People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia

15/10/2026

📣CDF OPEN WINDOW!!!!

Chongwe Municipal Council is inviting applications for the 2027 Constituency
Development Fund (CDF) under the following categories:

✅Skills Development Bursaries
✅Community Projects
✅Secondary Boarding Bursaries
✅Grants Empowerment

🕟Deadline: Friday, 30 th October 2026

Completed application forms should be submitted to your Area Councilor or the Social Economic Section at Chongwe Municipal Council before the deadline.

If you are eligible, don’t wait until the last minute. Get your application form, complete it, and submit it on time.

For all outside of Chongwe who are interested, kindly visit your area Councilor, Parliamentary Office, or Council offices for guidance.

Chongwe Municipal Council
Diakonia Zambia Country Office

14/10/2026

My Voice, My Right!🎭🎤

I PRAY! 🙏🇿🇲

When prayer meets satire, poetry becomes a mirror to society.

In I PRAY, Chindo Na Matthew reflects on the Zambia we aspire to. A nation united beyond tribe, with accountable leadership, equal opportunities, improved public services, and development that reaches every community.

More than a prayer, it is a call for accountability, equality, and meaningful development.

Civic Participation does not begin and end at election time. Use your voice. Ask questions. Demand accountability.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

13/10/2026

PRESS STATEMENT
(For Immediate Release)

PAAGZ CALLS FOR PUBLIC FUNDING TO MATCH PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S COMMITMENT TO THE CREATIVE ECONOMY: RECOGNITION MUST COME WITH RESOURCES.

The People’s Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia (PAAGZ) welcomes President Hakainde Hichilema’s recognition of the arts and creative economy in his address to the First Session of the Fourteenth National Assembly. However, recognition must translate into tangible investment and measurable action.

PAAGZ’s study, Economic Contribution of Zambia’s Cultural and Creative Industries to GDP, Employment and Informal Sector Dynamics in Zambia, highlights the sector’s economic potential, including increased tax revenue, job creation, and returns on public investment. Yet, public funding for the arts remains below 0.1% of the national budget.

What does this mean for the stability and growth of Zambia’s creative sector?

Zambia’s creative economy is already contributing to national development. Unlocking its full potential requires deliberate investment, sustained policy support, and adequate resources to grow the sector, create jobs, and sustain artists’ livelihoods.

PAAGZ therefore calls on Government to:
1. Integrate: A measurable creative economy target into the Grow Zambia Agenda.

2. Increase: The allocation to the arts in the 2027 National Budget to between 0.25% and 0.35% of total national expenditure, and establish a dedicated programme budget for the Department of Arts that goes beyond staff salaries and administrative costs.

3. Establish: A standalone Ministry responsible for Arts and Culture, with the mandate and authority to drive the creative economy as a growth sector.

4. Appoint: A technically credible Minister responsible for the arts without further delay.

Read PAAGZ’s full statement for key insights and download the full report at the link in the comment section or on the YouTube description.

https://youtu.be/MRn6jnhPcK4

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts National Arts Council of Zambia National Association Of Media Arts -NAMA Patents And Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) Zamcops Ministry of Finance and National Planning, , Lusaka-Zambia SELAM CfCA - Connect For Culture Africa

ZAMBIA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY: PAAGZ WEIGHS INThe People’s Action for...

12/10/2026

PRESS STATEMENT
(For Immediate Release)

RECOGNITION MUST COME WITH RESOURCES: PAAGZ CALLS FOR PUBLIC FUNDING TO MATCH PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S COMMITMENT TO THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.

The People’s Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia (PAAGZ) welcomes President Hakainde Hichilema’s recognition of the arts and creative economy in his address to the First Session of the Fourteenth National Assembly. However, recognition must translate into tangible investment and measurable action.

PAAGZ’s study, Economic Contribution of Zambia’s Cultural and Creative Industries to GDP, Employment and Informal Sector Dynamics in Zambia, highlights the sector’s economic potential, including increased tax revenue, job creation, and returns on public investment. Yet, public funding for the arts remains below 0.1% of the national budget.

What does this mean for the stability and growth of Zambia’s creative sector?

Zambia’s creative economy is already contributing to national development. Unlocking its full potential requires deliberate investment, sustained policy support, and adequate resources to grow the sector, create jobs, and sustain artists’ livelihoods.

PAAGZ therefore calls on Government to:
1. Integrate: A measurable creative economy target into the Grow Zambia Agenda.

2. Increase:The allocation to the arts in the 2027 National Budget to between 0.25% and 0.35% of total national expenditure, and establish a dedicated programme budget for the Department of Arts that goes beyond staff salaries and administrative costs.

3. Establish: A standalone Ministry responsible for Arts and Culture, with the mandate and authority to drive the creative economy as a growth sector.

4. Appoint: A technically credible Minister responsible for the arts without further delay.

Read PAAGZ’s full statement for key insights and perspectives via the link below.: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10hDtgGmKxaD14iVigZHVTapWSA-4Blz-/view?usp=drive_link

Click to download the full Economic Contribution Study report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uR6DBlQwWB5PQpvKU6f5oZoCDU14ScXz/view?usp=drive_link

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts
Hakainde Hichilema Jito Kayumba
Pilato
National Arts Council of Zambia
National Association Of Media Arts -NAMA
Q FM CfCA - Connect For Culture Africa

08/10/2026

Artistic Freedom and the Law in Zambia

What has changed for artistic rights and freedoms under the New Dawn Government since 2021?

