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Safe Products, Safer Zambia

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ZCSA tightens product safety checks and rewards journalists raising awareness on compulsory standards By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24 - 28-07-2026 — The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has intensified its fight against unsafe products on the market, urging consumers to report suspicious goods as it strengthens inspections to protect public health, safety and the environment. Speaking during the agency’s mid-year breakfast media briefing and the unveiling of winners of the 3rd ZCSA Media Awards in Lusaka, ZCSA Executive Director Gerald Chizinga said the agency would continue strengthening monitoring of locally manufactured and imported products to ensure only safe and compliant goods reach consumers. Mr Chizinga said ZCSA currently regulates 102 locally manufactured and imported products under compulsory standards covering food products, beverages, chemicals, construction materials, electrical appliances, cement, fertilisers, fuel, used motor vehicles and used textile...
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Voter Data Storm

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TI-Z warns alleged collection of voter details could scare citizens and weaken confidence in Zambia’s 2026 elections By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka, Zambia24  -- (28-07-2026 -- Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) has raised the alarm over reports that political operatives are allegedly collecting voters’ card numbers and National Registration Card (NRC) details, warning that the practice could leave citizens worried about whether their votes will remain secret. TI-Z Executive Director Maurice Nyambe told journalists that the organisation’s long-term election observation mission had received reports of the alleged data-collection exercise, with monitors currently working to verify the claims across the country. Mr. Nyambe said the reports had mentioned suspected involvement of members of the United Party for National Development (UPND), but stressed that TI-Z was still investigating the matter before making final conclusions. He said the concerns had emerged in several distri...
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Back to Basics

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Government revives mandatory public service training to improve service delivery By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka , Zambia24 – 28-07-2026 - Government has revived mandatory public service training and certification as part of efforts to strengthen professionalism, improve accountability and enhance service delivery across the public sector. Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa represented by Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Administration)  Dr. Oliver Kalabo at the stakeholder Engagement and Communication/Media Breakfast at the Southern Sun Hotel this morning that the move was aimed at rebuilding the public service training system, which had weakened over the years, resulting in declining standards and slower service delivery in some institutions. Speaking during the Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Breakfast in Lusaka on Tuesday, Mr Kangwa said Government had restored the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA)'s statutory mandate and was systematically re...
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Online Post Put My Life at Risk

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Witness says Facebook publication falsely linked him to Police Headquarters and exposed his private phone number to an online audience of about 1,000 people. By Francis Maingaila ♥️ Lusaka , Zambia24 – 27-07-2026 -- An online content analyst has told the Lusaka Magistrates' Court that a Facebook post allegedly authored by blogger Mulenga Mushibwe Matanda falsely portrayed him as a criminal working for State House and the Zambia Police Service, leaving him fearful after his personal mobile phone number was published online. Testifying before the court, Jaja Coulibaly Komoka said part of his duties involves analysing issues circulating on online platforms. Komoka told the court that on November 16, 2025 , he came across a Facebook post on the page Mulenga Mushibwe Matanda titled "Response with Intimidation, Anger and Emotional Reaction is Not a Solution." He said the post criticised the government and President Hakainde Hichilema before ending with a list of peopl...
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"No Safe Haven for Unsafe Products"

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New NPA-ZCSA partnership targets substandard products with tougher investigations, stronger prosecutions and enhanced consumer protection By Francis Maingaila ♥️ LUSAKA, Zambia — July 27, 2026 — The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) and the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tighten enforcement against unsafe and substandard products, a move expected to strengthen consumer protection and improve the prosecution of offenders. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lusaka on Monday, Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert Phiri said the agreement marks a new chapter in the fight against the sale of products that put the lives and health of Zambians at risk. Phiri said the MoU is more than just a formal agreement between two institutions, describing it as a shared commitment to ensure that laws meant to protect the public are backed by effective enforcement. He said ordinary citizens judge government by the quality and safety...
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From Pledges to Paychecks

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ZDA records US$19.07 billion in actualised investments and nearly 150,000 jobs since 2021 By Francis Maingaila ♥️ LUSAKA, Zambia — July 27, 2026 — The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has actualised US$19.07 billion in investments and created 149,956 jobs since 2021, signalling growing investor confidence even as billions of dollars in approved projects remain in the implementation pipeline. ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa told journalists at a media briefing that the realised investments represent 19.65 percent of the US$97.07 billion in investment pledges recorded between 2021 and June 2026. Mr. Halwampa said the actualised investments came from 838 enterprises monitored by the Agency out of 2,332 companies licensed or expanded during the period. He explained that most of the remaining projects are still under implementation or have not yet commenced operations. He said the monitored enterprises created 149,956 jobs against 604,530 projected jobs, representing an actualisation ra...
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Workers Cannot Forget

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Hikaumba reminds workers of PF-era pay freeze, says Mundubile was part of administration with a history of salary and wage freezes By Francis Maingaila Lusaka, Zambia24 — 27-07-2026 - Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Vice President Leonard Hikaumba has urged public service workers not to forget what he described as the painful experience of salary and wage freezes under the former Patriotic Front (PF) administration, accusing opposition leader Brian Mundubile of attempting to rewrite history through campaign promises. Mr Hikaumba, who is also a former president of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), said it was difficult for Mr Mundubile to present himself as a champion of workers’ welfare after serving in a government that subjected public service workers to a brutal two-year salary increment freeze. He said Mr Mundubile’s recent promise of a 30 percent salary increment to public service workers was an attempt to win support from workers who had suffered under polici...
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