By The Zambian Economist Analyst

At first light on Sunday, Lusaka’s Intercity Bus Terminus is quieter than it will be later in the day. The sky is pale, the shadows are long and the usual city roar has not yet settled over the centre. Yet the day’s economy has already begun.

Coaches wait in their bays. Travellers gather beside bags, boxes and parcels. A handcart stands loaded near one of the buses. Drivers and conductors move between vehicles while small groups compare tickets, check luggage and prepare for the road.

Before the city raises its voice

Sunday changes the rhythm of central Lusaka. Many shopfronts remain closed in the early hours, traffic is lighter and pedestrians have more room to move. At Intercity, however, rest is relative. A bus timetable does not pause simply because the surrounding city has chosen a slower morning.

Some passengers are leaving the capital. Others have just arrived after travelling through the night. Around them, the terminus is a working system: people direct vehicles, move luggage, clean coaches and help passengers find the correct departure point.

An economy built around departure times

A long-distance journey creates work before the engine starts. The ticket is one transaction. A taxi or minibus ride to the station may be another. Travellers buy food and water, pay for help with heavy luggage or make a last-minute purchase from a nearby shop.

None of these exchanges is large enough to dominate an economic report. Together, they form the daily income of people whose businesses depend on movement. Intercity is therefore more than transport infrastructure. It is a marketplace organised around time, distance and the certainty that somebody always needs to get somewhere.

Who earns when a bus leaves?

The coach operator earns the fare, but the chain spreads further. Porters handle bulky parcels. Street and shop traders serve passengers who may have hours ahead of them. Taxi and minibus drivers carry people into and away from the terminus. Mechanics, cleaners and other support workers keep vehicles ready for the next trip.

For these workers, Sunday is not simply the end of the weekend. It can be the start of another earning day. The first bus creates a deadline, and that deadline pulls a small commercial community into action before much of Lusaka opens its doors.

A meeting point for Zambia

Intercity gives Lusaka a national reach that is easy to overlook. The people crossing its yard carry different destinations, reasons and expectations. A journey may be for work, family, school, trade or a return home. Parcels travel alongside passengers, linking buyers and sellers who may never meet face to face.

The terminus turns those separate journeys into one visible flow. It is one of the places where the capital’s relationship with the rest of the country becomes physical: a queue, a suitcase, a parcel and a seat on a bus.

The meaning of a quiet morning

Sunday morning strips away some of the congestion and urgency that usually define the area. That makes the underlying system easier to see. Lusaka wakes because people move, and people move because work, trade and family life do not remain in one place.

By mid-morning, the open spaces will narrow. More engines will start, more passengers will arrive and more shops will trade. The calm will pass. What remains is the steady economic purpose beneath it: Zambia moving through its capital, one departure at a time.

Explore more Business & Economy reporting, browse the Zambia Business Directory or see upcoming events.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

Twenty-five years. Roughly 1,248 episodes of Smooth Talk. Countless voices given a platform that might never have been heard otherwise. When the history of Zambian television is written, few names will command a chapter of their own the way Innocent Kalaluka — Smooth IK does.

For a generation of Zambians, late-night television simply meant Smooth IK. From his chair on ZNBC TV1, he interviewed presidents and politicians, musicians and entrepreneurs, the famous and the not-yet-famous, with a calm, unhurried style that earned him the title many have given him freely: the King of Zambian Talk Shows. He created and hosted Smooth Talk, one of the longest-running talk shows in Zambian history, and also gave the country Born & Bred, the show that became a launching pad for Zambian music and youth culture.

His career has not only been in front of the camera. Kalaluka also rose within the institution itself, serving as Controller of Television at ZNBC — a broadcaster who not only shaped the conversation but helped run the room where it happened. In interviews such as his well-known KT 1 on 1 conversation, he has reflected on a life in broadcasting with the same smoothness that made him a household name. News Diggers once joked about his “secret to staying young” — more than two decades on air and barely aged, a testament to a man who clearly loves what he does.

Reports in 2025 indicated that Smooth Talk bowed out after 24 years on air and 1,248 episodes, with Smooth IK reported to be heading for a new chapter in the USA. Whatever the next chapter holds, what he leaves behind is not just a body of work. It is a standard.

A crazy, thankful mind thinking aloud: the case for a ZNBC Hall of Fame

But here is a thought that refuses to leave me alone. Milestones like this one deserve more than a plaque on a wall and a round of applause at a farewell dinner. Perhaps ZNBC should create a Hall of Fame — and make it live beyond the plaque.

Why not name studios, production rooms, halls, gardens, even parking spaces after the legends who built Zambian broadcasting? The people whose voices carried this country through independence anniversaries, elections, cup finals, and ordinary Tuesday evenings?

Imagine a young broadcaster walking into the “Innocent Kalaluka Studio” for their first day at work and asking, “Who was Smooth IK?” Imagine an intern parking their car in the space named after a radio pioneer and pulling out their phone to learn the story. Imagine a journalism student touring ZNBC and realising that the names on those doors are not decorations — they are an inheritance.

That is how we preserve history: by making our legends part of the places where the next generation will create. Institutions across the world do this — theatres, stadiums, and lecture halls carry the names of those who came before, so that greatness becomes something you walk past every day and slowly learn to reach for.

Zambia has a rich broadcasting lineage — the engineers, producers, announcers, and presenters who built the national airwaves from the Zambia Broadcasting Services era to today’s multi-channel ZNBC. Too many of their stories live only in the memories of those who were there. A living Hall of Fame would change that.

Thank you, Smooth IK

Just my crazy, thankful mind thinking aloud. But what a beautiful way to say: we remember, we appreciate, and we honour you, Smooth IK.

Twenty-five years of showing up. Twenty-five years of giving others the microphone. Twenty-five years of Smooth Talk. That is more than a career; that is a legacy — and legacies deserve to be written into the walls themselves.

Congratulations, Smooth IK. Zambia was listening.

Sources and further reading

• News Diggers — Ever smooth IK’s secret to staying young
• Zambian Observer — Innocent Kalaluka Reveals His Secret To Staying Young
• KT 1 on 1 — interview with Innocent Kalaluka

Photo Credit: Innocent Kalaluka

Update: ZNBC confirmed Kalaluka’s retirement, effective 31 August 2026, in a statement addressing the terms of his exit. Read: ZNBC Confirms Retirement of Veteran Broadcasters Innocent Kalaluka and Franklin Tembo Jnr.