In this video, PAAGZ Executive Director Khazike Sakala introduces the Status Report on the Evolution of the Legislative Landscape on Artistic Rights and Freedoms under the New Dawn Government in Zambia.

The Report examines key legal and policy developments affecting artists, from access to information and intellectual property to cyber laws, copyright, and the National Arts Council, highlighting both progress and areas that continue to require attention.

As Zambia’s creative sector seeks greater recognition, economic opportunity and meaningful participation in civic space, understanding the laws that shape artistic freedom is essential.

We invite artists, creatives, policymakers, civil society and all interested stakeholders to read the Report, engage with its findings and join the conversation on the future of artistic freedom in Zambia.

Download full Statement here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TOxcz0qh7B5ng8DIHOAsDPuQc-5XNHjf/view?usp=drivesdk

Click and download full Report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IOQ7gtXR1-cUnMijH4MAgUN_mIXSrfiS/view?usp=drivesdk

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts SELAM PANAF National Arts Council of Zambia National Association Of Media Arts -NAMA Patents And Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) Zamcops

07/10/2026

REPORT LAUNCH | ARTISTIC RIGHTS & FREEDOMS IN ZAMBIA.

What has changed for Zambian artists since the New Dawn Government came into office in 2021?

On 8 October 2026, PAAGZ, in collaboration with the Pan-African Network for Artistic Freedom (PANAF) Initiative, launches the Status Report on the Evolution of the Legislative Landscape on Artistic Rights and Freedoms.

What does the report reveal about the space for artists to create, express, participate, and thrive?

Join us as we unveil the findings!

Streaming Live on YouTube | and to be posted on Facebook.

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts National Arts Council of Zambia National Association Of Media Arts -NAMA PANAF SELAM Zamcops

16/09/2026

Did you Know?
Creative industries between the years 2021 and 2024 contributed approximately ZMW 833 million in annual tax revenue, despite receiving less than 0.1% of the National budget.

14/09/2026

BLACK CHILD – THE STORY OF MY COMMUNITY | KATONDO COMMUNITY, NDOLA

Change is happening in Katondo Community, Bwana Mukubwa Constituency, but is it enough?

Residents still face challenges with access to water, an underdeveloped clinic without a labour ward, and inadequate infrastructure at the local police post.
The community is speaking up about the services that affect their daily lives. Their message is clear: SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!

Through the Marginalized Women and Youth Demand Accountability from Duty-Holders Project, PAAGZ continues to amplify community voices and promote improved service delivery and accountability. Meaningful development begins when communities are heard.

Warren Chisha Mwambazi - Bwana Mkubwa MP Office of the Public Protector - Zambia Bread for the World United Youth for Equality and Development

11/09/2026

RHYTHM AND NEWS 2.0
EPISODE 9: KANYAMA CONSTITUENCY – TRACKING DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY NEEDS

What does development look like when people are part of the conversation?

From schools and health facilities to roads, sanitation, security, and youth empowerment, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) can transform communities.

But development also means knowing how public resources are used and ensuring community voices are heard.

Know the projects in your area. Ask questions. Get involved. Demand accountability.

Through music and creative expression, we are bringing conversations on development and accountability closer to the people.

Brot für die Welt | PAAGZ | Office of the Public Protector - Zambia | Women and Youth Demand Accountability from their Duty Holders Project

04/09/2026

🎙️ What Kind of Creative Zambia Do We Want?

What does it take to build a creative and cultural ecosystem that is inclusive, well-funded and forward-looking?

In the final episode of CfCA Zambia Season 1, Fumba Chama, Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts also known as Pilato, joins host Chinyota "Chi" Msimuko for a conversation about the policy and institutional conditions shaping Zambia’s creative sector.

The discussion looks into policy reform, legislative processes, creative infrastructure and the respective roles of government and the private sector. It also asks what Zambia can learn from regional and continental experiences.

But the conversation is ultimately about more than fixing what is broken. It is about imagining what a stronger, more connected and more sustainable creative ecosystem could look like, and what it will take for different stakeholders to help build it.

🎧 Watch now and engage with the conversation.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddMakN4MBBY&list=PLbJ9JBVyWAee3vFKU1UYoUbaujLZv7_Rq&index=1
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fs9wVZrBS9HpJ0Ia4OuUH?si=d9f924ad26ef4278&fbclid=IwY2xjawUHglRwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUxwSW9OOVJRUllFZDZ3SFNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebkGDDIVq-yO8XCAw9hJNUtd5ol2GuBZ5bUYetf8ja4_dK_QjLUizcrKhE5Y_aem_V5rpa-tWUj9sPcEoI9Ng9g&nd=1&dlsi=cebc866ff43d4ffe


SELAM, People's Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, National Arts Council of Zambia, Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka, U.S. Mission to the African Union, National Association Of Media Arts -NAMA