Zambian youth launch video on Kabwe’s toxic lead

Zambian youth launch video on Kabwe’s toxic lead

Young environmental activists in Zambia released a new video on Monday to call attention to the longstanding problem of lead poisoning in Kabwe, where more than a century of mining impacts led to environmental disaster and lasting health consequences disproportionately affecting children. “Several neighborhoods in our town, Kabwe, have some…

Zambia’s court clears Lungu for a third term

Zambia’s court clears Lungu for a third term

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu is the latest African leader expected to make another bid to stay in power, after a constitutional court decision Friday that paves the way for a possible third term in 2021. Lungu, who has presided over an increasingly repressive Zambia since 2015, will be able to…

China’s MFA speaks out on Zambian-Chinese tensions

China’s foreign ministry spoke out Thursday on increasing tensions in Zambia over the Chinese role in the country, which has been criticized most recently by longtime political opposition leader Haikande Hichilema. Hichilema was detained for questioning earlier this week after he was accused of making public anti-China statements that led…

Zambia’s national dialogue still on hold over leadership

Zambia’s national political dialogue has hit a few bumps since a June summit of party leaders in Siavonga agreed to a roadmap for an inclusive process ahead of presidential elections in 2021. The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has been working on the dialogue process since last year, under pressure…

Zambia says fraud, fake news demand stricter digital-platform laws

Zambia’s communications minister is defending the southern African nation’s plans to more tightly control social media use, saying the government is concerned about scams and other Internet abuses. Brian Mushimba, the Transport and Communications minister, said in a statement issued Friday that more than 600 Zambians have lost tens of…

Zambian political parties move forward with dialogue on reforms

Zambia is moving forward with plans for an inclusive political dialogue chaired by the country’s religious leaders, amid renewed concerns of political violence spurred by clashes earlier this month during a parliamentary by-election in Chilanga. The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has been working on the process since last…

Zambia’s PF tosses Cambridge Analytica into spat with Hichilema

Politicians in Zambia are distancing themselves from opposition political leader Hakainde Hichilema, following his accusation that Janet Rogan, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) representative and country coordinator in Zambia, helped President Edgar Lungu to manipulate votes in the 2016 election. They’re also taking the opportunity to call for an…

Zambezi River dam opposed over environmental, tourism impact

A hydroelectric dam project, years in the making and planned for the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, remains under pressure from whitewater rafting enthusiasts and tourism businesses concerned about the environmental and economic impacts. Munyaradzi Munodawafa, chief executive with the Zambezi River Authority, told reporters this week that the…

Zambia plans new facility to welcome Congolese fleeing DRC

With thousands of Congolese refugees streaming across the border into neighboring Zambia, the government in Lusaka announces a new permanent refugee settlement facility will open in the Mantapala area of Nchelenge District, near Lake Mweru in the country’s far north. The center will open soon to relieve congestion at Kenani,…