Open Zambia

Open Zambia An organisation promoting transparency and respect for the Rule of Law in Zambia. Open Zambia Facebook terms of use.

We want this Open Zambia page to be a resource for news and updates in Zambia, but we also want this to be a place of discussion, so we need to hear from you! We want to hear why you feel transparency and respect are important. That said, Open Zambia chooses to maintain decency standards over all of its content to protect the well-being of its followers. Violations of Open Zambia’s conten

t standards includes (but is not limited to) posting abusive comments and explicit images. Our audience includes a wide range of individuals across all ages, we request everyone take this into account went publishing content. Therefore, the Open Zambia Facebook Terms of Use are as follows:

• You must not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
• You must not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence. The appropriateness of all content is of the sole discretion of Open Zambia and we maintain the right to remove any content or information you post on the Open Zambia page if we believe that it violates this policy statement. Any user may vocalize their support for or interest in any entity (place, organisation, or political party), or public figure, provided that it does not violate the terms of this agreement. Open Zambia Facebook is public and as such all postings are likewise public and viewable by everyone who might see the page.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SETS 17 SEPTEMBER DEADLINE FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION MPSThe National Assembly of Zambia has aske...
10/09/2026

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SETS 17 SEPTEMBER DEADLINE FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION MPS

The National Assembly of Zambia has asked the Electoral Commission of Zambia to submit the names of Members of Parliament entering the House under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation system by 17 September 2026.

Clerk of the National Assembly Loveness Mayaka said the names were required to allow the incoming Members to undergo internal processes, including induction, which she said should be conducted jointly for directly elected Members and those arriving through the proportional system so that neither group was treated separately.

Her remarks were delivered on her behalf by Deputy Clerk for Administration Sage Samuwika at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop for the National Assembly Research Department, focused on disability inclusion.

Ms Mayaka said the reservation of five parliamentary seats for Persons with Disabilities under the new system was a significant milestone, but that their presence in Parliament had to be matched by an institutional environment that enabled them to participate effectively. The National Assembly was reviewing its systems, procedures, infrastructure and support services accordingly, she said.

She cautioned against a narrow reading of accessibility, saying it extended beyond ramps and lifts to communication, information, digital and procedural access, as well as the attitudinal and institutional barriers that could keep Persons with Disabilities from taking a full part in parliamentary work.

MILLERS CREDIT STEADY MAIZE SUPPLY FOR FALLING MEALIE MEAL PRICES The Millers Association of Zambia has attributed recen...
10/09/2026

MILLERS CREDIT STEADY MAIZE SUPPLY FOR FALLING MEALIE MEAL PRICES

The Millers Association of Zambia has attributed recent reductions in mealie meal prices to a steady supply of maize, which it said had brought down production costs.

Association President Andrew Chintala told ZNBC News that millers were committed to ensuring consumers felt the benefit of this year's strong harvest.

Mr Chintala said the Association was working closely with Government and other stakeholders to prepare for the potential effects of El Niño on future production.

He said the Association's priorities were aligned with the Grow Zambia Agenda, which seeks to expand the market for maize and meet national production targets.

FAZ SAYS SPONSORSHIP HOLDS THE KEY TO RAISING FOOTBALL STANDARDS The Football Association of Zambia has said partnership...
10/09/2026

FAZ SAYS SPONSORSHIP HOLDS THE KEY TO RAISING FOOTBALL STANDARDS

The Football Association of Zambia has said partnerships with sponsors are central to lifting standards in the domestic game.

FAZ General Secretary Charles Chakatazya said that when sponsors came on board, the Association was able to increase the funding it directed to various areas of football. He said a great deal could be done to change the face of Zambian football if more sponsors came forward.

Mr Chakatazya also credited Government for its support to the growth of the sport in the country.

He was speaking as the Association received a donation of football equipment worth 120,000 kwacha from 1XBet.

1XBet Zambia Operations Manager Kafupi Muwana said the donation was intended to contribute to an environment in which talent and skills could be nurtured.

