Favourite K. Chisi

The Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR) has called for greater predictability in the management of agricultural markets, citing delays in farmer payments during the 2025 crop marketing season. ZIPAR Executive Director Zali Chikuli says the delays exposed deeper structural challenges in Zambia's agricultural marketing system beyond the issue of financial transactions. Mr. Chikuli said Zambia has policies that strongly support agricultural production, as demonstrated by the positive response from farmers and the bumper harvest recorded during the 2025 farming season. However, he said challenges emerge at the marketing stage, where existing mechanisms are not adequately designed to handle large-scale crop purchases. Mr. Chikuli explained that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) was originally established to purchase limited quantities of maize, estimated at about 500,000 metric tonnes, for strategic national reserves rather than to purchase the entire crop prod...

Some stakeholders in the transport sector have expressed reservations over Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali's indication that the long-standing night travel ban for public service vehicles (PSVs) will be lifted once construction works on the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriageway are completed. BELSAM Driving School Chief Executive Officer Anthony Samuhandu says although the dual carriageway has already helped reduce travel time between Lusaka and Ndola, government should not rush to lift the night travel restriction. Mr. Samuhandu said the ban was introduced at a time when the country was experiencing an increase in road traffic accidents and was intended as a road safety measure. He said while improved road infrastructure has enabled vehicles to travel more efficiently, lifting the night travel ban for PSVs requires consideration of factors beyond the completion of the road project. Speaking in an interview with Prime TV News, Mr. Samuhandu said authorities should fir...

United Party for National Development Katombola Member of Parliament   Clement Andeleki  has expressed gratitude to the Zambian people and their representatives in the National Assembly for the historic passage of National Assembly Bill Number 7 of 2025 . T he bill passed unanimously, with all 1 35 members who were in attendance voting in favor during the third reading . "I represent Katombola constituents, but yesterday, I represented the entire country,” he stated, pointing out that the bill achieved the required two-thirds majority as stipulated by Article 79 of the Constitution . Dr. Andeleki has congratulated the Zambian people, stating, "This is a victory for the people of Zambia. This is a historical amendment." The Lawmaker said the amendments addressed two previously controversial clauses, including one concerning by-elections . Responding to public concerns about the costs associated with by-elections, the government initially proposed their removal. However, ...

A member of the Law Association of Zambia says the association’s presid ent acted improperly by engaging with the OASIS forum and making public statements on Bill 7 without first securing direction from the membership. Clement Andeleki said President Lungisani Zulu  had no mandate to represent the association in that way  and has call ed  the conduct unethical and professionally improper. Dr. Andeleki who is also UPND Katombola Member of Parliament has described the Law Association as a body of distinguished legal practitioners, including judges and lawyers, and said the president’s pronouncements urging people to take to the streets in pursuit of regime change were unacceptable. He said the correct procedure was for the president to seek a formal mandate from the general membership before taking such positions or pursuing costly litigation. Dr. Andeleki has noted that doing otherwise risks condemnation in court and endangers the association’s financial resources, wh...

Illustration of some counterfeit products - picture by ZCSA Facebook page Jason   Mwanza, a 34 ‑ year ‑ old trader who sells disposable drinks and other food items in Lusaka ’ s John Howard area, has been hearing stories of how the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has been clamping down on traders selling counterfeit products on the market. Jason revealed that he became interested and eager to know more about the agency and later decided to check on the internet what the agency does; this is how he came to know about ZCSA. He acknowledged that some of the products which are usually seized and destroyed by the agency were items he previously traded in, a development which made him very careful and vigilant when ordering his goods. It is undisputed that counterfeit products, ranging from clothing and electronics to food and beverages, have penetrated nearly every sector of the country’s economy. Their rise on the local market is fast becoming a serious source of concern. ...

Ministry of Agriculture Chief Engineer -Agricultural Mechanization Joseph Phakati says the government has introduced the Hello Tractor  digital application to enhance monitoring, coordination, and delivery of mechanization  services across the country. Mr. Phakati said the application provides real-time information on tractor location, activity, speed, and fuel consumption, enabling improved efficiency and accountability in the use of public agricultural equipment. “This application gives us real-time reports on where the tractor is, what it is doing, the speed it is moving at, the fuel consumption, and most importantly, the work it has completed in a day,” he said. S peaking during a presentation to civil society organizations  on the Comprehensive Agricultural Transformation Support Programme , a government framework aimed at increasing agricultural productivity , Mr. Phakati noted that the mechanization  agenda is embedded within the programme. Mr. Phakati explai...

Patriotic Front (PF) Chilubi Member of Parliament Mulenga Fube has criticized  a section of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), accusing them of aligning themselves with State House for personal gain and describing them as bamushanina ubwali. Mr. Fube said he is disappointed with what he called the current crop of CSOs, arguing that many outspoken activists went silent or shifted positions after the UPND formed government. “I know that after the UPND took over, a lot of CSOs changed. Those who were once vocal have been appointed to various positions   some into commissions and others into different roles,” he said. He cited activist Laura Miti as an example, claiming she now maintains what he described as a “faint voice” after accepting an appointment as commissioner, adding that he believes this has placed her in a conflicting position. “I was shocked that organisations that previously stood firm are now supporting what the state puts forward. Many NGOs that were loud before ...