right now, because so many candidates and running mates have pulled out this election that Parliament had to rush through constitutional changes just to keep the whole election on schedule.

With only two weeks left before 13 August, whatever the Constitutional Court decides here could actually change who Zambians see on the ballot paper come polling day.

๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜‡๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ธ๐—ฎ ๐——๐—– ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—น๐˜† Political violence has surged across two Zambian pr...
30/07/2026

๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜‡๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ธ๐—ฎ ๐——๐—– ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—น๐˜†

Political violence has surged across two Zambian provinces this week, offering a stark reminder of how quickly campaign tensions can turn dangerous in the final stretch before a hotly contested national election.

In the southern town of Mazabuka, a local government official narrowly avoided being physically attacked by a crowd of mourners after he used a funeral gathering to urge support for the sitting president and his party. What began as a routine political appeal quickly spiraled, with witnesses describing an almost instantaneous shift from grief to anger as attendees accused the official of exploiting a solemn moment for political gain. He was ultimately escorted away by security personnel to avoid being harmed.

Roughly the same day, in the nearby town of Monze, a campaign event for an independent parliamentary candidate that had been formally approved by election authorities was violently broken up. According to multiple eyewitnesses, a group of men aligned with the ruling party arrived unannounced, attacked the candidate's supporters, and used stones and physical force to scatter the crowd, effectively silencing a legally sanctioned political gathering.

But it was an incident hundreds of miles away, in the copper-mining hub of Kitwe, that has drawn the most alarm. There, a caravan of vehicles belonging to a leading opposition presidential candidate had its windows smashed by unidentified attackers during a routine campaign stop. Disturbing video footage that spread rapidly online showed one man bleeding and claiming he had also been robbed, while a separate clip appeared to show an assailant holding what looked like a handgun, a rare and troubling sight in a country where fi****ms are tightly restricted.

Authorities say a handful of suspects tied to both the governing party and an opposition coalition have been taken into custody, though it's unclear whether the man seen with the weapon is among them. Opposition figures have accused the president of implicitly condoning the unrest by declining to publicly denounce it, a charge that adds to a broader pattern of accusations, denials, and finger-pointing that has increasingly defined this election cycle as voting day approaches.

๐—˜๐—–๐—ญ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐˜€  ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ - ๐——๐—ถ๐˜€๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—š๐—š๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—–๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—บ๐˜€ For ordinary Zambians trying to make sense of c...
30/07/2026

๐—˜๐—–๐—ญ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ - ๐——๐—ถ๐˜€๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฅ๐—œ๐—š๐—š๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—–๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—บ๐˜€

For ordinary Zambians trying to make sense of conflicting claims swirling online ahead of next month's presidential election, Wednesday brought a moment of clarity from the country's election authority.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia confirmed that the first shipment of ballot papers for the 13 August vote had landed safely in the capital, Lusaka, and flatly denied rumors that extra ballots were secretly being printed across the border in Tanzania. Commission chair Mwangala Zaloumis said the claims were false, and warned that spreading unverified information risks eroding public confidence at a critical moment for the country's democracy.

The stakes are high. Zambia's roughly 8.8 million registered voters, including large numbers of citizens who are blind, deaf, or living with physical disabilities, are preparing to choose a president, members of parliament, and local government officials in an election that will shape the country's direction for the next five years. Getting the mechanics right, from where ballots are printed to how they are transported and stored, matters enormously to whether the outcome is trusted by everyone involved.

What stood out Wednesday was how many different political factions, normally at odds with each other, agreed the process so far had been handled properly. Representatives from the opposition Tonse Alliance, the governing party, a smaller opposition group called Citizens First, and a coalition advocating for women's political participation all said they were satisfied after being allowed to personally witness the ballots being unloaded and moved to secure storage.

That kind of agreement is unusual in any election, anywhere. It matters because it suggests the country's institutions are functioning as designed, even amid a campaign season otherwise marked by reports of violence and intimidation in several regions. One presidential candidate, Brian Mushimba, said he had travelled to Dubai himself to observe the printing and came away reassured.

The Commission still has work to do. A final batch of ballot material is expected within a day, and formal verification of the printed ballots is set to begin soon at a secure warehouse outside the capital. How smoothly that final stretch goes may say a lot about whether Zambia's election, still two weeks away, unfolds as a genuine contest decided at the ballot box rather than one clouded by doubt over the process itself.

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