The Zambian Economist

16/08/2026

🕯️ CHIEF LITETA DIES, BURIAL SET FOR AUGUST 22

Chief Liteta of Chibombo District has died.

The Lenje Royal Establishment has announced that Chief Liteta died on Friday, August 14, 2026.

Chairman of the Lenje Royal Establishment, Christopher Mutemwa, described his death as a great loss to the Lenje people and Zambia.

The funeral gathering is being held at Chief Liteta’s Palace in Liteta, Chibombo District.

Burial is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Liteta Village.

The Zambian Economist extends condolences to the bereaved family, the Liteta Chiefdom and the people of Chibombo.

May His Royal Highness rest in peace.

16/08/2026

🎥 IS POLITICS A MOVING SCIENCE? MWANDI HAS GIVEN ZAMBIA SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. 🇿🇲

Mwandi voters rejected the party’s preferred and adopted candidate and elected Iris Kaingu as an Independent Member of Parliament.

▶️ Watch the video. Could some of what is being discussed here help explain why a sitting MP was rejected by the electorate?

The result also raises an important economic question: what does it mean for a constituency to elect an Independent MP?

Does an Independent MP have more freedom to put constituency interests first? Could being outside the governing party affect political influence, access to decision-makers or the ability to lobby for development? Or should public resources reach every constituency regardless of party affiliation?

Mwandi has voted. Now comes the test of what that choice delivers.

What does Iris Kaingu’s victory tell us about voter behaviour in Zambia? Is politics a moving science?

Follow The Zambian Economist for verified election updates and analysis of what the 2026 results mean for Zambia’s economy, governance and development.

👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheZambianEconomist/🌐 www.zambianeconomist.com

16/08/2026

🎥 ELECTIONS COME WITH THEIR MOMENTS! 🇿🇲😂

The 2026 General Election coverage has delivered serious results, tense moments and, every now and then, scenes that remind us elections also have a lighter side.

From unexpected reactions to moments you simply cannot script, watch the video and enjoy one of the lighter moments from the election updates.

For verified election results, the drama along the way and analysis of what the outcome means for Zambia’s economy, follow The Zambian Economist.

👉 https://www.facebook.com/TheZambianEconomist/🌐 www.zambianeconomist.com

16/08/2026

In 2012, a leaked private video threatened to define her forever.

In 2021, she came third in her first run for Parliament.

In 2025, she joined the ruling party, only to be pushed aside for the seat she wanted.

In 2026, she says the President himself called and asked her to step aside. She said no.

Mwandi has now spoken: Iris Kaingu is the constituency's newly elected Member of Parliament.

Read her story: https://zambianeconomist.com/iris-kaingu-mwandi-resilience-women-in-politics-2026/

She spent a decade under public judgement. Mwandi's reported result just gave her a seat in Parliament. Here's how Iris Kaingu got there.

16/08/2026

He was 29 when Nalolo sent him to Parliament as the only MP from his party. Five years later, the real question isn't whether he won a seat. It's whether the people who gave a 29-year-old a chance would do it again.

Imanga Wamunyima Jr became one of Zambia's youngest MPs in 2021, in one of Western Province's most underdeveloped constituencies. Since then: a Select Committee chairmanship that drew public criticism, CDF-funded classrooms and health posts slowly reaching Nalolo, and a blunt public warning that youth movements funded by "old folks" stop being movements at all.

Then came a twist nobody saw in 2021: his party's alliance with the very government he spent years positioned against, and a second bid for the same seat under a different banner.

So did five years of incremental delivery and youth advocacy earn him a second term, or does Nalolo tell a different story this time?

We break it all down: the committee work, the criticism, what the constituency actually received, and what his campaign says about how much trust young leaders can really bank.

Read the full feature and tell us what you think: https://zambianeconomist.com/nalolo-imanga-wamunyima-youth-in-politics-2026/

Zambia's youngest MP has spent five years testing what youth political representation can deliver. Here is what Nalolo shows ahead of 2026.

16/08/2026

📢 ECZ RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT AT 11:00 HOURS

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is scheduled to announce the latest 2026 General Election results today, Sunday, 16 August 2026, at 11:00 hours.

The announcement will be livestreamed on the ECZ page.

As results continue to come in, The Zambian Economist will bring you verified election updates together with analysis of what the outcome could mean for Zambia’s economy, businesses and investor confidence.

📌 Follow the page and stay with us as the national results picture develops.

💬 Which constituency are you following most closely?

16/08/2026

🎥 TATEYOYO - KATUNDU ROAD REHABILITATION REACHES 48%

Works on the 87.3-kilometre Tateyoyo - Katundu Road in Kaoma and Nkeyema districts have reached 48% completion.

So far, 37 kilometres have been upgraded to bituminous standard, with the completed stretch expected to reach about 40 kilometres by the end of August.

Nkeyema District Commissioner Ellis Mukubesa has expressed satisfaction with the progress after inspecting the works.

For communities and businesses along the route, better road infrastructure can mean easier movement of people and goods, lower transport costs and improved access to markets.

▶️ Watch the video.

💬 For those who use this route, what difference would completion of the road make to your daily travel or business?

🎥 Video Credit: ZANIS

16/08/2026

📍 SERENJE ELECTION WATCH

Election monitoring in Serenje also gives us a glimpse of everyday life beyond the polling stations and results centres.

During our monitoring, we came across this ox-drawn cart moving through town, a familiar part of life in many Zambian communities.

As the country follows the 2026 General Election, life on the ground continues.

💬 Serenje residents, what has the election atmosphere been like in your area?

Follow The Zambian Economist for verified election updates, observations from the ground and analysis of what the results mean for Zambia.

16/08/2026

🎥 WATCH: MWENE LUHAMBA FRED THANKS MANGANGO VOTERS

Incoming Mangango Constituency Member of Parliament Hon. Mwene Luhamba Fred has thanked the people of Mangango for giving him the mandate to represent them in Parliament.

Following his victory, Hon. Luhamba has also extended a hand to his competitors, calling for unity and cooperation as attention now turns to serving the constituency.

“The time to work is now.”

▶️ Watch his message to the people of Mangango.

💬 What should be the first priority for Mangango Constituency under the new parliamentary term?

16/08/2026

"I may have paid a political price for that decision, but I remain proud of it." Outgoing Kanchibiya MP Sunday Chanda has conceded the 2026 election, but he's not backing down from his vote for Bill 7, the delimitation bill that ended up splitting his own constituency in two. His full statement covers the tribal politics he says shaped the campaign, five years of CDF-driven development, and what he plans to keep fighting for outside Parliament.

Read the full statement: https://zambianeconomist.com/sunday-chanda-concession-statement-kanchibiya-bill-7/

What do you make of an MP defending an unpopular vote after losing his seat over it?

The outgoing Kanchibiya MP releases a full statement on his Bill 7 vote, One Zambia One Nation, and five years of CDF-driven development.