What Shall It Profit PF MPs Who Have Betrayed Their Party?
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
In the ever-unfolding drama of Zambian politics, some Members of Parliament (MPs) have proven that loyalty is a cheap, disposable commodity—easily traded for short-term personal gain. “Honorable” MPs like Andrew Lubusha, Jonathan Daka, Anthony Mumba,Robert Chabinga, Miles Sampa, Sunday Chanda, and their fellow turncoats have shamelessly abandoned the Patriotic Front (PF)—the very party that sponsored their rise to Parliament—only to crawl at the feet of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).
These are individuals who campaigned under the PF banner, used PF resources, and begged PF members to vote for them—only to stab the party in the back when it suited their selfish ambitions.
But here’s the burning question: What shall it profit them in 2026 when UPND is sent packing after just one disastrous term?
The Illusion of Safety in UPND
These MPs, desperate to secure personal favors, have convinced themselves that defecting to UPND will guarantee them a future. They sit at State House tables, nodding eagerly at HH’s every word, hoping for a few crumbs from his political feast. They shower him with praise, forgetting that just yesterday they called him unfit to lead.
But political history is not kind to opportunists. When UPND loses power in 2026—as it surely will—what will become of these defectors? Will the UPND shield them from the wrath of the voters they betrayed? Will they return to PF and beg for forgiveness, hoping to be welcomed back like the prodigal sons they are?
Or will they be discarded like used tissue paper, their usefulness to UPND having expired the moment power slips from HH’s grasp?
A Short-Lived Betrayal with Long-Term Consequences
UPND’s governance is already collapsing under its own weight. The economy is crumbling, the cost of living is unbearable, and political violence has become worse under HH’s leadership. Corruption is thriving despite his hollow promises, and the ordinary Zambian who once chanted “Bally Will Fix It” is now whispering, “Bally Has Finished Us.”
Zambians have had enough. The 2026 elections will be a referendum not just against HH but against the entire failed UPND regime.
So, when UPND falls, where will these MPs run?
The PF grassroots will never forget their betrayal. These defectors will return knocking at the door, but they will find it locked. PF will not be a dumping ground for political prostitutes who sold out their party when it needed them the most.
Lessons from Political History
Zambian politics has seen traitors before, and their fate has always been the same—political oblivion. Defectors are only useful for a season. Once the ruling party has used them to weaken the opposition, they are discarded like expired goods.
Today, they are being embraced by UPND, but tomorrow, they will be irrelevant. Their positions will be taken by true UPND loyalists who have served the party for decades. They will be discarded, forgotten, and politically homeless.
The Verdict: Political Oblivion Awaits
These MPs have made a foolish choice. Their betrayal will haunt them in 2026 when the UPND ship sinks. They will have no home in UPND, and PF will not take them back. They have burned every bridge, and when the tides turn, they will be left stranded in the political wilderness.
The people are watching. The grassroots are taking note. The betrayal will not be forgiven.
So, to those MPs who have sold their souls for temporary political survival:
What shall it profit you to betray the party that made you, only to be cast aside when your usefulness runs out?
The clock is ticking. 2026 is coming. And when it does, political oblivion awaits.