Our nation approaches another election cycle with traditional authorities invoking democratic legacies even as the Electoral Commission finds itself compelled to rebut social media claims about ballot paper smuggling—claims the ECZ characterises as baseless but which nonetheless expose the fragile trust environment in which our institutions must operate. Meanwhile, a K11 million dam project in Kazungula offers tangible development, though the involvement of a UPND administration official praising the ruling party's record at a government commissioning ceremony blurs the line between state delivery and political campaigning in ways that should concern us all.
Main Stories
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FATA Invokes Guy Scott's Legacy for Peaceful 2026 Elections
Chief Ishima Sanken'i the sixth, Secretary General of the Forum of African Traditional Authorities, has called on Zambians and political leaders to honour the late former Vice President Guy Scott by embracing peace, unity and democratic values during the 2026 election period. The traditional leader's framing of Scott's legacy—emphasising humility, constitutionalism and service over personal gain—carries an implicit, unexamined critique of current leadership standards that FATA does not spell out; we are left to wonder whether this call is a genuine appeal to higher principles or a performative gesture that avoids naming specific failures it implicitly condemns. -
ECZ Rejects Social Media Claims of Ballot Papers Printed in Tanzania
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has dismissed as "baseless" allegations circulating on The Candidates Facebook page that extra ballot papers for the 2026 General Election were secretly printed in Tanzania to be smuggled through Nakonde border to favour President Hakainde Hichilema. Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro stated that ballot papers are being printed exclusively at Al Gurair Printing and Publishing in Dubai under observation of political party representatives and media, with transport by chartered aircraft directly to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport where stakeholders will witness arrival and verification. The ECZ's detailed rebuttal is necessary given the charged pre-election atmosphere, yet the Commission's history of procurement controversies and the specific naming of a Dubai-based printer—without accompanying documentation of contract terms or costs—means citizens must take these assurances on institutional authority alone; the assertion that "no ballot papers will enter Zambia by road" is a welcome specificity that now becomes a verifiable commitment. -
K11 Million Chileya Dam Commissioned in Kazungula
Government has commissioned the K11 million Chileya Dam in Chief Musokotwane's Kanchele area, with Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation Permanent Secretary Romas Kamanga stating it will support irrigation, livestock rearing and fish farming, and ZNS Southern Region Commander Brigadier General Mwaka Hamumba confirming a 100,000 cubic metre water storage capacity. The project's alignment with SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 2 (food security) was emphasised, with Southern Province Permanent Secretary Namani Monze urging community cooperatives for government empowerment programmes—yet the unchallenged platform given to Chief Musokotwane's representative Dennis Malambo to praise "continued development under the UPND Administration" at an official government event raises questions about whether state infrastructure is being conflated with party political messaging, and whether similar projects in opposition-aligned chiefdoms receive equivalent ceremonial attention.
Other Notable Stories
Governance & Elections:
- The Candidates Facebook page circulated claims—rejected by ECZ—of extra ballot papers printed in Tanzania for smuggling through Nakonde border to favour President Hichilema.
Development & Infrastructure:
- Chileya Dam in Kazungula District, Kanchele area, commissioned with K11 million investment; 100,000 cubic metre capacity.
Key Takeaways & Watchpoints
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The ECZ's commitment to chartered air transport of ballot papers directly to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport with stakeholder witnessing must be monitored: the date of arrival, which political parties and media outlets are invited, and whether the verification process is genuinely accessible rather than ceremonial, will test whether this transparency pledge holds.
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The Chileya Dam's irrigation and cooperative support promises require follow-through scrutiny: with no timeline given for when surrounding communities will actually see operational irrigation infrastructure or measurable agricultural output, the K11 million investment risks becoming another photographed commissioning without sustained impact.
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Chief Ishima's invocation of Guy Scott's legacy as a standard for current and future leaders, while laudable, contains no mechanism for accountability; watch whether FATA or other traditional authorities move beyond rhetorical appeals to actively challenge specific electoral misconduct or governance failures when they occur in 2026.