Time is a weapon: PF’s Survival Demands Strategy, Not Court Battles- Dr Mwelwa

Time is a weapon: PF’s Survival Demands Strategy, Not Court Battles

By Dr Mwelwa

Pf is a vehicle to State House. If you board a bus from Chipata to Lusaka and it breaks down beyond repair, would you wait by the roadside or find another bus to complete the journey? Politics demands the same realism.

The Patriotic Front was once a strong bus, but under indecision, coups, and legal entanglements, it has broken down. Miles Sampa seized control, Chabinga now holds the certificate, and leaders like Given Lubinda delayed action until the wheels completely fell off.

President Edgar Lungu was forced out of retirement because the acting leadership failed. Yet today, even after his death, PF’s confusion persists. Court battles, factional wars, and cadre violence have replaced discipline, strategy, and a clear roadmap.

The refusal by Judge Chiyanwa Zulu to sign the Consent Order proves this problem will not be solved soon. The case has been thrown into trial. Litigation moves slowly, and every delay works in favor of the ruling party.

UPND understands that time is a weapon. The longer PF fights in court, the weaker it looks in public. Ordinary Zambians see a party consumed by wrangles while the nation faces hunger, joblessness, and a high cost of living.

PF must think beyond litigation. A serious political movement cannot sit by the roadside waiting for a broken vehicle to move. It must redirect its passengers—its MPs, mayors, councilors, and grassroots—to a new, functional vehicle.

That vehicle could be a Special Purpose Vehicle within the Tonse Alliance. It could be another opposition party willing to open its structures. The point is to preserve unity, numbers, and strategy before Parliament dissolves.

History favors those who adapt. Kaunda built coalitions. Sata mobilized through the people when courts and systems stood against him. Those who survived politically never allowed legal traps to distract them from the will of the masses.

PF must be honest with itself. It cannot hold a convention in its current state, it cannot fundraise effectively, and it cannot field a candidate without resolving leadership. Time is too short to wait for miracles from the courts.

The wisdom is simple: direct members nationwide to resign from PF en masse and join a party of choice under Tonse. Preserve the structures, protect the grassroots, and channel them into a winning vehicle. Zambia’s future cannot wait by the roadside.