KALABA ENDORSED BY CONTROVERSIAL FORMER PF MINISTER KAMBWILI
Former Patriotic Front minister Dr Chishimba Kambwili has publicly endorsed Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba ahead of the August general election.
Kambwili, a former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, remains one of Zambia’s most polarising political figures. Nicknamed “The Bulldozer” for his combative, populist style, he retains a following among segments of grassroots voters, particularly on the Copperbelt.
However Kambwili’s record is heavily contested. In November 2023 he was convicted of hate speech for tribal remarks deemed to express hatred and ridicule, broadcast during the 2021 campaign.
The Kasama High Court upheld his five-month prison sentence with hard labour in July 2025, which he subsequently served. His conduct has drawn scrutiny on other occasions too. Back in 2014 whilst Kambwili was Youth and Sports Minister, he stormed the ZNBC newsroom and harassed Director of News and Current Affairs Kenneth Maduma, ordering him to remove certain items from the main news bulletin.
His history of dramatic political defections, founding the NDC, breaking with the PF, then realigning with it, has also led critics to characterise him as opportunistic.
The bottom line for Kalaba is that this endorsement, whatever weight it carries, comes with complications and controversy.