Glory Mushinge

Zambia Kafue River contamination from mining sparks concerns p.dw.com/p/4ss7P?maca=e…

So excited to have this great initiative in our backyard, as a Zambian & DW Correspondent. An opportunity & time to amplify the many underreported stories from here! In pics: DW Head of Africa, Head of English for Africa, Director General & German Ambassador to Zambia, etc. 🙏

We were discussing the Ballon d'Or and it was interesting. Take a listen (on our page: DW Africa). 🙏

@LucyZelic @JustKnidding @twanchovy As a journalist, you can do better, than sell yourself short like this! If you cared to do your research well, you wouldn't be wasting yours & other people's times spreading such lies. Banda & Rachael are female.They look even more feminine in their home setting. Stop the abuse!

Yes, because a player agent and media publications have never lied before! Here’s some food for thought: Banda and several others have been dogged by speculation for years about their biological sex. I have no doubt that it’s been a difficult and harrowing process. However, if someone accused me of being a male tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar I’d be at the nearest clinic getting a cheek swab to set the record straight because I am a woman and I have nothing to hide. When you have nothing to hide and the truth is on your side, you have no fear in correcting the lie.

Are we ready to discuss the elephant in the room? I understand that it’s a sensitive subject but it’s worthy of both addressing and questioning. I’ve received a number of messages and tweets to this effect so let’s look at the facts before us. In 2022, Zambia women’s national team forward, Barbra Banda and fellow players were denied the opportunity to represent their nation at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations after “failing gender eligibility tests.” Speaking to BBC Sport at the time, Andrew Kamanga, the president of the Football Association of Zambia said: “All the players had to undergo gender verification, a CAF (Confederation of African Football) requirement, and unfortunately Banda did not meet the criteria set by CAF.” In addition to Banda, “three teammates including striker Racheal Kundananji were also ruled ineligible to compete for Zambia in the World Cup-qualifying tournament.” "It's unfortunate that we find ourselves going into the tournament without our best players." Said Kamanga. Without Banda and others, Zambia went on to finish third, after losing to eventual champions South Africa in the semi-finals. However, in 2023, these players were cleared to play at the Women’s World Cup because FIFA have permitted teams “to undergo their own internal gender assessments.” All of this, in spite of the fact that football’s global governing body introduced gender verification regulations in 2011 for all competitions. Players subjected to it, cited them as “humiliating” because they physically had to remove their underpants as proof but there are much less invasive ways to prove a competitors sex and it involves a simple cheek swab. “FIFA competitions are defined for specific groups determined by age and sex in order to ensure a level playing field for all players…It is a major responsibility of member associations and team physicians to ensure correct gender of their players.” Said FIFA in an official press release. It must also be said that Zambians narrowly avoided missing out on featuring at this year’s Olympics after FIFA “threatened the country’s football association with suspension amid accusations of money-laundering offences against its president and “undue influence by third parties”. Zambia’s coach, Bruce Mwape, has also been dogged with allegations of sexual misconduct stretching back to the women’s world cup last year with fresh allegations emerging in May this year. This, very sadly for many of the female players, is not a nation immune from controversy. On Monday morning against Australia, the players banned from competing at WAFCON 2022 - both Banda and Kundananji - scored all five of Zambia’s goals. Banda with another hat trick, while Kundananji secured a brace. In 2021, Banda became the “first woman footballer in Olympic history to score back-to-back hat tricks and the first to score two hat tricks in one tournament.” Furthermore, In September 2022, Banda led Zambia to win their first 2022 COSAFA Women's Cup, the top women's international football tournament for national teams from southern Africa. Banda’s ten goals resulted in the undeniably skilled footballer being awarded the Golden Ball Award. Banda is also Africa’s all-time top goal-scorer in Olympic history and recently, together with Kundananji, they created history after signing in the NWSL and becoming two of the highest paid footballers in the women’s game. So where does this leave us? We are entitled to ask questions. We are entitled to know why the failed gender verification tests conducted in 2022 were completely ignored by FIFA in 2023 and continue to be ignored in 2024. That the International Olympics Committee do not have “as strict” rules when it comes to gender testing is also a slight on the credibility of the organisation and the sports being contested. In the end, it doesn’t matter that Australia won 6-5 or that Zambia fails to progress at the Olympics - what matters is the integrity of the game.

@BertKA88 @LucyZelic Exactly, as a journalist, she's supposed to do proper research and know better than to write this. She has sold herself short!

@LucyZelic Stop beating around the bush. What exactly are you trying to say here, Lucy? Banda was born female and has lived her entire life as a female. This post literally makes no sense to me.