Zambia cannot build a strong economy on the habits of a weak citizenship. When access to jobs, contracts, services or simple respect appears to depend on proximity to power, people learn to behave like subjects seeking favour rather than citizens exercising equal rights.

That distinction reaches far beyond political manners. It affects who gets heard at a public office, whether a tender is won on merit, how confidently a small business can compete and whether a public official expects scrutiny. Dignity is therefore an economic institution as much as a moral principle.

Human dignity is already a constitutional principle

Article 8 of Zambia’s Constitution lists human dignity, equity, social justice, equality and non-discrimination among the national values and principles. It places them alongside democracy, constitutionalism, good governance and integrity. Article 9 says these values apply to the interpretation of the Constitution, the making and interpretation of law, and the development and implementation of state policy.

That language matters because it moves dignity out of the realm of good intentions. A citizen’s worth does not rise with a ministerial title, a large salary or a connection at State House. It does not fall because that person sells vegetables in Mtendere, drives a minibus on Great East Road, works as a security guard or is looking for a first job.

The test is practical. Can the same citizen enter a public institution and expect a fair process? Can a qualified entrepreneur bid for work without a political sponsor? Can a worker raise a concern without being humiliated? When the answer depends on status, equality exists on paper but not in daily life.

Public service is not a personal favour

Zambians are entitled to thank leaders when a road is repaired, a clinic opens or a school receives desks. Appreciation is part of public life. The problem begins when routine administration is presented as personal generosity and gratitude is expected to replace independent judgement.

Roads, clinics and schools are paid for through taxes, borrowing and other public resources. Officials are trustees of those resources. The citizen’s role is not to bow for a service that government is required to provide, but to ask whether the project was properly planned, openly procured, delivered to standard and worth what the public paid.

The economic cost of treating power as a gift

Once public authority is personalised, economic decisions become harder to evaluate. A contract can be defended because of who awarded it rather than whether it delivered value. A poorly designed programme can survive because criticism is treated as disloyalty. Competent firms may stop bidding when they conclude that access matters more than price or performance.

The result is more than a loss of public trust. It can mean higher procurement costs, weaker services and less competition. Small businesses are especially exposed because few can afford to spend time and money pursuing opportunities governed by unwritten political rules.

Why political praise becomes an economic strategy

It is easy to condemn the loud political praise singer and miss the incentives behind the behaviour. In an economy where formal jobs are scarce, incomes are uncertain and business opportunity may appear tied to networks, public loyalty can look like an investment.

A flattering post may produce access. Access may lead to an introduction, appointment or contract. Repeated often enough, this teaches a damaging lesson: advancement comes from staying close to the powerful, not from competence or fair competition.

Understanding that pressure does not excuse dishonesty. It does explain why lectures about morality will not solve the problem on their own. Zambia needs systems that make merit visible and patronage costly: published selection criteria, competitive procurement, independent audits, clear reasons for appointments and channels through which citizens can challenge unfair decisions.

Social media has widened the public square

Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp and X have given Zambians a direct way to expose local failures, question officials and organise around public concerns. A broken bridge, a delayed payment or an abusive encounter can reach a national audience within hours.

The same platforms reward speed, anger and allegiance. Policy disagreements are reduced to insults. Criticism is dismissed as jealousy or opposition politics. Supporters are pushed to defend every decision by their side, while opponents are encouraged to reject every achievement.

Responsible digital citizenship asks more of both camps. Verify information before sharing it. Separate an allegation from an established fact. Challenge an argument without attacking a person’s tribe, region, gender or economic position. Public figures, for their part, must accept that scrutiny comes with office.

The habits of institutions begin in everyday life

Citizens cannot demand fairness from government while using personal connections to jump a queue, underpaying a vulnerable worker or asking an official to bend a rule for them. These may look like small private acts, but each one reinforces the belief that rules are for people without influence.

A culture of equal citizenship is built through repeated choices:

• Treat service workers, domestic workers, traders and junior staff with the same respect offered to senior officials.
• Use merit and clear criteria when hiring, awarding work or selecting beneficiaries.
• Follow lawful procedures even when a shortcut would be personally useful.
• Judge policy by evidence and results rather than the identity of the politician associated with it.
• Protect respectful disagreement instead of demanding political conformity.

Decency is not passivity. It does not require silence in the face of poor performance, corruption or abuse. It sets a higher standard for how criticism is made and how authority responds.

What stronger citizenship would change

For public officials

Office holders would speak of service rather than benevolence. They would publish enough information for citizens to assess budgets, contracts and outcomes. They would treat criticism as information to test, not an insult to punish.

For citizens and businesses

People would be more willing to ask for reasons, records and equal treatment. Businesses would compete on capability rather than political display. Workers would be judged by performance instead of allegiance.

For the media

Journalists would resist personality worship and report the cost, delivery standard and distribution of public programmes. They would also distinguish evidence-based criticism from abuse and correct errors openly.

Zambia needs citizens, not subjects

A country’s progress is not fully captured by kilometres of road, annual growth or the number of new buildings. Those measures matter, but they say little about whether citizens experience the state as fair, predictable and answerable.

Zambia’s democratic maturity will be visible when people can praise a good result without surrendering their judgement, criticise a failure without hatred and tell those in power the truth without fearing that their economic future will be closed off.

Dignity is the starting point. Decency is the daily discipline that protects it. Together they make citizenship real.

Related coverage

• Zambia’s Next Economic Phase Needs a Stronger Government Accountability Forum
• Leadership & Governance coverage
• The Zambian Economist Editorial Standards
• About The Zambian Economist
• The Constitution of Zambia, National Assembly of Zambia

This analysis was developed from a submitted reflection by Eng. Willings Sichalwe on decency, dignity and citizenship.

About the author

Eng. Willings Sichalwe writes on citizenship, public ethics and the relationship between citizens and institutions in Zambia. This article draws on his reflection, Citizens, Not Subjects: Decency and Dignity as the Bedrock of Citizenship.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.
WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

The Zambia-Russia Graduates Cultural Association has congratulated Shira Katunya Shillah following her election as councillor for Mazabuka Central Ward.

Katunya, who is also identified by ZamRus as its Southern Province coordinator, entered the council without a contested ward ballot after standing unopposed.

Her move into local government places her in a role where public expectations will centre on representation, council oversight and the everyday services that shape life in Mazabuka Central Ward.

