It starts today. Delegates are arriving in Nyanga for three life-changing days at the fifth Ideas Festival, some from as far as the UK, Canada and South Africa. Troutbeck Resort is full. So is the conference room. If we haven't been able to accommodate you, join us virtually. Joe Mutizwa, Dr Menghis Bairu, Nick Vingirai, Clara Mlambo, Dr Wonder Shava and more, live from Troutbeck. No free broadcast afterwards. Those who paid to be in the room deserve that respect. Virtual pass US$150 → convowithtrevor.com/ideas-fe… #IdeasFestival2026

“I think Europe would be thrilled” Donald Trump calls for the Atlantic to be rebranded as American Ocean

There is a saying that you should never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake. For the past five years, Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa has been warning us that the Hakainde Hichilema regime was backpedalling on democracy. He was insulted and called a liar for it. Since his passport was revoked, almost everything he wrote about has come to pass. I do not see why he needs to keep writing about the same thing. His work has been vindicated by the regime itself and by the conduct of the dictator. A former minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya, was killed. The courts were shut down to stop his opponent, Brian Mundubile, from challenging the election result. The army was sent into polling stations. Passports were revoked, including that of Dr Sishuwa, an academic who had to be rescued with a travel document from the South African government. When a dictator is unravelling himself in full view of the world, what more is there to write? We can all see what is going on.