The Egyptian Embassy in Zambia participates in Africa Day events
Ahmed Salem:
The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Lusaka, the capital, participated in the Africa Day events in Zambia 2026, which was held on 11/06/2026 at the High Commission of the Republic of Malawi in Lusaka.
Ambassador Mayada Essam, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Zambia, delivered a speech of thanks and appreciation on behalf of the group of African ambassadors accredited to Zambia.
The speech was based on the African Union’s slogan for this year, “Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve Agenda 2063,” and Egypt’s tireless efforts to defend African water rights.
This included Egypt’s commitment to hosting Cairo Water Week every year since 2018, which is scheduled to be held in October of this year.
The embassy attaché, Mahmoud Abdel Latif, also took on the task of presenting the event jointly with the deputy ambassador of Zimbabwe, and the embassy participated with a booth to display and present famous Egyptian dishes.
These dishes impressed all participants in the event, which explains why the Egyptian dishes at the exhibition ran out, including the guest of honor, Evans Muhanga, Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry of Tourism, and Charity Charamba, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to Zambia.
Zambia makes free education a legal right
On another front, in a move described as historic, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema signed new legislation enshrining free education as a legally binding right for all children, turning a policy that had been administrative since 2021 into a constitutional commitment that promotes social justice and ensures that no child is deprived of education because of poverty, and opens the door to broader reforms in the structure of the Zambian state and its developmental future.
Will Zambia's new law succeed in establishing free education?
The new law makes free education a legal right, ensuring that no learner is denied a place in a public school because of an inability to pay fees.
In a statement, President Hichilema described the move as a “historic day for Zambia,” saying the legislation guarantees free education for future generations and enhances protections for workers and retirees through broader reforms contained in the same bill.
Hishilima said: “These reforms will improve the lives of millions of Zambians, from classrooms to workplaces and even retirement, while providing greater dignity, security and hope for our people.”.
Free education was one of Hichilema's most prominent campaign commitments during the 2021 election, and it was implemented shortly after he took office.
This policy led to the elimination of tuition fees from early childhood through high school, resulting in a significant increase in enrollment, the hiring of over 41,000 teachers, and the expansion of school feeding programs.
