BEING AT SOMEONE’S BEDSIDE IS NOT A PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT-Munir Zulu
Firstly, I totally agree: it’s good to see that those aligned to PF are now beginning to see that death cannot be used as an endorsement. Equally, it’s laughable that Mundubile’s campaign message is to come and govern like ECL once voted into power. The same ECL who embarrassingly failed and needed political GCE? Anyway, let’s talk about it:
It’s now precedence in the PF’s party constitution that for one to be president of the PF must be endorsed by their late president. Hence, the confusion amongst members. That aside, these acts have since 2014 undermined the PF’s party democracy. Because even for ECL to be PF party president, he only claimed and used Sata’s death as an endorsement and leverage. Then from having separate conventions: Miles Sampa won on one side while ECL won on the other side-how Lungu ended up the legitimate leader of the PF in 2014, is a story for another day.
Regardless and interestingly enough, the wrong calculation is here. The endorsement lie ECL made in the 2014/2015 elections, worked because Sata died whilst in power and the funny part, is that ECL’s campaign message throughout was asking citizens to vote for him because Sata endorsed him before his death- sadly the vulnerable, emotional Zambians voted for him, based on borrowed trust…..
Nonetheless, that aside. Unfortunately, in politics the majority voters are the poor and illiterate and they are sadly the ones who suffers the most when they elect an idiot. Usually, propagandists targets this group of people-that’s why rural communities need proper voter education prior to elections. Because all have the right to vote but not everyone’s decision is informed. An uninformed voter can’t participate meaningfully in the electoral process.
Anyway, this is where the mathematics error is for those who think they can make it to state house come August, by using ECL’s name. ECL chanced his way to presidency by claiming Sata’s endorsement and it worked because Sata died whilst in power. Now and unfortunately, Lungu died as a member of the opposition party after losing by more than a million votes and later resigning from active politics.
So, definitely; using Lungu’s endorsement as a campaign strategy in 2026 is deeply laughable. In fact, this leverage has already proved failing at party level and it would take nobody nowhere as far as 13th August General Elections are concerned.
How has it failed?
Makebi Zulu is now the president of an alliance called the PF-Pamozi Alliance, Brian Mundubile is now president of the FDD-Tonse Alliance while Robert Chabinga and Miles Sampa are still punching each other for presidency in courts.
The bottom line: The death of a president in opposition can only influence opposition politics.
Shipungu April 21,2026