Katunya went unopposed in Mazabuka Central Ward

A report published on 23 May 2026 listed Katunya among five United Party for National Development candidates who went unopposed in Mazabuka District. The list also included the district’s mayoral candidate and candidates for Kaonga, Nega Nega and Nachipoma wards. The Zambian Observer, citing Byta FM.

An unopposed election means a candidate secures the position after no rival completes nomination for that contest. It removes the need for a competitive ward vote, but it does not reduce the responsibilities attached to the office.

For Katunya, the result marks the beginning of public accountability rather than the end of a campaign. Residents will expect access to their representative and evidence that ward priorities are being raised within the municipal council.

From ZamRus coordination to local government

ZamRus is an association connecting Zambians who studied in Russia and the former Soviet Union. The organisation promotes cultural ties, professional networking and community participation among its members.

As the association’s Southern Province coordinator, Katunya has held a position that involves maintaining links with members and supporting activities within the province. Her election now extends that public-facing work into formal local government.

The two roles are different. ZamRus is a professional and cultural association, while a councillor holds a public mandate and is accountable to residents. Katunya will therefore have to keep community representation at the centre of her council work.

What residents will expect from the new councillor

Ward councillors are the most immediate political representatives for many residents. They take local concerns into council deliberations, participate in decisions affecting municipal programmes and communicate council actions back to their communities.

In Mazabuka Central Ward, the practical agenda is likely to include the condition of local roads and drainage, waste collection, public spaces, trading areas and access to council information. The specific priorities should be set through engagement with residents rather than assumed from outside the ward.

Katunya’s performance will ultimately be measured by responsiveness, attendance and whether residents can see progress on the issues they raise.

ZamRus congratulates its Southern Province coordinator

In its congratulatory message, ZamRus said Katunya’s election reflected her dedication, leadership and commitment to serving people.

The association wished her success as she begins her council duties and urged her to serve with excellence.

The message also presents her election as an example of ZamRus members taking part in community leadership beyond their professional and academic networks.

The work begins after the congratulations

Winning a council position unopposed provides certainty before polling day, but it also creates an early obligation to build trust with all residents, including those who may not share the councillor’s political affiliation.

Katunya now has an opportunity to establish a clear channel for ward concerns, report regularly on council decisions and make her public priorities measurable.

The congratulations mark the achievement. Her record in office will determine what the achievement means for Mazabuka Central Ward.

Editor’s note: The personal and organisational information and image used in this profile were obtained from ZamRus. The article was rewritten by The Zambian Economist for publication. ZamRus retains credit for the information and image used. The unopposed-election context is supported by a Byta FM report republished by The Zambian Observer on 23 May 2026.

Related coverage: Read more from our Leadership & Governance and Feature sections.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

Zambian agronomist Zite Daka has built a career around a practical task: helping farmers turn agricultural knowledge into better decisions in the field.

With more than 15 years of experience in agricultural extension and management, Daka has worked with farming communities in three districts. He served as Agricultural Officer for Lusaka District, later became Senior Agricultural Officer for Chitambo District and currently holds the same senior position in Nchelenge District.

His responsibilities include training and supporting farmers in crop production, pest management, Climate-Smart Agriculture and farming methods intended to protect productivity under difficult environmental conditions.

Agricultural training in Russia, India and the Netherlands

Daka holds a Specialist Degree and a Master’s Degree in Agronomy from Saint Petersburg State Agrarian University in the Russian Federation.

His studies covered agronomy, crop production and the scientific management of agricultural systems. He later received professional training in sustainable agricultural strategies and integrated pest management in India, as well as crop production and marketing in the Netherlands.

This mix of academic and professional training gives him experience across the production chain, from managing crops and pests to understanding how agricultural products reach markets.

More than 15 years in agricultural extension

Agricultural extension officers serve as the link between research, government programmes and farmers. Their work includes demonstrating production methods, diagnosing crop problems and helping farmers apply technical advice under local conditions.

Daka’s progression from Agricultural Officer in Lusaka to senior positions in Chitambo and Nchelenge reflects a career spent within Zambia’s district agricultural system.

In Nchelenge, where farming and fishing support many households, agricultural advice must respond to local soils, rainfall, crop choices, pests and access to markets. Recommendations that work in one district cannot simply be copied into another without considering these conditions.

Supporting Climate-Smart Agriculture

Climate-Smart Agriculture seeks to improve farm productivity while helping producers cope with changing rainfall, drought, pests and other climate-related pressures.

The Ministry of Agriculture has promoted practices such as agroforestry, ripping, crop-residue retention and farmer field schools as part of Zambia’s response to these pressures. The Ministry says field schools are intended to move agricultural knowledge from demonstration plots into farmers’ own fields. Ministry of Agriculture.

Research published by the Food and Agriculture Organization has also examined reduced tillage, crop rotation and legume intercropping in Zambia, including how such practices affect yields and the risk of severe crop losses. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Daka’s work places him at the point where these ideas must become usable advice for farmers. Training is effective only when producers can adapt it to their land, labour, available inputs and financial circumstances.

Pest management and sustainable production

Crop pests and diseases can reduce output before farmers reach the market. Integrated pest management addresses this risk by combining crop monitoring, appropriate cultivation practices and carefully selected control measures instead of relying on one response.

Daka’s training in this area complements his broader agronomy background. It allows farmer support to cover the full production cycle, including land preparation, planting, crop management, pest control and harvesting.

For farming households, the value of this support is measured in practical outcomes: avoiding preventable crop losses, using inputs more effectively and producing enough for household consumption and sale.

International education applied to local farming

Daka’s career also reflects the role of internationally trained Zambians in public service.

Through ZamRus, a network connecting Zambians who studied in Russia and the former Soviet Union, his professional journey shows how overseas education can be applied to local development.

The work itself takes place far from lecture halls. It happens through farmer meetings, field demonstrations, crop inspections and the repeated task of translating technical knowledge into advice that producers can use.

As Senior Agricultural Officer for Nchelenge District, Daka continues to support farming practices aimed at raising productivity and strengthening farmers’ ability to manage climate and production risks.

Editor’s note: The information and image used in this profile were obtained from ZamRus. The article was rewritten by The Zambian Economist for publication. ZamRus retains credit for the information and image used.

Related coverage: Explore the Zambia Agriculture and Mining hub, the Agriculture & Mining category and our analysis of the 2026 maize floor price.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

This piece is published by The Zambian Economist through a content-sharing partnership with Katondo Street Journal, where it was originally written and published by Clement Mumba.

