By Chilufya Tayali
PF WILL NOT BE ON THE BALLOT IN AUGUST, JUST MOVE ON
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Imagine a thief breaks into a house and steals a television set. He takes it home and even tells his wife that the TV was stolen. A few days later, the couple quarrels. The following day, the wife leaves the house and takes the television with her.
The man then goes to the police station and reports that his wife has taken “his” TV. After investigations, the police discover the truth, that, the television was originally stolen. Now the question arises:
If the police recover the TV, who should it be returned to? Should it go back to the original owner from whom it was stolen, or to the thief who is now claiming that his wife took it from him?
This simple story reflects the current situation involving Miles Sampa and the Patriotic Front (PF).
The PF was originally led by former President Edgar Lungu. Later, Miles Sampa assumed control of the party structures. At some point, he handed over authority to Morgan Ng’ona, who was serving as Secretary General. However, Morgan later broke ranks with Sampa and aligned himself with other political interests.
The courts have since ruled that the PF should remain under the leadership of Miles Sampa. But the story does not end there.
Morgan Ng’ona has already appealed the decision, meaning the legal battle over the control and legitimacy of the Patriotic Front is far from over. Just like in the story of the stolen television, the bigger question remains:
who is the rightful owner?
On one side are those aligned with Edgar Lungu, who believe the PF was taken away from them. On the other side is Miles Sampa, who maintains that the PF under his leadership is the legitimate party.
Because of these deep divisions, Registrar of societies as the institutions that regulate political parties, may still face a difficult decision about which PF to recognize as authentic.
In short, while Miles Sampa may celebrate the court judgment of yesterday, he is still deep in the woods politically. With the appeal already filed by Morgan Ng’ona, the matter is far from settled.
For that reason, I strongly believe we are unlikely to see the Patriotic Front appearing on the ballot papers in the upcoming elections in a clear and unified form.
Those who have already moved on politically should continue focusing on the future rather than looking back.
The PF brand alone will not resolve this conflict, and no one should assume that the struggle for its control has come to an end.
TAYALI THE PUBLIC LAWYER OF THE PUBLIC COURT OF OPINIONS!!!