Lungu, Lubinda created the ‘monsters’ in Sampa, Chabinga – Simon Mwila
OPPOSITION lawyer Simon Mwila has blamed former president Edgar Lungu and Patriotic Front (PF) faction leader Given Lubinda for what he describes as the “monstrous behaviour” of Miles Sampa and Robert Chabinga, arguing that the turmoil rocking the PF is self inflicted.
Mwila said the late former head of state and Lubinda failed to manage ambition and succession within the party, creating conditions that allowed opportunism to flourish.
He argued that Chabinga is merely exploiting a political environment created by senior PF leaders, rather than being the root cause of the party’s crisis.
“In all honesty, late president Edgar Chagwa Lungu and Hon Given Lubinda are the ones who awakened a sleeping monster in Hon Miles Sampa. In doing so, they indirectly created another monster in Hon Robert Chabinga,” Mwila said.
Mwila contended that the developments unfolding in the PF are not isolated incidents but symptoms of deeper institutional decay.
“What we are witnessing is not just the rise of an opportunist. It is the slow erosion of internal political discipline. Political parties rarely collapse because of external attacks, they collapse when they fail to manage ambition, popularity and succession from within,” he said.
According to Mwila, the PF has developed a culture of self sabotage, where emerging leaders who resonate with grassroots members are treated with suspicion rather than studied or embraced.
“Every time a figure emerges who connects with the grassroots, the first reaction is not reflection but suspicion. Instead of asking why the membership is responding, labels are quickly applied. Desperate. UPND project. MMD guy. Sellout,” he said.
He cited Mporokoso MP Brian Mundubile as an example, noting that despite his growing popularity within the party, his influence is viewed as a threat rather than an asset.
“That tells you everything about the current mindset. A party that fears its own popular figures cannot defeat an opponent,” Mwila said.
He warned that constant suspicion and internal conflict continue to create political space for opportunists to thrive, insisting that the crisis facing the PF is not about individuals but leadership failure.
“This is not a Chabinga problem. It is a leadership failure problem,” he said.
Mwila further argued that political “monsters” are rarely born but are created by poor leadership choices and internal chaos.
He cautioned that unless the PF resolves its internal contradictions and accepts an “obvious” successor capable of uniting the opposition, the party risks handing the ruling UPND an easy victory in the 2026 general elections.
“As things stand, we may simply be wasting taxpayers’ money printing ballot papers because UPND will carry the day with ease,” Mwila said.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, December 22, 2025
Let those who have ears hear.
The Red Tape