IS LUBINDA PLAYING MINGALATO PRO MAX ?
If you’ve been watching the drama in the Patriotic Front (PF) lately, you might think it’s just another day of cho-chise politics. But if we look closer at Given Lubinda’s recent moves, we might be seeing a masterclass in Mingalato Pro Max.
The first thing to understand is the Miles Sampa move. We all know the drama with Miles, but why is Lubinda suddenly talking about Sampa’s reconciliation with ECL? It isn’t just brotherly love; it’s a strategic move. Lubinda knows that Sampa holds the keys to the house.
By acknowledging Sampa’s legal reality, Lubinda isn’t surrendering, he is trying to rent the party’s legality back. He wants to use Sampa as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to get a candidate on the ballot while he keeps the loyalty of the grassroots. It’s like using someone else’s NRC to buy a SIM card because yours is blocked!
Then there is Lubinda’s role as the “Acting President” Gatekeeper. He keeps mentioning Sata and ECL because, in Zambian politics, names are capital. By holding on to the title ECL gave him, he is positioning himself as the only bridge between the old PF and whatever comes next.
And let’s not forget Makebi and his band of legal eagles. They’ve rebranded themselves as the only defenders of the Lungu family, which is important if you’re organizing a memorial service, but useless if you’re trying to win an election.
Team MZ8’s alliance is to the family, not the party. They are acting like the executors of a will rather than political leaders. They spend all their time talking about respecting the family’s wishes and protecting the legacy, but they’ve forgotten that a political party needs voters, not just relatives.
For Lubinda, Team Makebi seems to be a nuisance. They claim the blessing of the ECL’s name, but they aren’t lifting a finger to help Lubinda unite and actually run the PF.
Ultimately, Lubinda knows that a divided PF is a Christmas gift to the UPND. His unreserved offer to help isn’t him stepping down, it’s him stepping up as the Kingmaker. He wants to be the one who holds the pole while someone else flies the flag. It’s a serious gamble to see if he can reconcile the legal faction with the emotional loyalists before the next election.