August 26

August 26 in recent years

August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 128 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

c. 1780 – Luba-Lunda oral tradition recounts a royal succession dispute resolved by ceremonial duel during the dry season near modern-day Mwinilunga.
26 August 1853 – David Livingstone documents a solar halo phenomenon while traveling near the Kafue River.

26 August 1902 – British South Africa Company establishes tax outposts in Fort Jameson and Abercorn.
26 August 1925 – First post office in Kitwe opened by colonial administration.
26 August 1948 – Northern Rhodesia African Congress (NRAC) calls for a boycott of “whites-only” trade fairs.
26 August 1954 – Construction of the Mulobezi Railway extension to Kataba begins.
26 August 1961 – Sir Roy Welensky addresses Federal Assembly urging preservation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

26 August 1966 – President Kenneth Kaunda visits Kabwe to inaugurate Zambia-China Mulungushi Textiles.
26 August 1975 – Government expels six foreign journalists over alleged espionage.
26 August 1992 – President Frederick Chiluba addresses the UN General Assembly Special Session on the New World Economic Order.
26 August 2005 – President Levy Mwanawasa commissions the Mbesuma Bridge project.
26 August 2022 – UPND government announces 5,000 new teacher recruitments effective September.

26 August 1973 – Zambia's new Constitution takes effect, formally instituting the one-party state under UNIP.
26 August 1996 – Legal Aid Act passed to expand access to legal representation for low-income citizens.
26 August 2015 – Constitutional Court begins operations following enabling legislation earlier that year.
26 August 2023 – Anti-Corruption Commission launches a nationwide whistleblower protection awareness campaign.

26 August 1952 – Copperbelt Labour Office reports a record high in African mineworker employment.
26 August 1972 – Zambia Industrial and Mining Corporation (ZIMCO) acquires full ownership of Roan Consolidated Mines.
26 August 2003 – Government secures a $30 million World Bank grant for SME support under the Private Sector Development Programme.
26 August 2010 – UNZA launches Zambia’s first master’s programme in labour economics.
26 August 2025 – Ministry of Commerce signs a tripartite trade facilitation agreement with Angola and DR Congo.

26 August 1977 – Zambia defeats Botswana 2–1 in a friendly match at Independence Stadium.
26 August 1989 – Kalusha Bwalya scores a hat-trick in Zambia’s 4–0 win over Ethiopia (AFCON qualifier).
26 August 2006 – Zambia qualifies for the COSAFA Cup semi-finals after beating Malawi 1–0.
26 August 2023 – Nkana FC unveils renovated stadium stand named after late legend Jericho Shinde.

26 August 1971 – National Theatre Arts Association of Zambia (NATAAZ) holds its first annual cultural showcase.
26 August 1987 – Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) debuts the drama series Ukupempula Ukwansha.
26 August 2014 – Kumwesu cultural festival opens in Chipata with traditional leaders from Malawi and Mozambique.
26 August 2025 – Ministry of Arts launches the National Archive Digitization Project.

26 August 1998 – Severe bushfires reported in Lunga National Park threaten wildlife habitats.
26 August 2011 – Zambia Meteorological Department records Lusaka’s lowest August humidity in 25 years (9%).
26 August 2020 – Zambia becomes a signatory to the SADC Forest Law Enforcement Protocol.
26 August 2025 – Department of Forestry deploys drones for monitoring illegal logging in Western Province.

26 August 1985 – Fatal landslide near Chilubi Island claims 11 lives after heavy rains.
26 August 1994 – Industrial chemical spill at Ndola refinery leads to evacuation of 300 residents.
26 August 2009 – Train derailment on the TAZARA line near Mpika disrupts cargo movement for a week.
26 August 2021 – Bus collision on Great North Road leaves 17 dead; national road safety week declared.

26 August 1898 – Missionaries of the White Fathers establish Chikuni Mission in Southern Province.
26 August 1970 – Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) hosts inaugural ecumenical youth summit.
26 August 1999 – Zambian Evangelical Fellowship issues pastoral letter on moral decline and governance.
26 August 2022 – Anglican Church installs Rev. Matilda Mulenga as Zambia’s first female bishop.