After secondary school, the natural instinct of most Zambians is to pursue higher education, and interestingly, this seems to be the priority for everyone, including those who may have talents outside academics. It is therefore no surprise that most Zambians go on to colleges, universities and vocational training centres. Prestige, money and grades may all play a role in determining exactly which institutions learners end up at.

The Weight of a Name

It appears that institutions of higher learning, although accredited to offer quality education, still shape conversations around the perceived quality of the diploma or degree one has attained. Yet at a basic level, any institution accredited to offer education is worth it. Nelson Mandela’s reminder still resonates:

Education is the most powerful tool to change the world.

Nelson Mandela

Perhaps which institution of higher learning one attended should not matter as much as it does. It has become more a matter of prestige, joked about among friends who may not easily take offence if their alma mater is deemed inferior. It is a bit like food: it may not be important to state that you eat better than others, as long as everyone eats well, though not everyone can afford to eat well. That has become the character of alma mater talk in Zambia’s academic environment. While some are elevated for a prestigious alma mater, others are vilified, mocked and questioned on the very same basis, which is why conversations about where someone studied can turn pleasant or distasteful so quickly.

What Should Matter More: Value to Industry

More important than the alma mater is whether a graduate is valuable to industry. School sells the idea that it is a springboard, launching learners into industry with the knowledge and skills to be appreciated in their fields. That argument has not, however, eased the conversation around the name of the institution one graduated from.

This tension between prestige and performance is not unique to the classroom. It shows up again once graduates enter the job market, where Zambia’s youth unemployment numbers tell their own story about how well the pipeline from lecture hall to livelihood is actually working.

Public Versus Private, and a Shift Over Time

Growing up, the general view was that private schools were better than public ones. Private schools were seen as offering more dedicated teachers and stronger English-medium instruction, so those in private schools were envied. That may have been true once, but over time learners in public schools caught up. The remaining differences became technical rather than a matter of dedication or language use.

Post-secondary school tells a different story: public institutions are often now the more prestigious choice, a contrast to the earlier years of schooling. That shift reflects genuine demand from learners, placing emphasis on quality education rather than profit. Higher education may be the most consequential phase for many, since it is usually after this stage that people find jobs, whether by being employed or by creating employment themselves. The question comes naturally, sometimes to congratulate, sometimes to quietly test: “So which university did you go to?”

When “Small Name” Universities Produce Big Results

Logically, what should matter more is whether someone can perform once inside the industry. It is not surprising to hear of graduates underperforming despite high expectations attached to a top university name, though that is far from true of every graduate from a big-name institution.

In contrast, some graduates from “small name” universities go on to shock the world. Their recruitment may have felt like a gamble, with alma mater stirring debate among recruiters regardless of impressive grades, yet when it pays off, it challenges the stereotype attached to those universities. A fairer standard would hold that any accredited institution of higher learning deserves a fair chance for its graduates to be respected. That same principle of giving credentials or track record a fair, practical test shows up in how young entrepreneurs are building ventures regardless of where they trained.

A Fairer Standard for Zambia’s Graduates

In many instances, the quality of education is still tied to the alma mater in the public imagination. It seems to matter which school one attended, sometimes more than the grades scored. Not much of the debate concerns whether graduates are actually of value; it tends to settle instead on the name and brand of the school. Many are careful about what will become their alma mater, and money and grades remain critical to gaining entry into particular universities.

For those who do not land a prestigious institution, there is still reason to take pride in the saying that education is the most powerful tool to change the world, provided the institution is accredited by the relevant bodies. And for those inclined to talk up the prestige of their alma mater, a simpler standard is worth holding onto: what matters is what you graduate with, not which institution you graduate from.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

SouthGrid Engineering Consultants Limited has, by its own account, existed for less than three years. In that time the small Lusaka firm has put its name on the detailed design of a 52 metre steel concrete composite bridge over the Bweengwa River, contributed engineering drawings for roughly 19 township roads in Chipata and Chadiza, and worked on rehabilitation designs for more than 10 kilometres of urban roads in Mazabuka, all as a sub consultant inside larger, multi firm teams delivering for the Road Development Agency (RDA) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

The firm’s Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Consultant is Willings Sichalwe, a Registered Professional Civil Engineer with the Engineers Registration Board of Zambia (EngRB No. SMENG202101790) and a full member of the Engineering Institution of Zambia. His career, and the firm he built around it, offer a specific answer to a question that has become louder in Zambia’s infrastructure sector in 2026: what does it take for a citizen owned engineering consultancy to win a seat at the table on donor funded and government infrastructure programmes still dominated by larger regional and international firms.

A Small Firm With a Big Portfolio

That combination, a five person technical team credited with more than 127 kilometres of road works and a landmark bridge design, only makes sense once the firm’s business model is understood. SouthGrid has not competed for RDA or ministry contracts on its own. It has won work as a sub consultant, most often alongside Kaplum and Associates Limited, a larger consulting engineering, architecture and project management practice where Sichalwe has separately worked as Design Engineer and Projects Manager since June 2024, and on two projects alongside a firm called ARZ.

Five Projects That Show the Model

• Chipata and Chadiza township roads, RDA. Detailed engineering design of about 19 urban and township roads, roughly 16.7 km in total, in Eastern Province. Sub consultant to lead consultant Kaplum and Associates, in joint venture with Finix Engineering Solutions. March to July 2025. Scope covered hydrology, drainage assessment, pavement investigation, and geometric and structural design.
• Bweengwa River crossing bridge, RDA. Detailed engineering design of a 52 metre steel concrete composite I-girder bridge in Southern Province. Sub consultant to Kaplum and Associates. January to July 2025. Included geotechnical investigation, evaluation of bridge options, hydraulic clearance and pier design, cost estimation, and road safety upgrades on the approach roads.
• Mazabuka township roads, Lot 5, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Rehabilitation and upgrading to bituminous standard of about 10.7 km of township roads across eight named routes. Sub consultant to Kaplum and Associates. June 2024 to July 2025. Included topographic survey, traffic studies and preparation of tender documentation.
• Sinazongwe Road, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Geometric engineering design and construction drawings for upgrading to bituminous standard, including the section leading to the civic centre. Sub consultant to lead consultant ARZ. April to May 2024.
• Zambia Sugar Plc internal roads, Nakambala Estate. Geometric design and construction drawings for selected internal estate roads for the private client. Design consultant to lead consultant ARZ. August to September 2023, the year SouthGrid states it was founded.

