Garry Nkombo Mark the end of his political career. He’s the next Lameck Mangani- Shipungu

WE TELL YOU THESE THINGS BUT YOU DON’T LISTEN-I want you to read and follow through, the story of then demoted Home Affairs Minister who later served as Works and Supply Deputy Minister.

Before we get to the story, I want us to understand that, even a loser in politics has numbers (supporters), but winning an election is about who’s standing with the majority (who gets the majority vote). I for one, it would be ignorance for someone to think that I hate Gary Nkombo: all I do here is giving you political forecast.

We have a very good example that is similar to Gary’s. Mangani, a former  Home Affairs Minister. Mangani resigned from RB’s MMD, joining PF; the same 2011 Sata won, but Mangani lost that election as an MP to Reuben Mtolo Phiri- in Chipata Central.

This is why this is interesting though, you don’t go against your own and win: Gary Nkombo will understand this when HH visits Mazabuka.

Anyway, during the Mwanawasa’s government after winning his second term in 2006, the highest office Mangani held was the Eastern Province Provincial Minister.  After Mwanawasa’s death, when Rupiah Banda became president, with his “wako ni wako” kind of ideology, he undersevingly appointed and tried Mangani at different ministerial levels under different ministries. But, he still failed Rupiah.

Behind the back of RB, Mangani started campaigning for PF/Sata in Chipata Central while serving as Works and Supply Deputy Minister under the RB. When he was exposed having dark corner meetings with Judith Kapijimpanga and a PF official, and his wife was also reported to be campaigning for the PF in Chipata, it forced him to promptly resign as Deputy Minister and likewise withdraw his membership from MMD. Thereby,  joining the PF. I read his resignation letter dated 8th July, 2011-closer to the elections. You can also check it out.

He then stood on the PF ticket in the same year, 2011 but lost Chipata Central seat to Reuben Mtolo Phiri, who stood on the MMD ticket. Actually,  Reuben M Phiri got 13,763 votes; beating Mangani by more than 3000 votes.

Due to trust issues, despite fighting hard to remove Rupiah as president; when Sata formed government, he couldn’t trust Mangani with any appointment. “If he can betray his own brother from Chipata what more myself?” I bet that was Sata’s argument. So, he let Mangani remain the PF Provincial Party Chairperson because ‘wakake sakaleka’ (a bad person doesn’t reform).

Otherwise, later in 2014 after Sata’s death, Mangani as former PF Eastern Province Chairperson; he endorsed the candidature of HH and the UPND for the 2015 presidential by-election. At the end of that election,  Lungu became president. That’s how Mangani became history in Zambian politics: basically, due to his bad chance calculations and lack of loyalty.

The similarity between Gary and Mangani is that RB and Mangani came from the same province while Mangani and HH comes from the same province. Another similarity is that both Mangani and Gary resigned from their respective political parties yet Gary is disguising himself as an independent. The only puzzle that makes Gary’s choice even the worst is that RB formed government out of emotions/inherited power in 2008 while HH removed a ruling party from power.

HH came from an opposition to forming government, that was the hardest: winning the 13th August elections for HH is the easiest. The above,  makes Gary’s calculation the worst. I can assure you, this is an easy election for HH: but it will be the hardest or impossible for Gary. to make it to Manda Hill.

By the way Mtolo never left MMD, he was elected MP in 2021 under the UPND Alliance and so will it be on 13th August. An excellent MP he has been!

Shipungu June 4, 2026