ABOUT WYNTER KABIMBA AND SINGLE DIGIT POLITICS
By Miles Sampa
January 23rd, 2023
He has prompted my article herein as being one of the surprise chief mourners of Miles Sampa taking over the PF presidency from people that embarrassingly hounded him out of PF after Sata’s demise in 2014.
Even worse is that the same people are the ones that swept away his nearest every chance to have become the President of Zambia. He was so close yet too far because of his amapilikiti (excitement).
Wynter was the beloved blue eyed boy of Michael Chilufya Sata. They came far from their days at the Lusaka City Council as Mayor and Town Clerk respectively. In later lives both would form political parties of their own. Sata’ Patriotic Front (PF) would have its membership grow annually while the Zambia (something) party of Wynter Kabimba would have single digit membership year in year out.
Meanwhile Miles Sampa was amongst those that were part of supporting Sata to grow his party while Wynter was rival to Sata. In 2006 general elections Sata about won as Republican President but got dribbled into second position. Wynter also participated but had single digit results.
2 years later about 2008, Sata would invite Wynter to join PF and become his Secreatary General (SG). It was the combination that would ultimately lead to the 2011 victory for the PF to form government. Sata was grateful to Wynter and would place him unofficial Vice President while Guy Scott was the official Veep albeit ceremonial. Wynter virtually ran Sata’s time at State House. It was not long before those that worked equally hard to put Sata into plot 1 began to feel unsettled with Wynter’s control on Presidential powers. These were Given Lubinda, GBM, Edgar Lungu, Bob Sichinga, Chishimba Kambwili etc.
Wynter as SG reacted savagely on people like Lubinda and GBM instigating their ministerial firing and resignation respectively. It was a bit savagely on Lubinda unleashing akawawawa cadre to physically hound him out of his office as the Foreign Affairs Minister. At that time Miles Sampa happened to be the only one that openly stood with and came to the aid of Lubinda.
As Sata’s illness became apparent, he would start to give even more executive roles to Wynter. Instead of being calm and low or swimming under water in scheme of things, Wynter decided to instantly become drunk with power. He began to fly from one province to another in the name of mobilizing the party. Once Sata travelled abroad and left him as acting President,instead of being like Mutale Nalumango when acting (reserved & silent), he did a Nevers Mumba. Called press conferences and drove to his village in Shibuyunji with 50 police motor bike escorts.
‘Anione anione’ things.
Then Wynter’s enemies began to frame him with all manner of accusations including some faked emails generated or addressed to Wynter apparently planning to kill Sata. It was not long before Wynter was fired rather unceremoniously while was in Solwezi. Some say he had to travel back to Lusaka by commercial Power Tools bus as his driver of his official motorcade drove back to Lusaka without him. Thats what government drivers do to their mean and unkind Ministers when fired.
It was a few weeks later that Sata would die and that’s how Wynter lost out on replacing Sata. I strongly believe Wynter was actually the real Sata’s anointed. He was preparing him to take over and all he had to do was lie low.
Towards the Kabwe convention debacle to replace Sata, some Kasama boys came home and took me to Wynter’s house. Yes the one along Independence avenue whose gate has big engraved letters WK (Wynter Kabimba). In their presence he told me was endorsing me amongst all candidates and that would support me through the process if need be. He gave various reasons why he was supporting Miles Sampa to replace Sata. Miles would get dribbled at the convention and the rest is history.
So it’s ingenious to today hear Wynter unleash negatives towards Miles Sampa now that he has become the PF President the same office he wanted him to occupy some 8 years ago in 2014.
Anways that’s the new Wynter I am beginning to know now. Flip flop.
After ECL took over PF in 2014 and Republican President in 2015, Wynter proceeded to form his own party called Rainbow. Some allege he was funded by the Post Newspaper owner and now Socialist party leader Fred Mmembe. Typical of Wynter, the Rainbow party membership remained in single digits into the 2016 general elections. Wynter would get zeros in the Presidential results. I did not say Sean Tembo results.
He would later divorce from the Rainbow party and form his current party called Economic something something. It remains a single digit party todate. In past year Wynter would be seen (at funerals mostly) around ECL and the then PF interim leaders. Some say he had held discussion to be the PF Running mate in 2026. So when Miles Sampa took over PF via an elective convention late last year, Wynter’s RM or even Presidency dreams on a PF ticket evaporated. So now it’s to go from one radio station to another disparaging Miles Sampa.
Last week he somehow found himself visiting the Republican and UPND President HH. Could not help but remember how Wynter teach and fuel Sata to attack HH with the ‘Kadyongose’ (small weak cow) vibes. The visit to the community house must have been Wynter sniffing for the SG or RM positions. Wynter can’t build on his own but zoom his way into already established parties.
My take on Wynter is that he is a very good manager and not good leader. He makes a very good secretary general but not party leader. He is a good king maker and not good President. He is welcome to rejoin the PF one day. I find him to be a good citizen and above all him and Guy Scott so remind me of the good PF of Sata days in opposition.
As facts will show however, Wynter has never stood and won any political position be it intra or inter party elections. When he has stood he has lost badly. He is for appointments only. Sata would actually jab him that he is also a lawyer with a law firm that has never won any case.
Rather than keep attacking those that have been elected in their political parties, may Mr Wynter Kabimba organise a convention for his political party so he can be elected aswell. Currently he appointed himself as own party president because fears losing elections from his party single digit members and voters.
Miles Bwalya Sampa, MP
Patriotic Front (PF) President
It’s a very befitting description of Kabimba, kanshi you know him very well. Wynter is a very effective SG and if PF had retained him, some of the consequences it has suffered would not have been there. When it comes to party organization, he is strong and quite effective, the only one who nearly equaled him was Davies Chama, bonse abashala aba, ba DM, NC, RN, kutali sana, that’s why Sata kept him very close to him. That’s why some party members panicked when they saw that Sata may not live, the chances for Kabimba becoming the party and republican president were high.
Miles Sampa is absolutely right here. Wynter Kabimba blew it. But Sata was wrong that Kabimba has not won any court cases.
@Gunner in Zambia, Wynter was dribbled by Alexander Chikwanda NOT SATA. The whole Bemba clan in PF didn’t want Kabimba because he is Tonga. That’s how the whole game plan worked.
Wynter and GBM were at loghead ….., I remember the AIRPORT INCIDENCE where GBM and WK CADRES FOUGHT. SATA was much in Love with WINTER THAN GBM, Miles SAMPA knows that.
Anderson, so GBM was also ignored because he was Tonga?
This tribal root is very deep with you people.
Even firing him, I very much doubt if it was from Sata, it’s like the same gang which was writing fake emails faked the issue. The time Kabimba was fired, Sata was already very unwell even to think of firing anyone like his first handyman Wynter. Some people have been the axis of evil through and through and a day is coming when God will punish them.
Ubupuba this Miles Sampa just like his sponsor.