Eleven Disciplines Under One Roof

SouthGrid’s capability statement lists eleven engineering disciplines in total, running from civil, structural and transport infrastructure engineering through water resources and hydraulic engineering, dam engineering, hydrology and geotechnical work, to environmental and social advisory services and project management and construction supervision. Six areas are singled out in its own marketing as specialisms that set it apart on assignment: hydrology and flood modelling, dam safety and hydraulic analysis, bridge and structural engineering, GIS and digital engineering, geotechnical and foundation work, and a track record operating inside multi firm joint ventures.

Digital tools, computer aided design, geographic information systems, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, and Building Information Modelling where applicable, are presented as running through every discipline rather than sitting as a separate service line, a reflection of how much of SouthGrid’s actual project work to date, drainage assessments, flood and hydraulic analysis for the Bweengwa bridge, catchment studies for road corridors, has been water and hydrology led.

The Engineer Behind the Firm

Sichalwe’s path into engineering started outside Zambia. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Russian State Agrarian University (MSUEE) in Moscow in 2015, after A Level and Russian language study at Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies. He is now completing a Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering at the University of Zambia, with a thesis comparing how traffic load variations affect the structural performance of rigid and flexible pavements.

His CV lists just over a decade of practice. Between 2015 and 2019 he worked as a Water and Sanitation Junior Design Engineer at Andosa Consulting Engineers on feasibility studies and designs for water supply, sewer systems and treatment works, and separately as an Inspector of Works on the 122 km, US$142 million Kawambwa to Mporokoso Road, and as a Roads and Drainage Engineer for Chinsali Municipal Council on a ZMW294.3 million urban roads programme.

From May 2021 to June 2024 he worked at Bicon Zambia Consulting Engineers across several World Bank IDA funded Output and Performance based Road Contracts, among them Quality Assurance Engineer on Package 17 in Western Province (ZMW120.9 million), Materials and Pavement Engineer on Package 6 in Northwestern Province (ZMW169.7 million), Drainage and Hydrology Engineer on Package 3 in Eastern Province (ZMW180.7 million), and Assistant Resident Engineer on the T6 Katete to Chanida (55 km, ZMW256.9 million) and M12 Chipata to Lundazi (90 km, ZMW369.4 million) emergency maintenance programmes.

Since June 2024 he has held a design engineer and projects manager role at Kaplum and Associates, where his responsibilities include acting as Engineer’s Representative under FIDIC MDB Harmonised Conditions of Contract and leading hydrological and hydraulic design for two large dams and four bridges, including the Bweengwa crossing. He founded SouthGrid in the same period and, per his CV, took up the role of Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Consultant full time from August 2025, a role he now holds alongside his position at Kaplum.

Beyond project work, Sichalwe serves as a Council Member of the Future Leaders Committee under the Association of Consulting Engineers of Zambia (ACEZ). He has also written for The Zambian Economist on ethical leadership and institutional integrity in the engineering profession, and on the financing structures he argues put Zambian owned contractors at a disadvantage against state backed foreign competitors.

Local Capacity in a Market Built on Joint Ventures

None of SouthGrid’s five representative projects were won outright. Every one lists a larger firm, Kaplum and Associates on three, ARZ on the other two, as lead consultant, with SouthGrid credited as sub consultant or design consultant. That looks like a deliberate entry strategy rather than an incidental detail. Zambia’s donor funded road and bridge programmes are typically procured at a scale that favours firms with established track records and balance sheets, and a two year old, five person practice has little chance of qualifying as lead consultant on an RDA or World Bank tender in its own right. Working inside multi firm consortia lets a young firm like SouthGrid put real, attributable technical work, a bridge design here, a drainage assessment there, on a record that can eventually support an independent bid.

It is also the same market dynamic Sichalwe has written about directly. In a July 2026 analysis for The Zambian Economist, The Economics of Exclusion: How Financing Asymmetry Is Squeezing Zambian Contractors Out of Their Own Market, he argued that financing structures favouring foreign, state backed contractors over Zambian firms are squeezing local capacity out of a construction sector Zambia will eventually need to run itself. SouthGrid’s own project list, assembled almost entirely through sub consultant roles inside joint ventures, reads as one small firm’s practical response to the problem its founder describes at a policy level.

What This Means

For Zambia’s infrastructure pipeline

SouthGrid’s project list is a reminder that even signature assets, a 52 metre bridge, kilometres of rehabilitated urban roads, are frequently the product of several firms working under one lead consultant, not a single named contractor. Understanding who actually did the technical work, not just who signed the contract, matters for anyone assessing where domestic engineering capacity is genuinely being built.

For local contractors and financiers

The sub consultant route SouthGrid has used mirrors a local content debate already playing out in mining under Statutory Instrument No. 68 of 2025, which requires large miners to lift local procurement from around 20% toward 40%. Construction has no equivalent binding local content rule. The financing gap that keeps many small Zambian firms locked out of larger, longer dated contracts, the same gap that leaves SME borrowers paying rates in the low to mid 30s percent against a 14% Bank of Zambia policy rate, is one reason firms like SouthGrid rely on joint ventures rather than standalone bids.

For policymakers

If Zambia wants more locally owned firms capable of leading, rather than sub contracting on, major infrastructure programmes, the joint venture route SouthGrid has taken shows both that the pathway exists and that it is slow. Three years and five credited projects is a realistic pace for a small firm building a track record inside the current procurement and financing environment, not evidence that the environment itself needs no attention.

What Comes Next

SouthGrid’s own materials set out ambitions beyond its current five projects: regional growth across the Southern African Development Community, a broader base of engineering and technical staff, and continued investment in digital engineering tools. The firm frames its environmental, social and governance approach around climate resilient design and stakeholder engagement, and lists the World Bank, the African Development Bank and KfW among its target funding partners, alongside the RDA and the Ministries of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and of Local Government and Rural Development.

Whether SouthGrid moves from sub consultant to lead consultant on a major programme will depend on factors well outside any one firm’s control: financing structures, procurement rules, and the pace at which Zambia’s construction sector opens up to smaller, citizen owned practices. For now, the firm’s own numbers, more than 127 kilometres of roads, a 52 metre bridge, five projects across four clients in under three years, are the clearest evidence of what a young Zambian engineering firm can build inside the joint venture model as it currently exists.