@billyboybaker @asherjlondon @LucyZelic Thank you! I'am shocked at these people's uninformed comments and how ignorant & invested they are, in discrediting these innocent Zambian players & their achievements, for merely being African & exposing the ineptitude of their players. It's the embarrassment & denial, talking.

@asherjlondon @LucyZelic The fact that they have higher than average naturally occurring testosterone does not make them male, it might mean sub Saharan African women have a small advantage, it’s a little bit racist to start crying foul without context

@coachblade @X @nytimes Aren't you all ashamed of yourselves for propagating such hate? There's no male in the Zambian team and the femininity of the ones you are attacking has been proven. Australia lost to Germany and USA, what's your excuse? were there men in those teams? Leave Zambia, alone!

My @X friend @ayn_rose has asked me to look into the case of Barbra Banda of Zambia. According to this @nytimes article, it appears that a few years ago the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) undertook due diligence and did the “gender testing.” The result showed elevated “natural levels” of T, not disclosing why (XY DSD?), and would not allow Banda on their national team at that time. But FAZ drew so much criticism for trying to protect the female category (zero back-up from #FIFA!) that they have now relented and allowed Banda to play in #Paris2024 . Here’s the article: nytimes.com/athletic/34264… It is sad, indeed, that global sports authorities have not established standardized sex verification screening so that such questionable cases are quickly dealt with. Absent this protocol, rumours and suspicions spread. It is horrible for the athlete in question. At the same time, the lack of decisive action potentially exposes female players to unsafe and unfair competition. SUMMARY: It is weak, indecisive sport leadership that creates these types of “sad” situations. NOT those who question and call for verification. #ProtectFemaleAthletes

@nsomba @coachblade @X @nytimes Imagine! They are even proudly sharing their ignorance here. They just can't stomach the fact that their team was shown up by players of a country they want to look down at and thought would be a walkover... If not for the bad keeper, Zambia would have humbled them. Shameless!

@coachblade @X @nytimes This article seeks to dehumanise Barbara Banda and is full of untruths .Please do some thorough research and stop sharing your bigotry.Australia is not the first team Zambia has played with Barbara and Rachel

@NkanaLikulu @coachblade @X @nytimes I agree. I'am reading all their comments and can't believe how such grown people can be so shameless as to bully the innocent Zambian players like this. Barbara, Rachael and others, definitely have a lot of feminine qualities, including soft female voices, body language,etc. SMH

@coachblade @X @nytimes Leave Zambian players alone,talk about your teams

Thanks SEJ, for this social media take over... International journalism, is a great passion of mine & it's so motivating to get one's work recognised... To all counterparts, far & wide, belongs a great part of my gratitude, for all the support... Yup! U rock! :)

#SEJSpotlight: Meet SEJ member Glory Mushinge (@gmwisa)! Glory is an award-winning journalist from Zambia, who writes about a host of environmental, technological, developmental, governance and human rights issues. Learn more and check out her work: sej.org/sejspotlight-g…

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Wednesday, interviewing one of the organisers of a foiled protest against the high cost of living in Zambia... About 500 youths were geared towards it and despite their being denied a police permit, that day, they remain resolute and tell me, they'll make another attempt, soon...

I'm speaking at the OEB Global Conference 2023 | November 22-24 | InterContinental Berlin. See you there! invt.io/1txbxx2bp9f

I'll be speaking at the OEB Global Conference 2023 | InterContinental Berlin. See you there! invt.io/1txbwnj0pxc

The Right of the People to Speak Out Through a Free Press is a Hallmark of a Democratic Society - An Unfettered Press. Happy World Press Freedom Day, to 'We The Media'! Pics from the Zoo in Boise, with some participants of the SEJ 2023 Conference...

This interview recalled a panel and clips from the film @sejorg in Boise. Dayton Duncan cried. Cristina Mormorunni of Indigenous Led advocated for Land Back. It was quite the contrast.

@Earth_Media_ And this is a conversation we need to be having more of... We would need also, to start identifying language, words, descriptions or and narratives that are prejudicial and need to be avoided, when discussing groups in this category...

@gmwisa This will, tragically, be a massive issue . How the story of climate refugees is framed is highly significant. Not just because it will affect how they are treated, but because it will affect how the public reacts to every action addressing the crisis of climate change .

Should Global South victims of climate issues, largely caused by supper powers,be given special treatment, in terms of migration? How should journalists be framing their stories on such issues & is there room for advocacy journalism, here? #SEJFellow2023 #SEJ32ndAnnualConference

"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures... Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven & earth will have to pause & say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well." Martin Luther King Jr. Happy May Day!