REGIONAL NEWS

LUSAKA, Zambia - Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Friday called for regional coordination in sub-Saharan Africa to help restore peace in the conflict-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

Harare Post Reporter

The African Union (AU) convened a pivotal conference in yesterday, focusing on advancing the agenda for continental integration and crafting a cohesive strategy for engagements with major global entities like the G20 and the United Nations.

Maputo - The Government of Mozambique intends to stagger Maputo’s working hours, delaying the opening of large supermarkets and retail stores, as well as of public services, by one hour, to remove 55,000 passengers from the road during peak hours.

Tswane - South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has said his party uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) will join the opposition alliance in parliament.

Zuma said the MK party will coordinate resistance to the ruling coalition led by the African National Congress (ANC).

The opposition alliance in parliament includes a host of other parties, such as Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which won 39 seats in the new parliament in the May election.

Zuma’s MK, however, still maintained that last month’s election was rigged, according to party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela, who read a speech by Zuma on Sunday, June 16.

“The 2024 elections were rigged” said Ndhlela, adding that MK had lodged a court case demanding that the election results be declared invalid and that a new vote be held.

In power since 1994, the ANC lost its outright majority for the first time since the end of apartheid and sealed a power-sharing agreement at the weekend with the Democratic Alliance (DA). In the ANC-led coalition there are a number of smaller parties.

Zuma said the ANC’s coalition with the DA was “unholy.”

82-year-old Zuma created the MK party in December 2023.

A long-time ANC member, Zuma parted ways with the ruling party after he was forced to resign as president in 2018, amid corruption allegations.

The newly formed MK did surprisingly well in May’s elections, becoming South Africa’s third-largest party and taking a big chunk of votes from the ANC.

It won 12 per cent of the vote and obtained 58 seats in parliament.

He said the MK would become part of the official opposition, joining a group of small parties calling themselves the Progressive Caucus. The New Times

Washington - The World Bank Global Economic Prospects indicate that Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) will have the second fastest growing economies in the East African Community (EAC) with a growth rate of 6.0 percent in 2024.

Staff Reporter

In a significant political development, ambassadors from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have unanimously praised and endorsed the recent elections in Zimbabwe, declaring them credible, free, and fair.

……as Kalimbwe withdraws support from President Hichilema

Political Reporter

In a striking turn of events, Zambia's political landscape has been shaken by the news of a significant rift between President Hakainde Hichilema and his once staunch supporter, Joseph Kalimbwe.

Staff Reporter

In a move that has been widely criticised, the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema summoned several opposition leaders, including Socialist Party (SP) President, Dr Fred M'membe and Patriotic Front (PF) Vice President Chilufya Tayali, for questioning on trumped-up charges of espionage and sabotage-related allegations. The charges were widely viewed as politically motivated, and the timing of the summons, just before Hichilema's departure for a summit in Saudi Arabia on 9 November, further fueled speculation that the president was seeking to silence his critics.

One political analyst, John Zvirahwa, criticised Hichilema`s actions as undemocratic. He accused Hichilema of hypocrisy, pointing to his frequent criticism of other African countries for their alleged poor democratic credentials. He argued that Hichilema's own actions were not any better. Zvirahwa said Hichilema was just as willing to silence dissent as any other authoritarian leader.

The political analyst further attacked Hichilema`s actions indicating that they were a betrayal of the democratic ideals that he claims to uphold.

“The crackdown on the opposition has a chilling effect on free speech and political expression in Zambia. Hichilema is instilling fear in the opposition. Many opposition leaders and activists are now living in fear of arrest and persecution by Hichilema and this is also spilling over to the general population.

“His actions are a betrayal of the democratic ideals that he once championed thereby demonstrating his hypocrisy. Hichilema`s crackdown on the opposition is a stain on his presidency, and it casts a shadow over Zambia's reputation as a democracy. If Zambia is to truly live up to its democratic ideals, Hichilema must end his persecution of the opposition and allow for open and fair debate,” said Zvirahwa.

Meanwhile, Hichilema also suspended 17 opposition members of parliament for 30 days following trumped-up charges of misconduct. The suspensions were seen as an attempt to weaken the opposition and consolidate and entrench his stranglehold on power.

Staff Reporter

Today marks a significant milestone for the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), as it joins the wider African civil aviation community in commemorating the 24^th anniversary of Yamoussoukro Decision Day (YD Day).

Staff Reporter

SADC Chairperson and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has said that the illegal sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe were not targeted as they were affecting every Zimbabwean.

Staff Reporter

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) was left with a rotten egg on the face as the party is failing to get audience from most African Presidents.