ECL DESIRED A UNITED PF, STOP INVOLVING HIM IN YOUR FAILURES
By Hon. Francis Robert Kapyanga, MP
Member of Parliament – Mpika Constituency
Lately, I have read several articles written by surrogates of some of our leaders in the party, accusing—or rather suggesting—that our late President, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL), is the cause of the confusion currently affecting our party because he allegedly failed to appoint a successor.
This narrative is both unfortunate and dishonest. It is deeply regrettable that those who have failed are now seeking to shift blame onto a man who can no longer defend himself.We will not, and we will never, allow anyone to tarnish the name of our late President. Edgar Chagwa Lungu was a man of the people, a unifier, and a leader who loved even those who openly opposed and insulted him.
If we go back to the period following the 2021 General Elections and even before then, many of these same PF leaders behaved as though they were more powerful and more “PF” than President Lungu himself. They undermined him, insulted him, betrayed him, and openly fought him while he was still in office. This conduct greatly contributed to the loss of power to govern the country, power that President Michael Chilufya Sata had fought for over ten years while in opposition.
After we lost power, the same individuals, together with their supporters, turned against President Lungu, insulting him and accusing him of being the cause of the defeat. Faced with sustained attacks and humiliation, President Lungu made the painful decision to step down as PF President and retire, despite objections from the Patriotic Front Central Committee. In the interim, he appointed individuals to act in leadership positions.
In early 2022, while we were attending parliamentary sessions, Hon. Brian Mundubile received a call from President Lungu inviting him to his government-rented retirement house in Ibex. During that meeting, President Lungu gave Hon. Mundubile a clear and direct instruction: “Run for the PF presidency. Based on how well we have worked together and your good heart for the party, I have decided that you should contest. Put your foot in the door.” Hon. Mundubile returned to Parliament and did not immediately share this information. Prior to that meeting, he had never harboured ambitions of becoming PF President or Republican President. His focus was simply to serve the people of Mporokoso as their Member of Parliament and retire honourably.
Subsequently, President Lungu personally reached out to several of us whom he trusted, instructing us to support Hon. Brian Mundubile for the PF presidency. As loyal lieutenants, we immediately moved to implement his directive. Hon. Mundubile assembled a formidable team and put in place an effective campaign machinery that quickly gained momentum.
However, before long, the same individuals who had undermined President Lungu while he was in power began feeding him falsehoods about Hon. Mundubile. They alleged without any evidence that he was meeting President Hakainde Hichilema through the Republican Vice President, who is his relative; that he was funding insults against President Lungu; and advanced many other outright lies. Hon. Mundubile never responded to these accusations just as he remains silent today. When these tactics failed, they shifted strategy and began persuading President Lungu to return to active politics.
They exploited the confusion that arose when Hon. Miles Sampa, with the aid of the UPND, took over the party following the cancellation of a conference and his suspension by the acting President just as they are today suspending and expelling anyone who opposes them. Despite knowing fully well that the party had been compromised with the assistance of those in government, they convinced President Lungu to return to active politics.
When President Lungu later brought opposition political parties together under the UKA (United Kwacha Alliance), these same individuals turned against him once again. They attacked UKA members, undermined the initiative, and subjected President Lungu to sustained insults. Eventually, and painfully, he withdrew from UKA and later formed the Tonse Alliance.
Throughout this entire period, the lies against Hon. Brian Mundubile never stopped. However, when President Lungu returned to active politics, Hon. Mundubile stepped back, halted all his activities, and instructed his supporters many of whom had been mobilised on President Lungu’s own instruction to rally behind the boss wholeheartedly and to mobilise in support of President Lungu.
Yet the propaganda persisted. At one point, it was falsely alleged that Hon. Mundubile had bribed judges in President Lungu’s eligibility case so that the courts could rule against President Lungu, thereby allegedly paving the way for Hon. Mundubile to become President. He was also wrongly accused of being behind Mr. Chirufya Tayali, despite the fact that Mr. Tayali was President Lungu’s trusted associate. Indeed, it was President Lungu himself who instructed Hon. Simumba and I to go to the police station and assist Mr. Tayali when he was arrested.
Today, President Lungu is no more. It is therefore deeply troubling that some people still wish to continue dragging his name through the mud to cover up their own failures. Some of you were explicitly told by President Lungu that you were not supposed to contest the PF presidency, but were instead advised to serve loyally and that, when the party returned to government, you would be considered for other senior positions, including Speaker of the National Assembly.
Let us be sincere. Our leaders must demonstrate honesty and integrity. Do not betray Edgar Chagwa Lungu even in death. His greatest desire was to see a united Patriotic Front. He embraced everyone including those who openly insulted and hated him despite knowing their intentions.
Please stop mentioning President Lungu to justify your failures. Accept responsibility. Accept the failure to apply wisdom at this critical hour. Call for the conference and choose a new leader!. The confusion in the party is not his doing it is the result of betrayal, dishonesty, and poor leadership choices.
NAPITA MUKWAI!!!!!!!!
No he did not, actually from the time of sata through till the end of elc pf has been a confused grouping, sata managed to get state power by taking advantage of illiteracy, low calibre cadres, honestly speaking pf should not have ruled this country. Leaders are a depiction of the calibre of the country’s citizens, the reason why we are happy to escort and dance around thieves, of late even high estimated religious organisations like catholic has joined into the Zambian culture of praising criminals. If not checked and the masses not releasing as to who deserve praises gang ll take over the streets and capture state powers, we came millimeters short of it under pf but the masses are advocating for such type of environment. It ll not be easy for you people, brutally doesn’t respect tribe, race nor status all they want is the best luxury life for the gang itself. Give it a try I promise you you ll not enjoy it at all and getting back to normalcy is not easy either. So as early as yesterday whether CATHOLIC, PENTECOSTAL, JW, SAD or MUSLIM even the circulars let’s start advocating for the truth, not whatever upnd says cause you’re a member is correct, not because you’re catholic a stealing Grace is a thief only then ll create a state of accountability and nit a criminal worshipping one
Why do PF members mention ECL forgetting the Owner of the party Michael chilufya Sata. I’m so shocked to pay a blind eye on the founder and praise a non influential character. No wonder the Spirits for Michael chilufya Sata are annoyed hence the confusion in PF.
So what is the purpose of the party constitution?
If power transfer is going to be carried out by finger pointing.
If these chaps can not follow their own constitution, they will even be less inclined to follow the national constitution. Zambia does not need lawless misleaders.
When are you going to talk about what the living desire?
Why should the reference be a man who is long gone? Is PF a party for the dead or the living?