Chawama Has Given Life to Given Lubinda – Kafula Gregory Mofu

Kafula Gregory Mofu writes::::

Chawama Has Given Life to Given

Chawama did not just vote in a by-election. It made a political revival for the PF Presidential Campaig. What unfolded in the township was not simply about replacing a Member of Parliament but about memory, loyalty and the unresolved struggles within opposition politics.

For many, the election became a moment to honour the legacy of the late Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Zambia’s sixth Republican President and a son of Chawama. Until recently, the constituency was represented by his daughter. Her seat was nullified after her prolonged absence from Parliament, as she mourned her father in South Africa while a court battle raged over where he should be laid to rest. By the time Chawama went to the polls, emotions were already high.

At the same time, the Patriotic Front (PF), the party Edgar Lungu once led, entered the by-election deeply divided. Two factions continue to battle for control: one led by former Kabwata Member of Parliament Hon. Given Lubinda and the other by Mafinga MP Hon. Robert Chabinga. Until recently, Lubinda’s faction was part of the Tonse Alliance. However, because of internal wrangles in the PF, the Tonse Alliance opted to use the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) as a Special Purpose Vehicle, which is how its candidate, former Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe, stood on the FDD ticket for this by-election.

As Lubinda’s faction pushes toward a convention to elect a substantive party president, pressure has been mounting. Several senior figures have either fallen out or failed in their leadership ambitions. These include Hon. Miles Sampa, Hon. Chitalu Chilufya, Hon. Greymond Monde, Hon. Brian Mundubile, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, and Hon. Lubinda himself, among others.

The Chawama by-election became personal for Lubinda who led the campaign. Calls grew louder for Lubinda to resign as Acting President, with critics accusing him of failing to mobilise the party after Edgar Lungu’s death. Over a week ago, Hon. Lubinda and his faction were expelled from the Tonse Alliance due to those PF disputes In a moment that captured the confusion within PF ranks, a named party youth even called a press briefing demanding Lubinda’s resignation.

Notably, apart from Lubinda, Kambwili, and Sampa, none of the PF presidential hopefuls actively campaigned in Chawama. Whether deliberate or a result of sidelining, their absence spoke volumes.
In the end, the result was more than a win on paper. It was symbolic.

It spoke to the enduring influence of Edgar Lungu’s legacy, the need for relevance within the opposition and most importantly, it breathed new life into Hon. Given Lubinda’s quest to lead the Patriotic Front.

The named PF Youth who had called for Lubinda to resign was in the earlier hours since getting selfies with him whilst congratulating him.

Chawama did not just choose a Member of Parliament. It reshaped a political contest. And in doing so, it gave life to Given.