Mulongoti seeks Kambwili’s
presidency in PF rebranding
By Charles Tembo
THE rebranding of PF to be strong in 2026 needs the presidency of Chishimba Kambwili, says MacDonald Mulongoti.
Mulongoti, who is Copperbelt PF media director and a former Chingola mayor, said the PF can bounce back in 2026 if it is led by a populist leader like Kambwili.
He said Kambwili was a replica of PF founder Michael Sata.
“The Patriotic Front party is likely to bounce back in 2026 especially if it is led by a populist leader such as Chishimba Kambwili. Hitherto, most people still regard Dr Kambwili as Sata’s replica,” he said. “His speech charisma and forceful approach towards work earns him a resounding political advantage. He always demands immediate solutions to problems and that is something people find intriguing about him. As such genuine rebranding ought to start with such an insightful decision.”
Mulongoti cited the 2019 Roan parliamentary by-election as a strong case of Kambwili’s political strength.
“If you recall, in April 2019 during the Roan parliamentary by-election, the Kambwili-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) despite being a fledgling party beat then ruling PF which had done all it could,” he added. “Joseph Chishala’s victory was wholly ascribed to Chishimba Kambwili because he had done a lot in that constituency. Kambwili was one of the few members of parliament who visited their constituencies regularly and attended to the needs of the constituents.”
Mulongoti said it was absolutely naïve and a myth to suggest that a political party could not form government again once it lost power.
He said this was just an illusion enveloped in sheer despair.
“If individuals can bounce back, what can stop a political party from doing the same? History can be rewritten if we are objective enough,” Mulongoti said. “I say so because the PF is still popular and intact as evidenced by the recent electoral victories in the Kaumbwe parliamentary and council chairperson by-elections in Eastern Province only two months after the last general election.”
He said the victories had nothing to do with the alleged PF’s ethnic marginalisation message but a mere afterthought.
“If more by-elections were to be held now, say on the Copperbelt Province, I can assure you the PF would scoop most of them because what people see is not in tandem with their expectations according to the UPND campaign promises. It’s astounding that the government could propose to increase fuel pump price and electricity tariffs next year, a move which will negatively affect the prices of goods and services,” said Mulongoti. “For the most part, PF lost because party cadres portrayed discredited behaviour towards almost everyone causing people to live in fear. As a result, people generally detested the party. Messy adoption processes also exacerbated the situation whereby popular poor aspirants were sidelined for the rich yet unpopular individuals, believing that anyone contesting on the PF ticket would obviously win. Those are some of the major issues which must be looked into during the rebranding process.”