Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s high court on Friday ruled that the inauguration of President Edgar Lungu should go ahead next Tuesday, after the opposition brought an application seeking to block the event. “The inauguration of president Edgar Lungu will go ahead as planned… the court has ruled in …
Read More »Zambia court throws out election result challenge
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s constitutional court on Monday threw out an attempt by the defeated presidential candidate to annul August’s election results, clearing the way for President Edgar Lungu’s inauguration next week. Hakainde Hichilema, who lost the election by 100,000 votes, alleged that the result was rigged and …
Read More »Zambia president Lungu re-elected in disputed polls
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s incumbent President Edgar Lungu was on Monday declared the winner of a closely-fought election in the southern African country that the opposition claimed was rigged. Election commission chief Esau Chulu announced that Lungu was “duly elected” after releasing the final results from Thursday’s …
Read More »Zambia opposition leader angered by vote results delay
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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