News Digest - Friday, June 26th, 2026

Our nation begins this day with encouraging economic indicators as inflation eases to 6.5% and our trade surplus more than doubles, even as political temperatures rise ahead of the August 13 general elections and our sporting communities witness both triumph and transition.

Main Stories

1. Zambia's Trade Surplus Surges to K7 Billion in May
   Zambia's trade surplus has more than doubled to K7 billion in May 2026, up from K3.5 billion in April, translating to approximately $400 million, according to the Zambia Statistics Agency. In the first five months of 2026 alone, our nation has accumulated a trade surplus of about $1.1 billion—compared to just $146 million for the entire year of 2025—signaling strengthening economic fundamentals that benefit all Zambians through improved fiscal capacity for public services and development.

2. Annual Inflation Eases to 6.5% as Economy Grows 7.7%
   Zambia's annual inflation rate slowed to 6.5% in June 2026, down from 6.6% in May, driven by lower prices for cereals, cooking oil, eggs, petrol, diesel and passenger air transport, ZAMSTAT Statistician General Sheila Mudenda announced. This easing of cost-of-living pressures comes as the economy grew by 7.7% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 4.5% in the same period last year—welcome relief for Zambian households navigating daily expenses.

3. ZRA Seizes Smuggled Heavy-Duty Grader, Saves K615,000 in Revenue
   The Zambia Revenue Authority intercepted a smuggled heavy-duty self-propelled motor grader and its transport truck in Kapiri Mposhi on June 23, 2026, preventing revenue loss exceeding K615,000 through a sophisticated scheme involving falsified customs documents and mismatched registration numbers. This seizure under the Customs and Excise Act demonstrates our revenue authority's vigilance along the Northern Corridor, protecting the public funds that build our schools, hospitals, and roads.

4. ZAFFICO Targets K1.8 Billion Revenue by 2029 Through Forestry Expansion
   Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation Plc plans to grow annual revenue from K460 million in 2025 to K1.8 billion by 2029 through plantation expansion and timber processing infrastructure, Managing Director Mundia Mundia announced at the Rights Issue Bell-Ringing Ceremony in Lusaka. Board Chairperson Dr. Alvert Ng'andu emphasized this will reduce Zambia's annual $160 million spending on particle board imports, while IDC CEO Cornwell Muleya confirmed the investment aligns with government's industrialisation agenda—positioning our natural resources to create jobs and wealth for our people.

5. Former Finance Minister Musokotwane Defends Forex Reserves, Criticises Mundubile's Economic Remarks
   Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane has strongly defended the UPND government's accumulation of $6.5 billion in foreign exchange reserves—a record since independence—while criticising Patriotic Front member Brian Mundubile for calling such reserves "useless" and low inflation "irrelevant." Musokotwane likened reserves to a family's granary, explaining they enable Zambia to pay for imports without shortages, service external debt without defaulting, and absorb global shocks like the current Iran-linked fuel crisis that has spared our nation the fuel queues of past years; he noted the kwacha fell from K4.80 in 2011 to over K22 by 2021 under PF management.

6. Supreme Court of South Africa Overturns Lungu Repatriation Judgment
   The Supreme Court of South Africa has overturned the earlier High Court decision allowing the Zambian government to repatriate former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu's remains, and the Zambian government has announced it will not appeal, respecting the family's wishes regarding burial. This concludes the legal chapter of a matter that has gripped both nations, though questions about the appropriate memorialisation of a former Head of State remain for our collective reflection as a nation that honours its leaders while respecting due process.

Other Notable Stories

Governance & Justice:

• The Electoral Commission of Zambia has urged all Copperbelt candidates to adhere to the campaign timetable, with Provincial Electoral Officer Shaft Musaka reporting smooth preparations for the August 13 general elections and no major disturbances, though three Tonse members were earlier arrested for disrupting a UPND campaign.
• Police in Mufulira stopped Organized People's Party presidential candidate Dr Brian Mushimba from conducting a campaign roadshow on June 26, citing his scheduled campaign location as Luapula Province; Dr Mushimba stated he had only passed through to "excite" his party's aspiring candidates.

Heritage & Culture:

• The National Heritage Conservation Commission has expressed grave displeasure over road grading by Chirundu Town Council that exposed human skeletons at the Ng'ombe Ilede National Monument Site in Pambazana Village, with Director of Conservation Services Macmillan Mudenda noting the works proceeded without Commission clearance; the site has also been encroached upon by a teacher claiming land allocation from a village headman.

Politics:

• UPND Deputy Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu has accused the Socialist Party of copying the UPND manifesto, noting the SP promises 500,000 jobs while UPND targets over one million by 2031; SP General Secretary Dr Cosmas Musumali had earlier stated his party would ensure zero load shedding by 2030 through mining, agriculture, energy and housing cooperatives.
• Mwandi independent candidate Iris Kaingu has criticised the UPND for failing to act against members filmed in party regalia performing a traditional song labelling her a prostitute, stating this violates the President's directive against election violence.
• Makebi Zulu, running mate to Brian Mundubile, has dismissed UPND claims that opposition parties sponsor youths to boo President Hichilema at rallies, stating citizens' reactions cannot be controlled if the President "is going to lie" and urging the ruling party to focus on its delivery record.

Sports:

• Zambia Athletics has appointed 20 provincial safeguarding officers—one male and one female per province—including Moses Andy Tembo and Carol Mbewe for Eastern Province, following nominations from Provincial Athletics Area Board Executive Committees to embed athlete protection across all levels.
• Power Dynamo's Kenyan striker Moses Shumah, nicknamed 'Macky 2' for his resemblance to the Zambian artiste, has departed after a prolific season that saw him score 21 goals and win the Fan's Player of the Season award for the 2025/26 MTN Super League, joining South Africa's Amazulu FC after helping Aba yellow to their second consecutive title.
• The FAZ National League playoffs reached their climax on June 26 with men's Group A matches between Solwezi Mushitala and Forest Myooye and Play It Forward against Mpande Youth Academy, while Group B featured Nampundwe against Real Nakonde and Mika against Zambezi Portland Cement; women's Group A saw Green Buffaloes face Samfya Rockets Women and Barts FC take on Power Dynamos Queens, with Group B pitting Lunchu Queens against Kum'mawa Stars and Mwenzo Queens against Lumwana Angels.

Security:

• A Zambia Army warrant officer shot in Kabwata on June 13, Matimba Habeenzu, 40, died on June 26 after collapsing at home following discharge from University Teaching Hospital; police have reclassified the case to murder, while the suspect, Warrant Officer Mwanauta Chansa, died earlier after allegedly ingesting pesticide.

Religion & Politics:

• Vice President Dr. W.K. Mutale-Nalumango met and prayed with UPND Mwense Constituency parliamentary candidate Susan Mulala on June 26 ahead of her campaign.

Key Takeaways & Watchpoints

• Economic momentum requires protection: With our trade surplus surging and inflation easing, Zambians should watch whether these gains translate into sustained stability for the kwacha and affordable essential goods, particularly as global fuel markets remain volatile due to the Iran conflict.

• Heritage protection demands institutional coordination: The Ng'ombe Ilede disturbance reveals ongoing gaps between local authorities and national heritage institutions; vigilance is needed to ensure development activities respect protected sites that hold our nation's historical memory.

• Electoral conduct under scrutiny: With August 13 approaching, adherence to the ECZ campaign timetable and response to incidents of inflammatory language will test whether our political culture can maintain the peaceful standards President Hichilema has called for.