News Digest - Monday, September 1st, 2025

Zambia placed second to Zimbabwe in the Region 5 Fishing Tournament, while environmental authorities confirmed Kafue National Park waters avoided significant harm from an earlier acid spill. Concurrently, the Road Transport and Safety Agency introduced a simplified vehicle disc system, and fuel prices increased due to Kwacha depreciation.

Main Stories

1. Zimbabwe Wins Region 5 Fishing Tournament
   Zimbabwe secured victory in the Region 5 Fishing Tournament held at Mapunga Bush Camp on the Kafue River with 8,344.38 points. Zambia placed second with 6,946.68 points, followed by Namibia (4,039.26 points) and South Africa (3,443.38 points), with a total of 2,645 fish caught and released.
2. Kafue Park Avoids Acid Spill Impact
   Greater Kafue Landscape Limited reported no negative effects on marine life within Kafue National Park from the February acid spillage. Operations manager Jed Bird attributed this to spill timing coinciding with higher rainfall and dilution before reaching the park, evidenced by over 2,600 fish caught in the recent tournament.
3. RTSA Launches Single Vehicle Disc
   The Road Transport and Safety Agency introduced a Single Disc replacing separate road tax, insurance, and roadworthiness discs. Director Amon Mweemba stated the innovation reduces confusion, improves visibility, allows electronic verification via QR code, and marks the start of a migration to RFID tags.
4. Fuel Prices Increase
   The Energy Regulation Board increased petrol to K29.18 per litre and diesel to K25.05 per litre, effective September 2025. The ERB attributed the hike to the Kwacha's 2.50% depreciation against the US Dollar and increased premiums for petrol and kerosene under the Tanzanian Bulk Procurement System.

Other Notable Stories

• Economy: The Energy Regulation Board set kerosene at K23.64 per litre and Jet A-1 at K25.83 per litre for September 2025.

Key Takeaways & Watchpoints

• New RTSA Single Disc for vehicle documentation is now in effect, featuring a QR code for verification.
• Fuel price adjustments for petrol (K29.18/L) and diesel (K25.05/L) are effective from September 2025.
• The RTSA plans to migrate from the Single Disc to permanent RFID tags on vehicle windscreens.