LUBINDA AND MUKANDILA IGNORES CONTEMPT OF COURT PAPERS

LUBINDA AND MUKANDILA IGNORES CONTEMPT OF COURT PAPERS

.. the lawyers will handle those matters while the Party continues to work….

The deepening rivalry within the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) over control of the party and the presidential ticket ahead of the August 2026 General Election has taken a decisive legal turn.
The Robert Chabinga-led PF faction has formally served the Given Lubinda faction with Contempt of Court documents obtained from the Kabwe High Court.

The documents were served on PF Acting President Given Lubinda and PF Deputy Secretary General Celestin Mukandila, following the recent expulsion of several PF Members of Parliament and ongoing efforts by the Lubinda camp to organise an Extra-Ordinary Convention, alongside other political activities allegedly conducted in the name of the PF.

According to sources close to the developments, the court action is aimed at restraining the Lubinda faction from what the Chabinga camp views as attempts to hijack party structures while a substantive leadership matter remains before the courts.

“The intention is to preserve the status quo and prevent unilateral decisions that could irreversibly alter party structures ahead of the general elections,” a senior PF insider told this publication.

The power struggle is already manifesting at grassroots level. On the Copperbelt, traditionally a Patriotic Front stronghold, some party structures, particularly in Kitwe, are reported to have been wrestled from the control of the Lubinda faction, further exposing the depth of internal divisions.

Meanwhile, a third camp aligned to former PF MP for Mporokoso Brian Mundubile is also accelerating mobilisation efforts. The Mundubile faction is reportedly securing endorsements from party structures in the Copperbelt and Luapula Provinces, with plans to extend outreach to Northern and Muchinga Provinces.

Sources further indicate that former PF Secretary General Davies Mwila is expected to tour the Copperbelt and Luapula in the coming week to consolidate support and influence grassroots structures to endorse Brian Mundubile’s presidential candidature.

As the situation stands, the PF remains sharply fractured, with loyalty among the Chabinga, Lubinda and Mundubile factions increasingly being tested in both the courts and at grassroots level. With the 2026 General Election fast approaching, the party’s internal turmoil shows little sign of easing, raising serious questions about its cohesion and electoral readiness.