Who shall lead the Patriotic Front into the 2026 elections?
According to Article 60 of the Constitution of Zambia, Amendment Act No. 2 of 2016, a political party has the right to – (a) disseminate information on social and economic programmes of a national character and of its political ideology; (b) sponsor candidates for election or nomination to a State office in respect of which elections are required to be held; and (c) conduct primary elections for the selection of candidates.
The PF shall hold its national convention in March 2023 to choose a party president who shall not only succeed Mr Edgar Lungu but also lead the party into the 2026 general elections. So by now, the PF should be preparing for the convention. The Zambia Police should also be preparing to police the convention. Police have to prepare adequately so as to maintain law and order during and after the convention and to ensure a credible, free, and fair convention.
And if what we saw during the funeral procession of Mr Tutwa Ngulube is anything to go by, Zambia Police should prepare adequately for obvious reasons; firstly, history tells us that political violence has been part of Zambian political DNA from the word go. Zambian politics have always been associated with violence. Secondly, Zambia saw the most vicious army of political ‘cadres’ during the PF era. The use of violence as a form of political mobilisation became more acute during the PF rule. Thirdly, violence is what characterised the convention that produced Mr Edgar Lungu as PF president in 2014.
The application fee for those contesting the PF presidency at the 2023 convention was pegged at K200,000 and K100,000 for male and female applicants respectively. These exorbitant application fees attracted public attention, with some members of society calling for a probe on the sources of the money. Ultimately, eight – all male applicants – managed to file in their nominations. Let us now look at the eight PF presidential hopefuls.
1. Mr Greyford Monde
He is a 45-year old businessman who was first elected member of parliament for Itezhi Tezhi constituency in 2011 on the UPND ticket. He ditched the UPND and got appointed as deputy minister for agriculture and fisheries under President Michael Sata. When Mr Edgar Lungu succeeded President Sata as Republican President in 2015, Mr Lungu brought back Mr Monde as a full cabinet minister in charge of fisheries and livestock. In 2016, he contested the Itezhi Tezhi seat on the PF ticket and lost. Since then, he has been quiet. However, he is back and offering himself to lead the PF as their president.
2. Mr Mutotwe Kafwaya
He is a 46-year old accountant and currently serving as Lunte PF member of parliament. He was first elected MP in 2016 and went on to serve as works and supply minister in 2018 before he was moved to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in 2019. Not much is known about him politically. However, he too is offering himself as a presidential hopeful for the PF.
3. Mr Emmanuel Mwamba
He is a 51-year old Evelyn Hone College trained journalist. Prior to the PF forming government, he was a fierce critic of late President Sata. He served as spokesperson for the late president Frederick Chiluba until the latter’s death in June 2011. Shockingly, and to the surprise of many political commentators, President Sata appointed him as permanent secretary in Western, Northern, and Eastern provinces, and at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services. He later on went to serve as Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa and as Ambassador to Ethiopia under President Edgar Lungu. Politically, not much can be said about him. However, he is regarded in high esteem by his peers as a chief propagandist. He is confidently offering himself as PF presidential candidate.
4. Mr Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile
He is a 51-year old lawyer and businessman. He first went to parliament in 2016 on the PF ticket under Mporokoso constituency. He went on to serve as provincial minister for Northern Province. In 2019, he served as government chief whip and is the current leader of opposition in parliament. Politically, not much is known about him. However, his supporters look at him as being a clean politician who can successfully challenge the incumbent Republican President Mr Hakainde Hichilema. He is considered to be sober, mature and civil in his way of conducting politics. He too is offering himself for the top PF leadership job.
5. Dr Chitalu Chilufya
He is a 50-year old medical doctor and businessman. He appeared on the political scene in 2011 when he contested the Mansa Central parliamentary seat on the MMD ticket and lost to PF’s Kennedy Sakeni. Following Mr Kennedy Sakeni’s death in 2013, he contested the seat under the PF and won. He was appointed deputy minister of health by President Sata and later promoted to full cabinet minister in the same ministry by President Lungu. His political life has been marred with unending corruption allegations and arrests. With the coming in of the new dawn government, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) restarted some cases against him and among the cases is the infamous Honeybee scandal. He is offering himself for the vacant position of PF president.
