Fistfights, Factions, and Fury: PF Central Committee Meeting Erupts Into Chaos

Fistfights, Factions, and Fury: PF Central Committee Meeting Erupts Into Chaos

Lusaka, 2 November 2025

What was meant to be a decisive meeting to chart the Patriotic Front’s path toward the 2026 general elections turned into a storm of shouting, shoving, and near-violence, as deep divisions and ethnic rivalries ripped through the party’s Central Committee on Sunday afternoon.

The meeting, held at the PF Secretariat in Lusaka and chaired by Acting Party President Given Lubinda, drew about 50 senior members, including Jean Kapata, Nkandu Luo, and Kampamba Mulenga. But before long, unity gave way to open hostility.

The main point of contention was whether the party should hold an extraordinary convention to elect a new party president and presidential candidate ahead of the 2026 polls.

Supporters of Lubinda argued passionately that he should be endorsed directly by the Central Committee as the PF’s flagbearer, bypassing what they described as a “wasteful” convention. However, a rival faction, mainly younger members and provincial leaders, insisted on a democratic process, demanding a full convention to elect new leadership.

The debate quickly turned ugly and volatile. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as tempers flared. At one point, Stardy Mwale and Chomba Chipili, the party’s provincial chairpersons for the Copperbelt and Northern Province, respectively, reportedly lunged at Celestine Mukandila, a close Lubinda ally, after he cited legal arguments against the convention.

“People were shouting, chairs were almost flying, it was that bad,” said one committee member who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It stopped just short of a full-blown fight.”

After hours of fierce wrangling, the Central Committee narrowly voted in favor of holding the convention. It was agreed that the event will take place on 29 November 2025 at the PF Provincial Office in Ndola.

Due to financial constraints, the gathering will be limited to around 350 delegates, with a budget of less than K3 million.

To raise funds, presidential aspirants will each pay a K200,000 nomination fee, while candidates for Central Committee positions will pay K1,000. Nominations open on 3 November, and campaigning will officially begin once fees are paid. Those who had previously paid will not be charged again.

The meeting also confirmed that all members in good standing will be eligible to vote and stand for the presidency. This clarification followed questions about whether Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, a potential frontrunner, should be allowed to contest given his pending court cases.

Lubinda’s supporters reportedly opposed Chilufya’s participation, arguing it could “tarnish the party’s image,” but the committee ultimately ruled that no member will be disqualified on that basis.

In a surprising twist, the committee agreed to form an ad hoc team to quietly explore the creation or adoption of another political party amid ongoing court disputes over PF’s ownership.
However, members agreed that this issue was too sensitive and confidential to discuss openly, fearing leaks and political repercussions.

By the time the meeting adjourned, the atmosphere was described as toxic and fractured, with regional alliances hardening and trust collapsing among members.

Insiders say the events at the Lusaka Secretariat laid bare the PF’s internal power struggle, a battle not just for leadership, but for the soul of a party still reeling from its 2021 electoral defeat.

“This was not a meeting,  it was a battlefield,” one senior member remarked grimly afterward. “If things continue this way, the PF may not even make it to 2026 in one piece.”