Related reading: The Economics of Exclusion: How Financing Asymmetry Is Squeezing Zambian Contractors Out of Their Own Market and Ethics as Infrastructure: The Economic Case for Integrity in Zambia’s Engineering Sector, both by Eng. Willings Sichalwe.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

Related reading: Beyond the Ballot Box: How Patronage, Nepotism and Political Appointments Undermine Hope in Zambia, Eng. Willings Sichalwe on what the 2026 result must now deliver.

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

The Emoluments Commission has taken a lead role in the Government’s Copperbelt sensitisation programme on Zambia’s new pension laws. The district meetings brought together the mainstream Public Service, local authorities, trade unions, parastatal organisations and other affected institutions.

The Copperbelt engagements were led by Commission Director General Mr Chembo F. Mbula in his capacity as Chairperson of the Pension Reforms Steering Committee. Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Mr Lawrence Mwanza officially opened the Ndola meeting. Similar sensitisation work involved Commission representation in Southern and Western provinces.

What Zambia’s Pension Laws 2026 change

President Hakainde Hichilema assented to the pension legislation on 4 June 2026. The Copperbelt meetings focused on three Acts:

• The National Pension Scheme Act No. 72 of 2026.
• The Public Service Pensions Act No. 73 of 2026.
• The Local Authorities’ Superannuation Fund Act No. 74 of 2026.

Act No. 72 continues the National Pension Scheme Authority and the National Pension Scheme, provides for sub-schemes and retains the framework for employer and member registration, contributions and benefits. Act No. 73 continues the public-service scheme and establishes an Occupational Pension Scheme and Occupational Pension Fund. Act No. 74 does the same for local authorities through an Occupational Superannuation Scheme and its fund.

That distinction matters. The occupational arrangements add a second mandatory contributory layer for eligible workers; they do not replace the National Pension Scheme. Administration remains with the institutions named in the laws. The Emoluments Commission’s role in these meetings is to lead coordination and help institutions understand what implementation requires.

What the occupational pension scheme means for public-service workers

The Public Service Pensions Fund says eligible employees under its Occupational Pension Scheme will contribute 6.5 per cent of gross salary, split equally between the employee and Government at 3.25 per cent each. PSPF says the National Pension Scheme is intended to provide a first-tier pension, with the occupational scheme adding a second tier.

PSPF has also said accrued pension rights for existing members and pensioners remain protected. Its published explanation refers to retirement options at 55, 60 and 65, benefit portability, voluntary contributions and access to specified member finance facilities. These details relate to the PSPF-administered scheme. Workers should confirm their own eligibility and effective arrangements through formal notices from their employer and pension administrator.

Questions employees should ask

• Which scheme applies to me, and from what effective date?
• What deduction will appear on my payslip, and what amount will the employer contribute?
• How are my accrued rights, qualifying service and existing benefits treated during the transition?
• Where can I obtain a member statement, lodge a complaint or correct an employment record?

What employers should prepare

• Identify eligible employees and reconcile payroll and personnel records.
• Budget for the employer contribution and test payroll deductions before commencement.
• Confirm registration, remittance, reporting and record-keeping procedures with the relevant administrator.
• Give employees written guidance that separates confirmed rules from proposals or informal explanations.

Why district-level engagement matters

Pension legislation can fail at the point of implementation if payroll officers, human-resource teams and members receive different explanations. The Chingola, Kitwe and Ndola meetings put those groups in the same room. Participants were briefed on eligibility, contributions, benefits, governance, transitional provisions and the respective duties of employers and employees.

The meetings also gave stakeholders an opportunity to question the reform team. That feedback can expose gaps before deductions or registrations begin, including inconsistent staff records, uncertainty over scheme membership and the need for clearer transition guidance.

Mr Mbula asked participants to carry accurate information back to their institutions and communities. For the Commission, sustained visibility will depend on whether that communication continues after the meetings through written guidance, public questions and answers, and follow-up engagement.

Implementation tests to watch

Enactment is the starting point. The practical test will be whether commencement instruments, regulations and administrative guidance reach employers and members in time for payroll and registration changes. The Acts and subsequent legal instruments, rather than meeting summaries, determine enforceable rights and duties.

• Commencement: institutions need clear effective dates and enough lead time to change systems.
• Payroll readiness: deductions, employer contributions and remittances must reconcile from the first applicable pay period.
• Transition: workers need written explanations of how existing membership, accrued benefits and qualifying service will be treated.
• Governance: actuarial valuation, board oversight and transparent reporting will determine whether the schemes remain financially sound.
• Access to information: members need a reliable channel for statements, corrections, complaints and benefit questions.

These are the areas where stakeholder engagement can move from awareness to accountability. Publishing the same guidance used in district meetings would give employees, unions and employers a common reference and reduce the risk of conflicting interpretations.

Copperbelt leadership and institutional ownership

Mr Mwanza told the Ndola meeting that Government wants public-service employees to retire with greater financial security and dignity. His participation placed provincial administration behind the implementation effort and signalled that readiness is not solely a matter for pension administrators in Lusaka.

Mr Mbula said implementation will require stakeholder collaboration, communication and shared responsibility. In practice, that means each participating institution must brief its staff, correct its records, prepare its payroll processes and direct unresolved questions to the competent pension authority.

Business, investor and policy implications

For employers and institutions, the immediate issue is cost and compliance. New employer contributions must be budgeted, while payroll, registration and reporting systems need to work across different public bodies and councils.

For workers, the reform is meant to increase retirement income through a second contributory tier. The outcome will depend on contribution collection, investment performance, administrative costs and the protection of member records over many years.

For investors and policymakers, well-run pension funds can provide long-term domestic capital. That benefit is not automatic. It depends on sound governance, actuarial discipline, transparent investment rules and regular public reporting.

Key takeaways

• The Emoluments Commission led Copperbelt sensitisation meetings in Chingola, Kitwe and Ndola.
• Three 2026 Acts reorganise the national, public-service and local-authority pension framework.
• Eligible public-service and local-authority workers will have an additional mandatory occupational pension arrangement alongside the National Pension Scheme.
• Employers need firm commencement dates, payroll guidance and transition procedures before deductions begin.
• Workers should seek written confirmation of eligibility, contributions, accrued rights and benefit rules from the relevant administrator.

