DON’T BITE THE HAND THAT FED YOU: IF PF IS “DEAD,” WHY ARE YOU STILL IN PARLIAMENT, HON. SHAKAFUSWA?
_By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist_
Hon. Christopher Shakafuswa’s latest remarks declaring that “there is no PF” expose not the weakness of the Patriotic Front, but the depth of his own political inconsistency.
Let us confront the facts head-on.
When the UPND challenged his parliamentary seat in Mandevu, was there “no PF” then? When anxiety filled his camp over the possibility of losing that seat, it was the Patriotic Front structures, and the decisive intervention of Edgar Chagwa Lungu, that ensured Mandevu was protected from political manoeuvres that could have destabilised his position.
The very party he now calls a “shell” stood firmly behind him.
The same grassroots structures he dismisses mobilised, campaigned, and defended his mandate. They gave him legitimacy. They gave him numbers. They gave him Parliament.
So the question is simple and unavoidable:
If there is truly “no PF,” why is Hon. Shakafuswa still sitting in Parliament on a PF ticket?
You cannot enjoy the fruits of a political platform while publicly declaring it dead. That is political hypocrisy at its highest level.
If he genuinely believes the PF does not exist, the honourable course of action is clear, resign the seat and seek a fresh mandate under the banner he truly believes in. Anything less is opportunism.
*A Pattern of Political Convenience*
This is not an isolated contradiction. In 2014–2015, he openly supported Hakainde Hichilema. In 2016, he repeated that stance while contesting local office. He once called for the expulsion of party leaders he now claims to defend in principle.
He was forgiven.
He was rehabilitated.
He was supported to become Deputy Mayor of Lusaka.
He aspired to be Mayor and was assured of future consideration.
He was later appointed Lusaka Provincial Chairman.
At every stage, the PF extended political goodwill.
Yet today, he speaks as though he owes the party nothing.
*On Bill 7 and Trust*
The people of Mandevu have not forgotten his vote on Bill 7. That decision alone placed him in direct conflict with the broader sentiment of citizens. It weakened trust. It raised serious concerns about whose interests he prioritises.
And now, he lectures others about party legitimacy?
*A Direct Challenge*
Hon. Shakafuswa must answer one fundamental question:
Are you PF only when it benefits you, and something else when it suits you?
You cannot declare a party dead while drawing power, title, and protection from it. That is biting the very finger that fed you.
If there is no PF, resign.
If there is no PF, stop using its name.
If there is no PF, explain why you depended on it when your seat was under threat.
Political courage is measured by consistency, not noise.
*A Word to Hon. Brian Mundubile*
Hon. Brian Mundubile must tread carefully. Political history shows that alliances built on shifting loyalties often end in disappointment. The same individual who once shifted camps, who has grey areas that limit his criticism of the ruling party, and who voted against public expectations, cannot suddenly become the anchor of stability.
Loyalty tested and proven is different from loyalty declared for convenience.
In conclusion,the Patriotic Front has challenges, yes. But it is not erased by rhetoric. It is not dissolved by frustration. It is not buried by individuals who rose through its ranks and now attempt to discredit it.
Hon. Shakafuswa should first reconcile his own political record before questioning the existence of the movement that made him Member of Parliament.
Leadership demands integrity.
And integrity demands consistency.