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STOP CALLING OUR YOUTHS ‘JUNKIES’

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Chomba says unemployment, hunger and lack of skills are fuelling youth desperation, as the organisation unveils plans to train one million young people and promote job creation By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — 3-09-2026 --  African Nations Prosperity Fund (ANPF) has warned that Zambia risks worsening youth unemployment and social instability unless government, political leaders and the private sector urgently create practical opportunities for young people. ANPF president Tresford Chomba told Zambia24 that it was irresponsible for society to label unemployed young people as “junkies” without addressing the economic conditions that were pushing them into drug abuse, crime and desperation. Chomba said Zambia needed to move beyond political rhetoric and invest in practical skills, entrepreneurship and industries capable of creating sustainable livelihoods for young people. “We have our own children we are calling junkies, which is very unfortunate. The solution is on the ...
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NGOCC WANTS MORE WOMEN IN POWER

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Katebe urges Hichilema to use nominated parliamentary seats and Cabinet appointments to increase women’s representation in decision-making By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 — 3-09-2026 --  The Non-governmental Gender Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to use his constitutional power to nominate more women to Parliament and appoint more women to Cabinet and other senior decision-making positions. NGOCC Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe said the move was necessary to address the continued under-representation of women in Parliament and other key positions of leadership. Ms Katebe said preliminary election results show that the number of women elected to Parliament remains well below the 50 percent target. She has therefore called on President Hichilema to deliberately use his power to nominate 11 Members of Parliament to increase the number of women in the National Assembly, in line with Zambia’s obligations under the SADC Protoc...
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HIV HITS YOUNG ZAMBIAN WOMEN HARD

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79% of new HIV infections among young people aged 15–24 are recorded among young women By Francis Maingaila ♥️  Lusaka, Zambia24 — 3-09-2026 -- Zambia’s HIV epidemic is continuing to hit young women hardest, with 79 percent of new HIV infections among people aged 15 to 24 occurring among young women, the Ministry of Health has warned. The latest 2025 HIV Spectrum Estimates show that Zambia has about 1.3 million people living with HIV, with women making up 64 percent of the total and accounting for 61 percent of new infections. Permanent Secretary for Technical Services at the Ministry of Health, Kennedy Lishimpi, said the figures should force the country to sharpen its HIV prevention strategy, particularly among adolescent girls and young women. He said adolescents and young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for about 6,000 new infections, representing 37 percent of new adult infections. Mr Lishimpi said the figures expose persistent social, biological and structural factors that continue...
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DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ELECTION TO TALK

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ZCID wants structured dialogue among political parties beyond the polls By Francis Maingaila ♥️  Lusaka, Zambia24  -- 3-03-2026 -- The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has called for sustained and structured engagement among political parties, warning that Zambia’s democratic conversation must not come to an end simply because the 2026 general elections are over. ZCID Executive Director Doreen Njovu Kabwe said the inauguration of President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice President Mutinta Nalumango had opened a new phase in Zambia’s democratic journey and should provide an opportunity for political actors to rebuild trust, engage one another and work towards national unity. Ms Kabwe said the participation of political parties, candidates, women, young people and the electorate in the elections had demonstrated the importance of citizens and political actors in shaping the country’s democratic future. She said the heavily contested election should now be followed by greater poli...
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WE ARE NOW A NATIONAL PARTY

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Provincial chairpersons back Hichilema’s second term, urge unity, discipline and focus on development By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24  -- 2-09-2026 -- The outcome of the 2026 presidential and general elections, in which the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) performed strongly, has broken the regional tag that has followed the party for years, with its presence in all 10 provinces giving it what the party describes as a national mandate to govern Zambia. Speaking on behalf of the 10 provincial chairpersons, UPND Western Province Chairperson Akapelwa Mbangweta said the party’s electoral breakthrough, which saw it secure Members of Parliament and councillors across all 10 provinces, marked a defining moment in its political history. Mr Mbangweta said the result had shown that the UPND was no longer a party confined to particular parts of the country but one that had won support from Zambians across the country. “Ten out of ten. That is not a regional manda...
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US BRINGS NEW HIV PREVENTION SHOT TO ZAMBIA

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Twice-yearly lenacapavir already reaches more than 200 women at UTH By Francis Maingaila Lusaka, Zambia24 -- 02-09-2026 -- The United States Government has brought a new HIV prevention shot to Zambia, with more than 200 women already receiving twice-yearly lenacapavir at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Women and Newborn Hospital in Lusaka. The arrival of the U.S.-funded consignment gives health workers another option for protecting women from HIV, particularly during pregnancy and breastfeeding when preventing infection is also important for protecting babies. Speaking during an event to mark the arrival of the shipment, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia said the medicine could help save lives and give women a more convenient way of protecting themselves from HIV. Mr Garcia said the occasion was an important step in the wider effort to end HIV, but stressed that the work being done at UTH was largely a result of Zambia’s own health workers ...
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ELECTIONS ARE OVER, LET’S WORK FOR ZAMBIA

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NDC urges opposition to embrace peace, accept legal processes and focus on development By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 – September 2, 2026 — The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on opposition parties and their supporters to put aside political differences and work with President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration, saying the country must now shift its attention from elections to development. NDC Secretary General Kennedy Siyanda told Zambia24 that the 2026 general elections are over, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has declared the winner and the Chief Justice has ratified the election outcome, leaving the country to move forward as one. Siyanda congratulated President Hichilema on his inauguration as President of the Republic of Zambia and appealed to political leaders to make peace, unity and reconciliation the priority. Siyanda said the NDC was making the appeal against the backdrop of what it described as President Hichilema’s decision to purs...
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