CHIPOLOPOLO BEGIN CAMP AHEAD OF ALGERIA QUALIFIER Zambia's senior national football team will open a local training camp...
09/09/2026

CHIPOLOPOLO BEGIN CAMP AHEAD OF ALGERIA QUALIFIER

Zambia's senior national football team will open a local training camp on 16 September as preparations begin for the opening round of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Football Association of Zambia Communications Manager Sydney Mungala said the Chipolopolo Boys would face Algeria in Algiers on 25 September in their first qualifying fixture, before meeting Togo on 29 September in their second.

Mr Mungala said official training would commence on 21 September, ahead of the squad's departure for Algeria.

He said Coach George Lwandamina and his technical staff would use the training period to assess the players and refine the team's tactical approach ahead of both matches.

STURDEE ENERGY ENTERS ZAMBIA WITH 200 MW WIND PROJECT ACQUISITION South African independent power producer Sturdee Energ...
09/09/2026

STURDEE ENERGY ENTERS ZAMBIA WITH 200 MW WIND PROJECT ACQUISITION

South African independent power producer Sturdee Energy has entered the Zambian market through the acquisition of the 200 megawatt Masaiti Wind Project in Mpongwe District on the Copperbelt.

The company said it was acquiring the late-stage project from Upepo Holdings LLC through its local development arm, Upepo Energy Zambia, and would assume full ownership at the start of construction. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

The Masaiti wind farm is planned to connect to a ZESCO 330 kilovolt transmission line located next to the project site. The development is being advanced towards financial close following more than six years of on-site wind measurements collected from two meteorological masts.

Sturdee said it intended to pair the wind project with solar generation and battery energy storage systems to deliver a more consistent, round-the-clock renewable electricity supply.

The project is expected to operate under an aggregated offtake structure, with ZESCO as the anchor customer alongside potential sales through the Southern African Power Pool, electricity traders and bilateral contracts.

The investment marks Sturdee's entry into its fifth market in the Southern African Development Community region. The company currently holds 280 megawatts of renewable energy capacity across the region.

ZAMBIA LAUNCHES KEY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SECURE DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS Government has said building a trusted digital enviro...
09/09/2026

ZAMBIA LAUNCHES KEY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SECURE DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS

Government has said building a trusted digital environment is critical to Zambia's development as the country moves towards a digital economy.

Technology and Science Permanent Secretary Dr Brilliant Habeenzu said this in Lusaka during the launch of the National Public Key Infrastructure, which forms part of a broader national digital infrastructure covering connectivity, data centres, cybersecurity and digital identity systems.

Dr Habeenzu said the platform would provide a trusted layer for enabling secure digital identities, verifying electronic transactions, protecting information and preventing the manipulation of electronic documents.

He said the initiative would help deliver public services faster, reduce reliance on paper-based processes, support digital signatures and strengthen the authenticity of government documents.

Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority Director General Collins Mbulo said the platform was also expected to build confidence among businesses and investors to operate digitally.

Mr Mbulo said it would create opportunities for local technology companies to develop products around trusted digital identities and secure transactions.

He added that public institutions, regulators, financial institutions and the private sector would be able to use common infrastructure rather than developing separate systems of their own.

AIRTEL PUTS K12 MILLION INTO SCHOOLS AND CONNECTS 300 TO THE INTERNET Airtel Zambia has committed K12 million to school ...
08/09/2026

AIRTEL PUTS K12 MILLION INTO SCHOOLS AND CONNECTS 300 TO THE INTERNET

Airtel Zambia has committed K12 million to school infrastructure and connected 300 schools to the internet, in a pair of programmes aimed at learners in communities where both classrooms and connectivity are scarce.

Under its School Adoption Programme, backed by the Airtel Africa Foundation, the company has adopted five schools in Chipata, Solwezi, Mongu, Mansa and Mufulira. Each receives a 1x3 classroom block, ablution facilities, a computer laboratory with internet access and a borehole serving both the school and the surrounding community. New facilities have already been handed over in Chipata and Solwezi.

The borehole is the detail worth noting. Water and sanitation are among the most reliable predictors of whether pupils, particularly girls, stay in school, so the package addresses attendance as much as capacity.

Separately, Airtel has partnered with UNICEF on the School Connectivity Project, which has connected 300 schools and reached more than 292,000 learners. At its centre is the Learning Passport, a zero-rated platform carrying curriculum-aligned material from early childhood through secondary level. Because it does not consume data bundles, cost is removed as a barrier to using it, which is what distinguishes it from most digital learning initiatives.

