News Digest - Monday, June 22nd, 2026

Our nation continues to witness significant developments across governance, public health, and civic engagement as we approach a pivotal election year. The Constituency Development Fund remains a transformative force in communities from Isoka to Lundazi, while the Electoral Commission advances preparations for the August 2026 general elections and public health experts raise important questions about tobacco taxation policy.

Main Stories

1. 786 Isoka Youths Trained Under CDF Skills Programme
   Since 2022, 786 young Zambians in Isoka Constituency have gained practical skills in agriculture, tailoring, automotive engineering, livestock production, veterinary services, and information technology through the enhanced Constituency Development Fund. Many graduates have already launched businesses, generating income for their families and breathing life into our local economy. This is precisely the kind of grassroots empowerment that ensures our nation's youth are not left behind.

2. Lundazi Council Receives 30-Tonne Tipper Truck to Boost Service Delivery
   Lundazi Town Council has taken delivery of a 30-tonne tipper truck supplied by SDL Investments Limited, procured through the CDF, strengthening the council's capacity for road maintenance, waste management, and construction material transport. For our fellow citizens in Lundazi, this means cleaner streets, better roads, and faster progress on the development projects that matter most to daily life.

3. K4.46 Million in CDF Projects Handed Over in Matero
   Permanent Secretary Professor Luckson Kasonka has handed over three completed projects in Matero Constituency: a K2,040,591.53 classroom block at Kasamba, the K1,169,594 Mwembeshi Police Post, and the K1,250,000 Kasamba Skills Centre. These investments in education, security, and skills training represent government's concrete commitment to improving service delivery where our people live and work.

4. Uganda Seeks to Learn from Zambia's CDF Success
   Janet Mataka Gladys, leading a delegation from Uganda's Parliamentary Budget Office, has come to Zambia to study our enhanced CDF model, seeking best practices in community project prioritisation, youth empowerment, education, and job creation. Our nation's approach to decentralised development is now a reference point for our neighbours—a testament to what we can achieve when we put our people first.

5. Tobacco Tax Policy Costs Zambia K2.8 Billion Annually in Health and Economic Burden
   Tobacco-related diseases claim approximately 7,000 Zambian lives each year and drain roughly K2.8 billion from our economy—equivalent to 1.2 percent of our GDP. A preferential 75 percent excise tax exemption for locally manufactured cigarettes, intended as an investment incentive, is undermining both public health and revenue mobilisation by making cigarettes more affordable and limiting government's fiscal capacity. Our nation must weigh industrial incentives against the heavier cost borne by families, the health system, and our national treasury.

6. ECZ to Print 2026 Ballot Papers in Dubai Beginning June 30
   Electoral Commission Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis has announced that ballot paper printing for the August 13, 2026 general election will commence June 30, 2026, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Political parties and candidates may send representatives to witness the process at their own cost. Zaloumis also clarified that ECZ has not halted presidential campaigns, but rather separated presidential from parliamentary and local government campaign timetables to reduce overlapping activities that create tension and strain security resources. "We have a responsibility under the Constitution to manage these elections, and that is exactly what we are doing," she affirmed.

Other Notable Stories

Governance & Local Development:

• Lundazi Council Secretary John Mwanza has credited enhanced CDF with transforming local authorities from "dead institutions" into "hives of activity," with residents now actively engaging with councils on development projects.

Education & Social Inclusion:

• CDF bursaries have enabled two visually impaired students, Rebecca Nyirenda and Mirriam Muchimba, to pursue Bachelor of Special Education degrees at Kwame Nkrumah University, turning academic dreams into reality for differently abled Zambians.

Economic Empowerment:

• ZOCHICHI Trading, an organic fertiliser company in Mpika founded by Chileya Chiwenda, has expanded operations after accessing a K80,000 CDF loan in 2024, purchasing seven fermentation vessels that have transformed a 12-year slow-moving venture into a thriving enterprise.

Sports & Community:

• The Judo Association of Zambia partnered with the Meheba refugee community to host the second Misato Nakamura Judo Cup on June 20, 2026, bringing together athletes from Meheba, Mantapala, and Mayukwayukwa refugee settlements to commemorate World Refugee Day through sport and Olympic values.

Key Takeaways & Watchpoints

• The Electoral Commission's ballot printing timeline and campaign scheduling decisions in the coming weeks will shape the integrity and orderly conduct of our August 2026 elections—citizens should monitor how these preparations unfold.

• Uganda's interest in our CDF model presents an opportunity for Zambia to strengthen South-South cooperation and potentially refine our own decentralisation policies through external review and dialogue.

• The tension between industrial incentives and public health outcomes in tobacco taxation warrants careful national deliberation, as the current policy structure costs our economy over 1 percent of GDP annually while a preventable epidemic continues to claim thousands of Zambian lives.