Dr ABIGAIL KABANDULA ONE winter afternoon in Boston, I found myself standing outside a friend’s apartment building, wondering whether I had violated an unspoken social rule. I had texted earlier to say I was in the neighbourhood and thought I might stop by. A reply arrivedalmost immediately: “Today isn’t great. Let’s find a time next week.” The response was perfectly polite. Yet as I stood there in the cold, I realised I was still learning the social grammar of my adopted home.I grew up in Zambia, where friendship often unfolds differently. Relationships emerge through family, faith communities, neighbourhoods, workplaces, and chance encounters. They are lessstructured and less dependent on planning. Friendship is not something one schedules so much as something one inhabits.When I arrived in Boston more than a decade ago, I found this difference difficult to navigate. Nearly every aspect of social life seemed to require coordination. Calendars were...

AFRICAN diasporas often live at the crossroads of identity and culture, belonging fully neither to their old homes nor to their new ones. They exist in a kind of in-between space, familiar yet foreign in both places. In their adopted homes, whether in the United States, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere, they encounter a question that appears simple on the surface but carries surprising emotional weight: Where are you from?The question is rarely just about geography. More often, it is an attempt to place someone within a framework of assumptions about culture, behaviour, character, and belonging. For many in the diaspora, myself included, it can feel less like curiosity and more like an inquiry into legitimacy. A simple answer rarely satisfies the person asking. “Denver” or “London” is often treated as incomplete, as though the real answer lies elsewhere, buried beneath accent, skin colour, or appearance.I have come to recognise...

CHOMBA MUSIKA Lusaka THE opposition have no clear alternative policies to what is being implemented by President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government. State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka said while President Hichilema’s vision is clear for Zambia, the opposition have not offered alternative solutions. “We encourage the opposition to debate ideas. We are still waiting,” Mr Hamasaka said. He said in a statement yesterday that the opposition have no ideas for Zambians ahead of the general election and have reduced their campaigns to mere attacks on Mr Hichilema. “There can be no election hype as long as the opposition remain without clear alternative policies to what is being implemented by President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government,” Mr Hamasaka said. With 71 days left before the general election, Mr Hamasaka said Zambians are judging this year’s polls based on a simple test of who has a plan that...

THE handover of 85 rural electrification projects worth K463 million from Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to Zesco marks another significant step in Zambia’s journey towards inclusive development and universal access to electricity. For decades, rural electrification has been one of the most effective tools for reducing inequality between urban and rural communities. Electricity is no longer a luxury reserved for towns and cities. It is a necessity that drives education, healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship and industrial growth. That is why the successful implementation and handover of these projects deserves recognition. The projects, undertaken over the past five years across the country, are tangible evidence of Government’s commitment to ensuring that development reaches every corner of Zambia. Behind every power-line erected and every transformer installed are communities whose lives are being transformed. Electricity changes lives in ways that are both visible and invisible. It enables pupils to study after sunset and improves...

Urges political party leaders to disseminate accurate info MATHEWS MALAZIKA Lusaka THE 2026 general election publicity and voter education campaign has been launched, with Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis urging political party leaders to disseminate accurate information to their members. Ms Zaloumis said political parties should also promote peaceful participation, respect for electoral laws, and uphold democratic values throughout the electoral process. During the launch of the campaign yesterday under the theme, ‘Count Me In’, Ms Zaloumis said the development marks the beginning of voter education activities in all the 1,858 wards, 116 districts, and 10 provinces of Zambia. “The commission will be taking publicity and voter education directly to the people, from the bustling centres of our cities to the most remote communities in our nation,” she said. Ms Zaloumis said the commission’s goal is to ensure that every registered voter has access to clear, accurate,...

ELIZABETH CHATUVELA Lusaka NATIONAL team interim coach George Lwandamina says players summoned for the Four Nations Tournament should exhibit qualities that will merit selection. The event that will feature hosts Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe will run from March 23 to 31 in Francistown. In an interview yesterday, Lwandamina said selection will not only be based on talent, but also on character and discipline. He said every player must justify their inclusion by demonstrating qualities expected at national team level. The team is expected to regroup tomorrow…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home Source link

ELIZABETH CHATUVELA Lusaka MIXED martial arts fighter Miracle Chipito has been nominated for the sportswoman of-the-year award while boxer Patrick Chinyemba headlines the male category ahead of Friday’s Zambia Annual Sports Awards in Livingstone. Chipito won silver at the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, last year. She was also honoured by President Hakainde Hichilema with the Insignia for Meritorious Achievement during the Independence Day Investiture Ceremony at State House last year. According to the list released in Lusaka last night by National Sports Council of Zambia chief executive officer Sombwa Musunsa, Chipito will compete with chess star Constance Mbatha and Lushumo Liwena from rugby. In the men’s category, Chinyemba, a 2025 World Boxing Championship bronze winner, is up against swimmer Zach Moyo and Thomas Zulu from chess. The young sportsman-of-theyear nominees are Kombe Mabo Junior (tennis), Frank Nkhata (athletics) and Rafael Sharon (chess), while Jane...

MATHEWS MALAZIKA Lusaka THE Bank of Zambia (BoZ) has cautioned businesses against rejecting the old banknotes before their validity expires this monthend. And BoZ Governor Denny Kalyalya says the old coins will not be withdrawn from circulation and will continue to be legal tender even after March 31 until they finish on their own. Dr Kalyalya said in an interview that there are still a number of days during which the old notes will still remain legal tender. There are reports that some shop owners in townships have already started rejecting the old currency. “We still have a number of days remaining for those notes to remain in circulation. So, please, accept these notes because they are still legal tender until 31st March, that is when they will cease to be legal tender. “The coins will not be withdrawn. They will continue being legal tender even after 31st March,” he...