🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Kampyongo Challenges Makebi Zulu Victory, Says PF Convention “Illegal”
Fresh divisions have emerged within the Patriotic Front (PF) after Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament Stephen Kampyongo rejected the outcome of last week’s convention that declared lawyer Makebi Zulu as party president.
Kampyongo, a former Home Affairs Minister, has argued that the process itself was flawed and unlawful, insisting that the party could not validly hold a general conference while a matter remains before the courts.
“Convening a general conference before the Court of Appeal delivers judgment is unlawful,” he said, adding that any leadership outcome from that gathering “has no legal standing.”
His remarks introduce a legal dimension to what had already been a politically contested process.
The convention, described by some insiders as secretive, produced results that have circulated widely on social media, showing Makebi Zulu leading with 49.2 percent from 110 districts. He was followed by Chitalu Chilufya (34.1 percent), Given Lubinda (8.7 percent), Chanda Katotobwe (4.8 percent), Greyford Monde (1.9 percent) and Chishimba Kambwili (1.4 percent).
However, the absence of public concession from key losing candidates and now open rejection from figures like Kampyongo suggests the outcome is far from settled within the party.
The dispute now sits at the intersection of law and internal politics. With the Court of Appeal yet to pronounce itself on the broader PF leadership wrangles, the legitimacy of any convention held in the interim is likely to remain contested.
This development deepens uncertainty within the former ruling party as it approaches the August 13 general elections, with multiple factions, competing claims of authority and ongoing court processes continuing to shape its internal dynamics.
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