PF Chaos Deepens as Senior Officials Confront Lubinda Over “Illegal” Purge

 MATTERS ARISING | PF Chaos Deepens as Senior Officials Confront Lubinda Over “Illegal” Purge

The Patriotic Front has entered a new phase of internal rupture after seven senior officials delivered a formal demand letter to Acting President Given Lubinda, accusing him of violating the party constitution, defying court orders, and purging rivals to secure personal control ahead of the long-delayed general conference.

According to the letter addressed to Mr Lubinda, PF National Chairperson Hon Emmanuel Mpakata, former Secretary General Hon Davies Mwila, Acting Secretary General Brenda Nyirenda, Northern Provincial Chairperson Chomba Chipili, Lusaka Provincial Chairperson Hon Shakafuswa, and MCCs Melissian Phiri and KAWANGU have demanded that Mr Lubinda “rescind his illegal decision” to remove them from the Central Committee.

The letter states that Mr Lubinda’s actions amount to “a crime over court contempt” because a court order currently restrains PF and rival factions from making structural changes. The group insists that none of them faced charges before the disciplinary committee and that Mr Lubinda acted “at night while everyone was asleep,” a line intended to frame the purge as clandestine and authoritarian.

A senior official familiar with the party constitution told The People’s Brief that under PF rules, expulsions must be initiated by a disciplinary process and confirmed by the Central Committee.

The claim is that Mr Lubinda bypassed both steps.

Hon Mpakata, speaking to associates, warned that Mr Lubinda risks “plunging the party into a legal abyss” because he allegedly ignored the standing order from the High Court directing all PF factions to maintain the status quo until the main leadership dispute is resolved.

The letter also references advice allegedly given by former Vice President Inonge Wina, who is said to have urged Mr Lubinda to reverse the purge but “he does not want to listen.”

The new front against Mr Lubinda is politically significant because it unites figures who rarely cooperate. Davies Mwila backs Brian Mundubile. Brenda Nyirenda is linked to the Musonda-Mpakata block. Chomba Chipili commands Northern Province structures.

Their joint action signals a coordinated push to stop what they describe as Lubinda’s attempt to “stage-manage” the conference by eliminating key rivals.

This week’s escalation comes days after Mr Mwila publicly urged PF members to “join other political parties” because PF is “no longer there,” a statement that provoked immediate backlash from Miles Sampa who told him to “shut up” and accused him of destroying PF in 2021 through violent cadres and corrupt adoptions.

Mr Lubinda has not yet issued a formal response, but allies within his enclave argue that he is the only figure capable of preventing the party from splitting before the 2026 elections. Critics reject that claim.

One PF insider told us, “This is no longer about unity. It is survival. Lubinda wants to arrive at the conference with a Central Committee he can control.”

The broader context is Bill 7 politics. PF grassroots are already suspicious that some MPs may vote with UPND. The fight for party control is therefore tied to fear that a manipulated Central Committee could negotiate political deals or decide adoption lists in 2026.

This latest confrontation adds to the party’s growing instability, as legal battles, factional warfare, and mutual accusations dominate its internal calendar. The court order on the PF case remains in force. Any further purges risk attracting contempt proceedings.

More updates will follow as the situation develops.

© The People’s Brief | Francine Lilu