Related reading

• Beyond Salaries: How the Emoluments Commission Can Strengthen Zambia’s Economy
• Emoluments Commission Engages Public at the 98th Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show
• Hichilema Warns Mopani Copper Mines Over Unpaid Pensioner Benefits

Photo credit: Emoluments Commission. Legal references: National Assembly of Zambia. Additional public-service scheme information: Public Service Pensions Fund.

NAPSA has since moved on the payment side of the reforms, disbursing K9.1 million in interest free pension advances to 565 pensioners within three days.

Related coverage

• Emoluments Commission Congratulates President-Elect

Related: Mobile Money Has Expanded Financial Inclusion, But What Has It Changed for Users?

Related reading: The Looming Fiscal Cliff: Rebuilding Zambia’s Political Retirement Architecture.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

By midday, the smoke rising from the braziers at Longacres Market has become an advertisement of its own.

Whole fish, coated in seasoning, cook slowly over charcoal. Nearby, cuts of meat hiss on a wide grill as vendors turn them over the fire. Customers arrive from surrounding offices and businesses, drawn by the smell and the promise of a hot meal prepared within their lunch hour.

During a visit on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, The Zambian Economist Analyst found a market operating at full lunchtime speed. Orders moved quickly, grills remained busy and food preparation happened in full view of customers.

Longacres Market may be known primarily as a place to eat, but its lunchtime trade also offers a close look at how Lusaka’s small-business economy works.

A lunchtime economy powered by convenience

For workers with limited time between meetings, errands and afternoon assignments, convenience matters almost as much as taste.

Longacres Market responds to that demand with a direct model: customers select their food, vendors prepare it and meals are served without the formality or waiting time associated with many conventional restaurants.

This creates a short but commercially important trading period. A vendor’s daily performance can depend heavily on how many customers can be served between noon and the early afternoon.

The economics are straightforward. High customer turnover allows traders to spread the cost of charcoal, ingredients, transport and labour across more meals. Empty grills, by contrast, mean lost sales and food that may not retain the same value later in the day.

Speed is therefore part of the product.

From the grill to a wider supply chain

Every plate sold at Longacres supports economic activity beyond the market.

Fish must be sourced and transported. Meat passes through farmers, processors, butcheries or wholesalers before reaching the grill. Vegetables, mealie meal, cooking oil, spices, charcoal, packaging and beverages come from their own networks of producers and distributors.

There are also workers preparing food, carrying supplies, cleaning cooking areas and serving customers.

A busy lunch service compresses this supply chain into a single plate. The customer sees grilled fish or meat. The economist sees agriculture, transport, energy, retail and labour meeting at the point of sale.

This is one reason urban food markets deserve more attention in discussions about doing business in Zambia. They convert local demand into daily cash flow and create accessible entry points for people building businesses with limited capital.

The attraction is in the experience

Longacres Market offers something that is difficult to reproduce behind a restaurant kitchen door: customers can watch their lunch being cooked.

There is an immediacy to seeing seasoned fish placed over the coals or hearing meat sizzle as smoke rises from the grill. The aromas travel beyond the cooking area, pulling customers towards the stalls before they have inspected a menu.

That visibility also creates a direct relationship between buyer and seller. Customers can ask questions, choose what they want and observe the preparation process.

For vendors, the grill is both production equipment and shopfront.

What the market teaches Lusaka’s food businesses

The lunchtime success of Longacres Market rests on several practical advantages.

Location brings the market close to offices, shops and institutions. Product visibility stimulates demand. A wide selection allows customers with different budgets and preferences to eat in the same place. Fast service makes the market compatible with a working day.

Consistency, however, remains central to repeat business. Customers are more likely to return when portions, preparation times, cleanliness and service standards meet their expectations.

There is also room for operators to improve how they capture demand. Clearly displayed prices could help customers make faster decisions. Mobile-money payment options can reduce friction. Telephone or WhatsApp pre-orders could allow office workers to collect meals without spending much of their lunch break waiting.

These are modest changes, but in a high-turnover food business, a few additional orders each day can make a meaningful difference to monthly revenue. Operators seeking wider visibility can also explore The Zambian Economist’s business listing platform.

Why you should visit Longacres Market at lunchtime

Come hungry and give yourself enough time to walk through the food section before deciding.

The pleasure of Longacres lies partly in the choice and partly in the theatre of the grill. The smoke, heat and movement create an atmosphere that a packaged takeaway cannot provide.

For the curious visitor, lunch also becomes a chance to observe Lusaka’s economy at close range. Traders compete for attention, customers compare value and money moves through several small businesses within minutes.

Longacres Market is busiest at lunch because it understands its customer: someone who wants a filling meal, prepared over fire, without losing the entire afternoon.

That combination is worth experiencing.

Takeaways

• Longacres Market’s lunch trade is driven by location, convenience and rapid customer turnover.
• Food vendors support wider supply chains covering farming, fishing, transport, charcoal, retail and casual employment.
• Visible preparation gives the market an experiential advantage over ordinary takeaway services.
• Pricing displays, mobile payments and pre-orders could help traders serve more office customers.
• A lunchtime visit offers both a satisfying meal and a view of Lusaka’s everyday enterprise in action.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article

Related: Kamwala Fire Destroys 20 Trading Structures as Police Point to a Brazier

Jury selection has begun in Las Vegas for Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the only person charged over the 1996 killing of rap star Tupac Shakur. Davis has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Nearly 30 years after gunfire struck Tupac Shakur on a Las Vegas street, a jury is being selected to decide whether Duane Davis helped organise the attack. The case may finally put sworn testimony and courtroom scrutiny around a story that has lived for decades in music, memoirs, documentaries and conspiracy theories.

Jury selection began on Monday, 10 August 2026, in Clark County District Court. Opening arguments are expected to begin on 17 August. Davis, 63, faces one count of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The only person charged in the case

Prosecutors do not allege that Davis fired the shots. Their case is that he helped arrange the confrontation and supplied the gun used in the drive-by shooting. They say his own public statements, a police interview and passages from his memoir help connect him to the killing.

The defence rejects that account. Davis has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argue that there is no physical evidence proving he directed the shooting. They also say material in his memoir, Compton Street Legend, was partly fictionalised and shaped to sell books and attract media attention.

