Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema on Sunday blasted the national election commission for slow progress in releasing results from this week’s closely-fought presidential vote. Hichilema, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) who has alleged fraud in Thursday’s vote, demanded to …
Read More »Lungu vs Hichilema: Zambia’s presidential battle
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | The front-runners in Zambia’s presidential election on Thursday are incumbent Edgar Lungu and rags-to-riches businessman Hakainde Hichilema — two adversaries who battled it out only last year. Lungu won that election by fewer than 28,000 votes, securing the right to complete the final months of …
Read More »Clashes heighten concerns ahead of Zambia election
Lusaka, ZAMBIA | AFP | Election officials and candidates in Zambia’s presidential vote on Tuesday condemned fresh outbreaks of violence between rival supporters, as concerns grow that the relatively stable country could face worsening unrest. Just 18 months after President Edgar Lungu narrowly won a snap election, he and the …
Read More »Zambia show cancelled, Koffi Olomide apologizes
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian authorities said on Sunday they had called off a planned show by Congolese singer Koffi Olomide following his deportation from Kenya for kicking one of his female dancers. Olomide was scheduled to perform at the annual agricultural trade show in Lusaka this week. “Following …
Read More »Hunger, power cuts in Zimbabwe, Zambia as lake level hits record low
Kariba, Zimbabwe | AFP Lake Kariba on the Zambezi River border between Zimbabwe and Zambia used to be dotted with hundreds of commercial fishing rigs, while local fishermen in small makeshift boats would catch enough bream for their livelihood. Now the fishermen are standing on shore praying for rain as …
Read More »Zambia and Burkina Faso compared
By Andrew M. Mwenda What creates enduring political institutions that can ensure peaceful transfers of power from incumbents to new leaders? Two important events happened in Africa last week that provide important insights into our continent’s political evolution. First, was the death of the president of Zambia, Michael Sata. This …
Read More »Zambian gov’t arrests ex-minister, three scribes
By Julius Odeke After one year in office, the authorities in Zambia arrested an ex-information minister and three journalists for old stories that were critical of the then opposition leader — and now president — Michael Sata. The former information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha was charged with abuse of office for …
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