PF MAY BE PAYING HEAVILY FOR POLITICAL LESSONS THEY HAVE REFUSED TO LEARN FROM
A KBN TV Editorial
To know where you are going, they say, you must understand where you are coming from. Past and present political happenings in Zambia are full of lifelong lessons that the former ruling party Patriotic Front should have embraced to learn from in order to avoid the many challenges they are faced with today.
Why should we invest our time writing editorials about the PF, you may ask. PF is not just an ordinary party. They were in opposition, formed Government and were in power for 10 years and they are now back in opposition. This is the party whose formation was shaped by one man’s charisma that propelled it to fame, overrunning the UPND that had been in opposition longer than the PF.
Given the years of experience on both sides of the coin, one expected better from the PF than its current predicament and self inflicted inconveniences.
When President Frederick Chiluba dribbled King Combra Michael Sata and annoited Levy Patrick Mwanawasa as his successor, Sata summoned everything within him and with the help of the Post Newspaper solidly behind him then, he became the people’s favorite, beating Rupiah Banda in an embarrassing defeat that only comes close to the 2021 general elections in which UPND (opposition) beat the PF (in power) with over 1 million votes to spare.
After such a humiliating defeat of the ruling party by an opposition outfit, the expectation was that the PF would retreat and hold a convention with the likes of Brian Mundubile as favourite to take over the party leadership from former President Edgar Lungu who had formally resigned from active politics. The plan was for him to handover power to whoever the convention could have chosen.
This perhaps was the beginning of the problems in PF. No convention was held to choose the new leadership that would address the problems that a post election study revealed as the main reasons for PF’s embarrassing fall from grace.
The first two Parliamentary by-elections after the August 12, 2021 elections in Kwacha and Kabushi, should have taught the PF lessons that the political field of play had changed. They lost both seats and it appears they also lost the lessons.
Fast forward, the PF today has 3 presidents, each one of them claiming legitimacy in the courts of law. The former ruling party may have played in the hands of the state sponsored machinations and the appetite to fight back, may have come too little too late.
As though that is not enough, the ECZ has introduced new rules regarding signing of adoption certificates and so far, any PF candidate from the ECL aligned camp hasn’t been successful at the attempt to participate in recent ward by-elections. Here too, the former ruling party doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from these experiences.
The real problem, it seems, PF officials like to listen to themselves. Big mistake!
Senior officials and former advisors must realize that they are way too invested to offer an objective assessment of the challenges facing the PF.
All things considered, the real trump card for the PF is the UKA Alliance. But even there, the mistakes that sneaked Miles Sampa into the driving seat are being repeated with unilateral declarations such as “UKA is ECL and ECL is UKA.” If the PF doesn’t see any problem with such statements, then we are worried for them.
UKA itself though very promising, has a lot of teething problems but those problems are not insurmountable.
Already, the majority of PF MPs and MCCs have boycotted UKA, which means even among themselves, they are still undecided which way to go. Information reaching us indicates that only 7 out of 58 MPs are remitting their monthly contributions to the party. It’s now 9 months the party is failing to pay its Secretariat staff. These are serious problems.
What should also be bone in mind is that once Parliament is dissolved in two years time, each PF MP will have to choose a ticket to use for their seats. If the court cases have not been decided by then, former MPs may be looking elsewhere, potentially to the UKA Alliance for adoption.
Should the status quo remain the same with ECL, Chabinga and Miles all claiming the presidency of PF, only the UPND version of PF will most likely be allowed on the ballot.
As someone intimated recently “we (PF) have a lot of lessons on how UNIP and MMD died, yet we have failed to learn anything from that and we have done the exact same things that made UNIP and MMD die.”
If PF truly considers UKA as an alternative vehicle, they should show commitment to the Alliance by deeds, not words only. Information reaching us that PF wants to field an independent candidate in the Kawambwa by-election, raises a lot of questions about the party’s sincerIty and commitment to UKA.
The expectation by now is PF should be allowing its candidates to contest by-elections on the Alliance ticket not sponsoring independents.
