In July, members of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) elected at their Annual General Meeting a 15-member executive to replace the Eddie Mwitwa-led Council that had been in power since April 2018. The new office bearers include Abyudi James Shonga, who was voted President, Lungisani Zulu (Vice-President), Sokwani Chilembo (Secretary), and Ngosa Simachela (Treasurer)....

The tragic death of Daev, one of Zambia’s most creative and talented singers, in a road traffic accident is a devastating loss. I am terribly sad for Zambia. We have lost a huge talent. Daev had his unique gentle way of singing - he actually could sing, as unlike the majority of “musicians” these days....

ELECTION rigging in many of Africa’s democracies occurs through a range of strategies, such as ballot-box stuffing, electoral bribery, violence against political opponents and the emasculation of the independent media that usually serve as the main outlet for opposition parties denied coverage in state-run publications. Other tactics involve putting dead voters on the electoral register,...

THE Copperbelt is a country. It has its own language (Town Bemba), culture and dynamism not found elsewhere in Zambia. Copperbelt citizens have shared livelihoods, experiences and networks to draw upon. This common identity gives them power and the edge in politics, music, unionism, activism, and even sports. In this article, I provide a historical...

In times of crisis, disruptions or significant challenges, transformational leaders holding public office should:  Demonstrate competence to resolve the challenge at hand in a way that does not worsen the problem. Now, competence involves wisdom in judgement, dignity in action, soundness in decision making, ideally founded on the best knowledge available at the time,...

On 19 August 2008, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, the third President of Zambia, died in a French hospital after reportedly suffering a stroke. Twelve years later, Mwanawasa remains as vivid in death as he was in public life. He is widely regarded as one of Zambia’s most effective leaders, who secured debt relief, steered the country...

In April 1952, a 26-year old man stood before the Northern Rhodesia Chief Justice, who had been asked by the Attorney General to consider whether this young man was ‘a danger to peace and good order’ and whether he had been ‘inciting Africans against Europeans’. The judge was further asked to consider whether he found...

On 5 January 2019, a 34-year old citizen was forced to flee Zambia after members of the governing Patriotic Front (PF) threatened to kill him. His crime? He composed and released a song with references to a rat that enters a home, eats all the food in the pot and steals everything else including what...

'Day by day, we seem to be left with a people who are embryos of themselves; people who never grow out of themselves. They dream and never work their dreams, hold visions and never live them – frightened at failure and scared to venture out. People after sound opinions of others; looking to be forever...

On 9 April 2020, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), Zambia’s broadcasting regulator, cancelled the broadcasting licence of Prime TV, the country’s most popular and leading independent television station, established eight years ago. In a letter to Prime TV Executive Director Gerald Shawa, IBA Board Secretary and Director General, Josephine Mapoma, stated that the action has...