Chali Mulenga

By CHALI MULENGA Livingstone The student loan application window has opened, and a prominent entrepreneur and businessman in Livingstone is urging young people to take full advantage of it, alongside other government-backed empowerment programmes. Evans Fenete said many youths across the country are missing out on life-changing opportunities due to lack of information or failure to act. “The student loan is an important opportunity for young people who want to pursue higher education but lack financial support. I urge all eligible youths to apply and invest in their future,” Mr. Fenete said. Mr. Fenete, who has built a successful career in business and entrepreneurship, highlighted the IMISEPELA initiative as a platform offering a wide range of opportunities, including jobs, funding, grants, investment prospects, and skills development programmes targeted at youths across the country. He praised President Hakainde Hichilema, saying the head of state “means well” and has put in place se...

CHALI MULENGA Livingstone  The Patriotic Front (PF) has defended the election of its new president, Makebi Zulu, despite his failure to secure a single vote in Livingstone, with the party admitting the outcome exposes deeper structural and organisational challenges. PF media director Chilufya Mwewa said in Lusaka yesterday that while the party respects the outcome of the just-ended convention, the results did not fully reflect the party’s expectations across all districts. Mr Mwewa acknowledged that Mr Zulu polled zero votes in Livingstone, a result he described as being “in the public domain”, and urged the newly elected leader to treat it as a signal of the work ahead in rebuilding the party’s grassroots support. “I will be very honest, the results have not come out the way we wanted in certain areas. The president got zero in Livingstone, and this is public information. It shows there is a lot of work to be done,” he said. He, however, stressed that PF remains united and that th...

CHALI MULENGA Livingstone  GOVERNMENT has commissioned 976 solar-powered streetlights in Livingstone to enhance security, boost tourism and support the implementation of a 24-hour economy. Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba said the project strengthens the city’s status as Zambia’s tourism capital. Mr Sikumba, who is also Livingstone Member of Parliament, said the streetlights, particularly along the Mosi-oa-Tunya strip, feature designs depicting the Big Five—elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo—reflecting the country’s tourism identity. “The installation of these streetlights is not only about lighting up the city but also about adding value and identity to our tourism sector,” he said. He has since handed over the infrastructure to the Livingstone City Council and urged the local authority to ensure proper maintenance, warning that Government will not tolerate negligence. Mr Sikumba said the project is part of efforts to actualise a 24-hour economy, enabling businesses to operat...

Livingstone Mayor Constance Nalishebo Muleabai has urged institutions across Zambia to strengthen strategic management and improve service delivery to accelerate national development. She made the remarks during the official opening of the 2026 Zambia Institute for Strategic Management (ZISM) Strategy Conference, where she also launched the Organisational Strategy Diagnostic Assessment Tool (OSDAT). “The theme of this conference, ‘Building resilience for inclusive growth and improved livelihoods,’ aligns with national development priorities and highlights the need for institutions to effectively plan, implement and adapt strategies in a dynamic environment,” Ms Muleabai said. She noted that the Eighth National Development Plan prioritises socio-economic transformation through stronger institutions, improved service delivery and enhanced resilience across both public and private sectors.  Government reforms in decentralisation, public service delivery and economic management, she ad...

CHALI MULENGA Livingstone THE Zambia Revenue Authority says it aims to contribute about 20 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but unforeseen events such as global economic shocks, pandemics and climate-related challenges continue to affect revenue collection. ZRA acting Director for Executive Support Laban Simbeye said while the authority has made progress in domestic revenue mobilisation, external factors can disrupt even well-planned targets. “Unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, recurring droughts and global economic instability sometimes impact our projections. Yet we remain committed to optimising revenue collection and widening the tax net,” Mr Simbeye said. He noted that Zambia’s tax-to-GDP ratio currently stands at about 20 percent, above the 15 percent benchmark recommended for sustainable development, but still below levels achieved by higher-performing economies. Mr Simbeye said the authority has extended its Corporate Strategic Plan (C...

By Chali Mulenga Patriotic Front (PF) Southern Province Chairperson Golden Sifunga Nyambe has described newly elected party president Makebi Zulu as a unifier capable of bringing together members across the country following his election at the just-ended elective general convention. Mr Nyambe said Mr Zulu’s victory was a clear indication of the confidence and trust that party structures at all levels have placed in his leadership, noting that the outcome reflected broad-based support from across the PF’s extensive grassroots network. “For him to be elected by the structures, it shows that he is a unifying factor and has the support of the party across the country,” Mr Nyambe said in an interview. He said the party’s presence in over 100 districts and more than 150 constituencies makes such an endorsement significant, adding that it demonstrates Mr Zulu’s acceptability among members from different regions. Mr Nyambe stated that, on behalf of the PF structures in Southern Province and i...

The Zambia Institute for Strategic Management (ZiSM) has positioned its tree-planting exercise held alongside the 2026 Strategy Conference as a long-term environmental intervention aimed at strengthening climate resilience, Vice President Crallybell Nambeye Musonda has said. Ms Musonda said the initiative, conducted during the conference, was deliberately designed to move beyond symbolic gestures and deliver measurable environmental benefits, including improved air quality, enhanced biodiversity and urban greening. “We wanted this to be more than a ceremonial activity. The objective was to create a tangible environmental legacy linked to the conference while contributing to climate resilience,” she said. She explained that sustainability measures had been put in place to ensure the survival of the planted trees, with local authorities and school environmental clubs tasked with custodianship.  Pupils are expected to play a central role in watering, monitoring and maintaining the see...

Chali Mulenga The Ministry of Finance and National Planning has reaffirmed that Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) remain central to Zambia’s strategy for financing infrastructure and driving economic growth amid fiscal constraints. Presenting at the Zambia Institute of Strategic Management (ZiSM) Conference on March 25, 2026, Principal Business Development and Promotions Officer in the PPP Office, Solomon Simutowe, said Zambia has strengthened its legal and institutional framework to enhance private sector participation in national development. Mr Simutowe said the enactment of the Public-Private Partnership Act No. 18 of 2023, which became effective on February 2, 2024, marked a major reform milestone following the repeal of the 2009 law due to weaknesses in coordination, project execution and oversight. “The new Act is designed to strengthen governance, improve efficiency in project delivery and attract more private sector participation,” he said. He noted that the law is supported ...

CHALI MULENGA Livingstone The Zambia Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers has introduced a raft of welfare initiatives for its members, with Government commending the move as it reviews labour laws to address challenges arising from the digital transformation of workplaces. Minister of Labour and Social Security Brenda Mwika Tambatamba said the union’s introduction of support programmes such as baby hampers, hospital hampers, funeral grants and retirement packages reflects a strong commitment to improving members’ wellbeing. Ms Tambatamba also launched ZUFI Financial Services, a subsidiary of the union, which will provide soft loans to members at affordable interest rates. “These initiatives demonstrate focused leadership that prioritises the interests and welfare of workers,” she said. The minister was speaking yesterday when she officially opened the 14th Quadrennial Conference of ZUFIAW in Livingstone, held under the theme “Digital Dawn: Transforming Work, Empowering W...