PF WILL BE GRAVELY IMPACTED BY PROTRACTED ECL LEGAL BATTLES
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
Today, two major events have happened that are in public interest and worth discussing.
Firstly, the Pretoria High Court ordered the family of the late sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) and Two Mountains, to surrender the body of ECL to the Government for repatriation and subsequent burial at Lusaka’s Embassy Park.
The second development is that of the family successfully filing a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court on grounds that the Pretoria High Court erred in granting reliefs sought by the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
By securing the appeal, it means the Government of the Republic of Zambia cannot access or move ECL’s body until the matter is determined by a court of higher jurisdiction.
Inadvertently, this new development will lead to a protracted legal process whose time frame for a final verdict remains unknown, at least for now. This process could drag on for another three to five or even seven months.
It’s therefore safe to assume that the protracted legal battle between the ECL family and the Government is likely to impact the future and structures of the former ruling party in one way or the other.
Firstly, information that is publicly available from several senior PF party leaders, indicate that decisions around the ECL funeral are made by the family and not the party leadership.
The party leadership on its part, has assumed a moral stance to support and stand with the family regarding decisions made concerning the movement and burial arrangements of the ECL remains.
Consequently, there’s now a very thin line between the family and the party with regards to moving forward after the demise of ECL.
It’s now very clear that as long as ECL remains unburied, however long it takes, the PF will not be in a position to reorganise itself.
Morally and by implication, the party “conclave” is deliberately bound and can not make the decision to choose a suitable successor as long as ECL is lying a mortuary.
While this spirit of empathy and Ubuntu is highly commendable, PF’s competitors are seeing this as a strategic weakness they can exploit to gain political mileage and infiltrate PF structures to their advantage.
Given that the family has exercised its right to appeal, the next legal phase is likely to have a telling effect on the future of the party and it’s structures few months into elections next year.
Already, publicly available evidence points to the fact that senior PF members are heavily invested in the funeral at the expense of campaigning during by-elections. The results of a dismal PF performance in recent by-elections is there for everyone to see.
The temptation is huge to try and blame a poor show on a number of factors, but the public should remember that against all odds, team spirit prevailed in the Petauke Parliamentary by-election where PF retained its seat.
The above truth alone shows that if PF can reorganise itself and focus on restrategising, not all hope is lost. The place of the PF in next year’s elections is so crucial that the larger opposition groups are looking for a PF hand and the support of its massive structures if they are going to secure a victory against an organised UPND with the full force of incumbancy.
On the above premise, the PF may still have to respect the ECL family wishes, but make a painful but necessary decision to choose a successor if the party is going make any meaningful participation in next year’s elections.
Coincidentally, on the day of the ECL judgement, another party stalwart and former Minister of Defence Davies Chama was sent behind bars for 8 years.
It’s a fact that PF is in decline, just count the number of parliamentary seats they have lost within a short space of time. To rise from these setbacks requires a bold and decisive new leadership to shakeoff the weight of political machinations and arouse the roar of structures and foot soldiers to guarantee a coveted splendid performance during next year’s elections.
The protracted confusion is being caused by Mama Lungu herself and that ECL’s Sister other family members seem to be followers blame not the government of the Republic of Zambia. Makebi Zulu can’t surrender for obvious psychological reasons. Though seasoned lawyer, l don’t think he has ever gone through these hills and mountains.
By now we would have been comfortably saying ECL rest in peace at the embassy park. Surely, what’s wrong with that?
Mama Lungu still doesn’t agree with the judgement by Pretoria Court. What’s this now? What’s behind this force and Why so much force of rejection? What are they scared of? The government should go on we want to know the reality. If not “We” then “I” want to know. It is strange than a stranger.
Imagine since 2015 Mulungushi Elections there has been confusion in ECL’s regime and now worse in his death, who can explain this?
100000% with you on that
The higher law courts of South Africa will spare PF stupidity by rejecting and throwing out the appeal in it’s entirety if it’s true they have succeeded to stay
Its just unfathomable that the body of a former head of state should be allowed to stay in morgue of a foreign country for any longer.Wasnt it the basic logic behind the earlier courts decision to dispose of this case ASAP?
Clearly the PF will run out of time for preparation for 2026 general elections. Not forgetting that PF needs an anchor party in Tonse Alliance which is NCP of Reverend Peter Chanda. And then, elect a Presidential candidate. Already, there are manouvres to sideline Given Lubinda and sneak in the likes of KBF who is not even PF.
Even us who doesn’t know anything, we are now thinking aloud, is ECL dead?