The PF has senior Leaders like bo Inonge, Guy Scot, ba Bwalya Ngandu they need to consult. Ba Alexander Chikwanda his Soul rest in peace advised ECL at the time not to criminalize ambitions ECL never listened and factions resulted, KBF, Kambwili etc left. The problem with African leaders they all think they are immortal they never want to groom somebody to succeed them, it’s like people succeed by chance, kk had no plans of who would take over, FTJ the same, Mwanawasa was just an afterthought after failure of 3rd term bid. RB had none just like SATA, ECL was just product of circumstances. Even HH has no successor that that can carry the UPND mantle forward. In South Africa’s ANC the party president is voted for to have legitimacy to take over but in Zambia its swangwapo.
To save oneself from being hysterical like a hyena lets just accept PF died with SATA, what exists now is confused chaps devoid of direction. There are no opposition parties in Zambia
Mwila, agreed. Nowonder Sata described everyone as useless.
Edgar lungu failed to give guidance to this PF criminal party,as a good leader was suppose leave power to someone not him but because of his stinginess the man doesn’t want to handover power to someone.Edgar lungu is married to a useless wife who can not advice the husband,no wonder mps stopped giving money to the party.
PF is finished whether part of uka or not. Firstly if they are relying on ECL to be their candidate then they are wrongly mistaken because the concourt ruling is coming against ECL in September which will throw him out of the race. Secondly once he is out no one from uka will accept any PF person to lead them.
ECL figure is the cause of trouble in both the un registered UKA and PF of functions.If only they through away the ECL come back and go on the drawing board.Without this approach they will be left by the time bus.Who ever advises them is seen to be un wise .
This is introspect. It is a start. Be couragous enough to look at the details, the facts and stomach aside. If you guys truely believe in the cause. Finance is will not be a problem. (A problem that we have placed front and center of politics in Zambia).
Reading the article I quote:
1.When President Frederick Chiluba dribbled King Combra Michael Sata and annoited Levy Patrick Mwanawasa as his successor.
Lets be Honest, Sata was not sincere to hinself or the people of Zambia as he was the only Minister at the time who supported the 3rd term of Chiluba. Who want to trust or vote for such a man that stood for the very reason we “kicked Kaunda out”. Its only logical and for the sake of the party (MMD) at the time that he finds someone who appealed to the people and stood for what MMD stood for at the time.
2. “Information reaching us indicates that only 7 out of 58 MPs are remitting their monthly contributions to the party. It’s now 9 months the party is failing to pay its Secretariat staff. These are serious problems.”
In the time PF was in power, no one though of a sustainable means of operation? The said Acting President Lubinda and his Secretary with the all manner of folks that troop to visit people in jail to provide matteresses and water. Yet, people that keep the secretariate running remain unpaid? Wow…and these people want to run the country? With all due respect Political Parties need to think about what they stand of. If they stand for people, people will stand for them. Well wishers with even as little as K1, will contribute monthly because they believe in the cause. Sadly, they have come to rely on big fish that when in power look at the “big fish” interest when it comes to voting the “big fish” votes dont make a difference.
Secondly, we have turned politics and politicians into status symbols instead of stewards. People who seek to serve people and think that we can buy votes by “handouts and brown envelopes”. Under UPND if left unchecked, this has shifted to maize and “social cash benefits”, an entitlement that on the ground should be managed by civil servants but is being disbursed by “party officials”; wherein abuse is surseptible.
Yes, Indigo, Ambassador of lies jump up and down. But this is the difference between us. When some of us say we are not partisan, we point out what is wrong and would like done right not because I seek public office but for greater good.
But back to my point. Political parties need to be self sustaining. Supported by members that believe in the cause. Have a set of values, priniciples. Which We dont see in PF.
But this article is a start of introspection. If Ba Lungu doesnt have this outlook. Let the PF members not be Judases. Seeking a leader for 30 pieces of silver. Seek leaders that will seek the lives that Zambians want. Mature people that dont lie and spread lies to win people over. At some point the “lyrics” will run out. Then what do you have to offer? Seek leaders that are selfless. Treasury is not a personal purse to abuse. Seek leaders that have integrity.