Managing director Hussam Baday said connectivity had become a necessity rather than a luxury.

"By bringing connectivity to students in remote areas, we are helping bridge the digital divide and ensuring that geography does not determine a child's potential," he said.

Teachers also gain access to additional materials and digital teaching tools.

ZAMBIA AND RWANDA MOVE TOWARDS VISA EXEMPTION DEALZambia and Rwanda have moved a step closer to a reciprocal visa exempt...
08/09/2026

ZAMBIA AND RWANDA MOVE TOWARDS VISA EXEMPTION DEAL

Zambia and Rwanda have moved a step closer to a reciprocal visa exemption arrangement, following bilateral consultations in Lusaka on Monday.

Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation Ms Etambuyu Anamela Gundersen received Rwanda's High Commissioner to Zambia, His Excellency Emmanuel Bugingo, at Charter House for talks covering a range of proposed agreements between the two countries.

The visa arrangement drew the most attention. Both sides underscored the importance of bringing the proposed Memorandum of Understanding to fruition, and the practical case is straightforward. Easing movement between the two countries lowers the cost of doing business for traders, opens Zambia to Rwandan visitors and strengthens the people-to-people ties that formal agreements alone cannot build.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of Rwanda hosting the eighth session of the Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation in 2027. The Commission is the standing mechanism through which the two governments review progress, identify new areas of partnership and keep bilateral work on a formal footing between political visits.

Ms Gundersen expressed appreciation for the goodwill message conveyed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to President Hakainde Hichilema following his re-election.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to advancing areas of mutual interest for the benefit of their peoples.

Rwanda has pursued visa liberalisation across the continent in recent years, and an agreement with Zambia would fit that pattern while giving Zambian traders and travellers reciprocal access.

SENEGAL, ETHIOPIA AND SPAIN ADD TO CONGRATULATIONS FOR PRESIDENT HICHILEMA Further messages of congratulation have reach...
07/09/2026

SENEGAL, ETHIOPIA AND SPAIN ADD TO CONGRATULATIONS FOR PRESIDENT HICHILEMA

Further messages of congratulation have reached State House from Africa and Europe following President Hakainde Hichilema's re-election as President of the Republic of Zambia.

President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye of the Republic of Senegal conveyed his congratulations and expressed a steadfast desire to continue working with President Hichilema towards strengthening the bonds of cordial friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

From Addis Ababa, President Taye Atske Selassie of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said that Ethiopia highly values its longstanding relations of friendship and cooperation with Zambia, and remains firmly committed to further strengthening and deepening bilateral ties.

His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain conveyed his sincere wishes for Zambia's continued growth, stability and prosperity in the years ahead, expressing his hope for the continued deepening of the longstanding bonds of friendship and cooperation between Zambia and Spain.

NALUMANGO SWORN IN AS 2026-2031 PARLIAMENT BEGINS WORK Mutale Nalumango has taken her Oath of Office in the Chambers of ...
07/09/2026

NALUMANGO SWORN IN AS 2026-2031 PARLIAMENT BEGINS WORK

Mutale Nalumango has taken her Oath of Office in the Chambers of Parliament as Zambia's 2026 to 2031 National Assembly formally begins its term.

She described the moment as one of humility and responsibility, and said she was conscious of the trust placed in the incoming House by Zambians.

"Parliament is at the heart of our democracy, and the oath we have taken is a solemn commitment to serve our people with integrity, discipline and dedication," she said.

Her remarks carried a direct appeal across the benches. She called on all Members of Parliament, whatever their political affiliation, to put Zambia first, work together and uphold the principles of democracy, accountability and good governance.

"Our people expect results, and we must remain focused on delivering development, creating opportunities and improving the lives of every Zambian," she said.

The appeal to cross-party cooperation is more than convention in this House. The Electoral Commission of Zambia has confirmed 224 elected members, with the United Party for National Development returning 137 and the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity 59. Twenty independents were elected, a bloc larger than every other party outside the two main groupings combined, and two constituencies remain to be determined.

Women account for 32 of the confirmed seats.

The swearing in of members is the first order of business for a new Parliament, preceding the election of the Speaker and the President's address to open the session.

Address

Lusaka

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Open Zambia posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share