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AIPAC WANTS 2027 BUDGET TO DRIVE PRODUCTION

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Think tank calls for increased investment in agriculture, manufacturing, energy security and climate resilience to accelerate the Grow Zambia Agenda. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — November 2, 2026 — The Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre (AIPAC) has urged Government to use the 2027 National Budget to move Zambia beyond economic recovery and focus on increasing production, creating jobs and improving the lives of ordinary citizens. AIPAC Executive Director Solomon Ngoma says the next budget should translate the Grow Zambia Agenda into tangible results by directing more resources towards agriculture, manufacturing, energy security, industrialisation and private sector development. Mr Ngoma says while Zambia has made progress in restoring economic stability through debt restructuring and economic reforms, the country now needs to build on that progress by producing more, strengthening local industries and expanding its export capacity. He says the effects of th...
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MUPAPA WOOD LINKS FORESTS TO WEALTH CREATION

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Mupapa Wood is seeking to link communities to timber trading, forest-based businesses and reliable markets while protecting the natural resources that support their livelihoods. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Shiwangandu , Zambia24 — 31 October 2026 — The Mupapa Wood Initiative is seeking to combine sustainable timber trading, environmental protection and community-based enterprises to create economic opportunities for rural communities while safeguarding forest resources in Muchinga Province. Operating in Chindoshi under the Chiefdom of Chibesakunda, with opportunities extending to Chibale and surrounding communities, the initiative aims to help local people earn a living from their natural resources while ensuring that forests remain productive for future generations. Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruth Ironside Chande said the initiative would maintain timber harvesting and trading as its core business while opening up other income-generating opportunities for communities....
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NUPPEZ DEMANDS 20% EDUCATION FUNDING

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Union says increased investment is needed to address teacher shortages, improve teachers' welfare and provide better learning facilities ahead of the 2027 Budget. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — November 1, 2026 — The National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia (NUPPEZ) has called on Government to increase funding for education to at least 20 per cent of the 2027 National Budget, saying more resources are needed to improve conditions in schools and support teachers and learners. NUPPEZ Executive President Charity Kampamba said the growing demands on the education system require greater financial commitment, particularly in teacher recruitment, infrastructure development and the provision of learning materials. With Government expected to present the 2027 National Budget on Friday, November 6, the Union says the allocation to education should reflect the importance of the sector to the country's future. NUPPEZ noted that education received approxim...
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MUPAPA WOOD OPENS MARKETS FOR MUCHINGA COMMUNITIES.

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Chief Chibesakunda backs initiative as company positions itself as an offtaker of honey, finkubala and mushrooms, while promoting community businesses and sustainable forest management. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Chindoshi, in Shiwangandu  District, Zambia24 — October 28, 2026 — Chief Chibesakunda has thrown his weight behind the Mupapa Wood Initiative, saying the project has his blessing, will create wealth, improve livelihoods while opening up new income opportunities for people in his chiefdom and the wider Shiwangandu District through sustainable forestry and skills development. Speaking when Mupapa Wood Initiative Chief Executive Officer and Founder Ruth Ironside Chande met traditional leaders, Community Forest Management Groups and community members at Chindoshi School in Shiwangandu District, Chief Chibesakunda said he was happy that the company had finally brought the initiative to his chiefdom. The traditional leader said the initiative presented an opportunity for local people t...
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ZCSA SEIZES USED UNDERWEAR

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  Agency confiscates 34 bales worth K37,350 in Lusaka, warning traders against selling prohibited second-hand garments that could expose consumers to health risks. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — November 1, 2026 — The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has seized 34 bales of used underwear valued at K37,350 from a shop in Lusaka, warning that the illegal sale of such garments puts consumers' health at risk. The seizure followed a tip-off from a whistleblower, leading the Agency to take action against the sale of second-hand undergarments in breach of Zambian Standard ZS 559. ZCSA Manager for Communications and Public Relations Brian Hatyoka said the shop had been directed to meet the cost of disposing of the seized garments. Mr Hatyoka said the Agency would not tolerate businesses involved in the illegal importation and sale of used textile products containing undergarments and nightwear. He explained that the restrictions were necessary to protect consumers beca...
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ZCSA TAKES SAFETY TO SCHOOLS

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Agency urges learners to champion consumer protection as parents and teachers are encouraged to work together in supporting education and girls are challenged to pursue greater opportunities. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — 1 November 2026 — The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) wants schools to play a bigger role in protecting consumers, urging pupils and teachers to take the message of product safety beyond the classroom and into their homes and communities. ZCSA Manager for Communications and Public Relations Brian Hatyoka said learners needed to understand how to identify safe products and avoid goods that could put their health and lives at risk. Speaking during the annual awards ceremony at Kasisi Girls Secondary School in Chongwe District on October 31, 2026, Mr Hatyoka said children and young people interacted with different products every day, particularly food and beverages, making consumer safety education an important part of their lives. He said le...
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MUCHINGA WELCOMES MUPAPA WOOD

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Chande pledges to turn the company's investment plans into jobs, local manufacturing and business opportunities that will improve community livelihoods. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Chinsali, Zambia24 — 31 October 2026 — Muchinga Province is looking forward to an investment by Mupapa Wood that will bring jobs, local manufacturing and new business opportunities to communities, with the provincial administration urging the company to move beyond plans and deliver tangible results. Dr Tuesday Bwalya, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President at Muchinga Provincial Administration, said the province was ready to welcome the investment but expected local people to be among the first to benefit. He was speaking when Mupapa Wood Chief Executive Officer and Founder Ruth Ironside Chande paid a courtesy call on him at the Provincial Headquarters. Dr Bwalya said the initiative presented an opportunity to open up the province's economy, particularly through employment, timber processing...
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