6. Mr Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, aka, GBM
He is a 63-year old businessman and politician. He first contested the Kabwata parliamentary seat in 2006 on the MMD ticket and lost to current acting PF president Given Lubinda. When Saviour Chishimba resigned as Kasama Central PF member of parliament in 2009, Mr Mwamba stood on the PF ticket. He won the seat and served as Kasama Central MP from 2009 to 2016. Following the PF victory in 2011, President Sata appointed him as defence minister. However, in 2013, he resigned his ministerial post due to differences he had with President Sata. After the death of President Sata in 2014 and a failed go at the PF presidency, he left the PF and joined UPND in 2015 where he was appointed Vice-President. In 2016, he was President Hakainde Hichilema’s running mate in an election the duo lost to President Edgar Lungu and Madam Inonge Wina. In April 2019, he rejoined the PF and vowed to dismantle the UPND. He too is offering himself for the vacant PF presidency.
7. Mr Chishimba Kambwili
He is a 53-year old politician and businessman. He claims to be a founding member of the PF party. His followers call him “baby cobra’’. He was first elected to parliament on the PF ticket in 2006 and served as MP for Roan constituency in Luanshya until 2017 when he was expelled from the PF. Under President Sata, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour, and Sport and Youth. Then President Edgar Lungu appointed him as minister of information and broadcasting before firing him in November 2016. He was fired a few days after President Lungu had threatened to start dealing with corrupt ministers in his cabinet. Later in 2017, he was also expelled from the PF alongside Mr Mwenya Musenge after allegations of destabilising the PF. After the expulsion, Mr Kambwili went on to form the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party. The NDC, backed by the UPND, contested the Roan parliamentary by-election and caused an upset when they won the seat by beating the then ruling PF. As NDC president, the outspoken Mr Kambwili proved to be a thorn in president Lungu’s flesh. However, three months before the 2021 general elections, Kambwili rejoined the PF and pledged to campaign and support president Lungu. In an effort to impress president Lungu during the 2021 general election campaigns, Mr Kambwili went on a dangerous tribal campaign which some political analysts feel contributed greatly to the PF defeat in the general elections. He is confidently offering himself for the vacant PF presidency.
8. Mr Miles Bwalya Sampa
He is a 52-year old agricultural economist . He was first elected as MP for Matero in 2011 and served as deputy minister at the Ministry of Finance and at commerce under the late president Sata. He is currently serving as Matero MP on the PF ticket. This is his second shot at the PF presidency after a similar attempt in 2014. Mr Sampa lost to Mr Edgar Lungu at the 2014 PF convention held at Mulungushi Rock of Authority in Kabwe. With Mr Lungu’s ascendancy to power, Mr Sampa formed the Democratic Front party in 2016. However, the registration of the party was revoked and cancelled due to party ownership wrangles. 2016 being an election year, Mr Sampa joined hands with the UPND in campaigning against the PF. Following the PF victory, Mr Sampa went back to the PF as an ordinary member. In 2018, Mr Sampa was adopted to stand as Lusaka mayor following the death of Mr Wilson Kalumba. In 2021, he was readopted to contest the Matero seat under PF. Mr Sampa is considered hard working by his faithfuls. However, his political opponents regard him as being childish. He is amongst the eight candidates vying for the top PF job.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are the presidential candidates for the vacant PF top job. The questions are; who shall lead the PF into the 2026 general elections? Who from this list shall lead the PF to the Promised Land again? The truth is that whoever becomes the PF president has a lot of work to do. He will be expected to perform miracles because the PF in its current form is in dire need of a great leader and not an average one or a chancer. If they are to have any chance of bouncing back in power, they need a party president with a positive active personality; one who is able to approach Zambians with enthusiasm and a drive for success.
Zambians already know so much about the eight aspiring candidates and their abilities. We can only wish the PF all the best and may the best candidate carry the day. It is also our hope that the legal battles started by Lusaka lawyer Lewis Mosho against the Patriotic Front won’t throw their convention into disarray.
For comments, email: gregory.kaputula @gmail.com.