That distinction will be central to the trial. A public story told for publicity is not automatically a reliable confession, but prosecutors are entitled to ask a jury to consider whether particular details were admissions against interest. The jury must decide what is credible, what is corroborated and whether the state has proved every element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

What happened on 7 September 1996

Tupac and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight attended the Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After the fight, hotel surveillance footage captured Tupac and members of his entourage attacking Orlando Anderson, who police identified as an alleged member of the South Side Compton Crips.

Roughly three hours later, Tupac was riding in the passenger seat of Knight’s BMW near the Las Vegas Strip when a white Cadillac pulled alongside the vehicle. Gunfire erupted. Tupac was struck four times. Knight was wounded but survived. Tupac died six days later, on 13 September 1996, aged 25.

Investigators questioned Anderson within weeks. He denied involvement and was never charged. Anderson was killed in an unrelated shooting in 1998. For years, Las Vegas police said witnesses would not cooperate, while people around Tupac argued that investigators had treated them as suspects and failed to pursue important leads.

From a music rivalry to lethal street conflict

The killing unfolded during an era when two different conflicts had become dangerously entangled. Los Angeles was living with violent rivalry between the Bloods and Crips street gangs. At the same time, American hip-hop was being marketed through an increasingly bitter East Coast versus West Coast narrative.

Death Row Records, home to Tupac, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre, became a symbol of the West Coast. Bad Boy Records, founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs and associated with the Notorious B.I.G., represented New York’s commercial resurgence. Headlines, interviews and diss tracks amplified the contest until entertainment, business competition, personal disputes and neighbourhood violence were often discussed as if they were one story.

The irony is that Tupac was born in New York. He later moved to northern California and became strongly identified with Southern California after signing with Death Row. His life never fitted neatly into the simplified coastal rivalry that surrounded him.

The evidence at the centre of the trial

The prosecution’s challenge is unusual. The crime is almost three decades old, physical evidence is limited and several people linked to the events have died. The state’s case therefore leans heavily on words Davis has spoken or published over the years.

A judge has ruled that prosecutors may use Davis’s memoir and a 2008 police interview at trial. Davis has argued that the interview was given under an immunity arrangement. Prosecutors say the information was later repeated publicly and that the book can be considered alongside other evidence. The court’s ruling permits the material to be presented; it does not decide whether it is true or whether Davis is guilty.

Suge Knight has long been described as the last surviving eyewitness from the BMW. Whether he gives evidence, and what weight a jury would place on any testimony, will be determined through the trial process. A witness list is not proof, and the appearance of a famous name does not change the prosecution’s burden.

What the trial can and cannot settle

A verdict can answer the criminal charge before this jury. It cannot resolve every rumour attached to Tupac’s death, explain every decision made during the original investigation or settle every conspiracy theory built over 30 years.

The court will focus on admissible evidence and the specific allegation against Davis. That is narrower than the cultural mythology, but it is also more disciplined. Jurors will be instructed to separate evidence from entertainment, memory from reconstruction, and reasonable inference from speculation.

The case is expected to last several weeks. Testimony could revisit the MGM Grand fight, gang associations, the route taken by the vehicles, the police investigation and the circumstances in which Davis made statements about that night.

A cultural legacy that became an enduring business

Tupac’s death froze him at 25, but it did not freeze the commercial life of his work. His recordings, publishing rights, image, documentaries, films, exhibitions and licensed merchandise became part of a global cultural economy. New listeners continue to discover his music through streaming services, social media and film soundtracks.

That afterlife shows why the business architecture around an artist matters. Music is not only performance. It is also ownership of master recordings, songwriting rights, publishing administration, contracts, royalties, trademarks, image rights, archives and estate planning. When those foundations are unclear, the artist’s family may struggle while intermediaries continue to earn from the catalogue.

Violence also carries an economic cost that is easily hidden behind celebrity. It can end a creative career, destroy future production, destabilise employees and families, damage brands, divert money into litigation and leave communities paying for trauma long after headlines fade.

Lessons for Zambia’s creative economy

For Zambia’s musicians, producers, managers and promoters, the Tupac story is distant in geography but relevant in principle. Our creative industries need stronger contracts, transparent royalty accounting, professional security, conflict management and reliable records of ownership.

An emerging artist should know who owns the master recording, who controls distribution, how songwriting shares are divided, what a manager may deduct and how income will reach the family if tragedy occurs. Verbal promises may feel friendly at the beginning of a career, but written agreements protect relationships when money and fame arrive.

Promoters and venue operators also have a commercial duty to assess security risks without turning entertainment spaces into places of intimidation. Good security planning protects audiences, workers, artists and the long-term reputation of the industry.

At The Zambian Economist, our purpose is to bring economic issues closer to the people. The economics of culture includes not only sales and streaming, but also rights, risk, reputation, employment and the value that creative work can generate across generations.

Responsible coverage matters

Because Davis is on trial, careful language is essential. He is accused, not convicted. His not-guilty plea means the allegations must be tested before an impartial jury. Reporting should distinguish what prosecutors allege, what the defence disputes and what the court has actually ruled.

Readers should also be cautious about viral clips that present speculation as evidence. Court proceedings, filed decisions and reporting from identifiable news organisations provide a better foundation than anonymous posts or edited videos.

What happens next

The immediate task is to select jurors who can consider the evidence fairly despite the case’s fame. Opening arguments are expected on 17 August, after which prosecutors will begin calling witnesses and presenting exhibits. The defence will test that evidence through cross-examination and may present its own witnesses.

Whatever the verdict, the trial marks a significant moment in one of popular culture’s most enduring criminal cases. It also places a sober question behind the legend: can evidence gathered across decades meet the demanding standard required for a murder conviction?

Key takeaways

• Jury selection: Began in Las Vegas on 10 August 2026.
• The accused: Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 63, has pleaded not guilty.
• The allegation: Prosecutors say he helped organise the shooting and supplied the weapon; they do not allege that he fired it.
• The defence: His lawyers dispute the evidence and say parts of his memoir were fictionalised.
• The standard: Davis is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
• The wider lesson: Artist safety, contracts, rights ownership and estate planning are economic issues as well as entertainment matters.

Sources and further reading

This feature draws on current court reporting by the Associated Press, AP’s trial backgrounder, its report on the evidence ruling, the Clark County District Court trial calendar, and background reporting supplied to the newsroom from BBC News.

Editorial note: This article reports allegations and court proceedings. Duane Davis has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Dates and trial arrangements may change by order of the court.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.

WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.

Work With The Zambian Economist

• Advertise With Us
• List With Us
• Submit an Article