By zambianobserver
Africa-Press – Zambia. I’m still troubled by the criminal and brutal attack and abduction launched against Acting President Hon. Given Lubinda in Kabwe by thugs from the UPND and worried by the feeble response so far by the Police to arrest both the perpetrators and the accessory and instigators to the crime, such as Central Province Permanent Secretary, Milner Mwanakampwe.
I’m also shocked by the brutal attack made against Ndola Mayor, Jones Kalyati in Masaiti, who was waylaid by UPND thugs with the alleged help from Zambia Police officers deployed to disrupt and cancel a Patriotic Front in-door meeting held in Masaiti scheduled to be addressed by Hon. Lubinda.
However, my attention is drawn to serious issues that have arisen since Friday, 21st November 2025, in the Patriotic Front.
The Party was scheduled to hold a crucial Central Committee Meeting on Saturday, 22nd November 2025 to resolve outstanding issues such as:
1. Appoint an Electoral Commission to prepare and run the upcoming General Conference.
2. Scrutinise and approve a delegates’ list to the General Conference.
3. Approve mode of the General Conference (in-person, hybrid, or virtual).
Despite the preparations made and at the last minute, Acting President Hon. Given Lubinda suddenly suspended the Central Committee Meeting to a later date without any explanation.
This action was announced by a civil servant from the Secretariat, the Media Director, Mr. Edwin Lifwekelo.
This immediately drew sharp criticism from the Acting Secretary Hon. Brenda Nyirenda-Chisopa and Acting Chairperson, Hon. Musonda Mpankanta MP.
Intense debate arose in the MCC WhatsApp group expressing concerns that the sudden decision to postpone the Central Committee, without an explanation, was made in bad faith.
Some members stated that the decision was probably motivated by the threat of contempt as the Party had not succeeded to discharge the injunction obtained by expelled Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga, a matter that before Judge-in-Charge of the Kabwe High Court, Judge Kelvin Hancubwili Limbani.
It must be stated that the threats of contempt of court as reason to suspend the meeting was immediately dismissed.
Despite the legal hurdles, and ss demonstrated in the past, we have always held meetings, recognising that the attacks on the Patriotic Front were engineered and perpetrated by the State and we have therefore defied any activities designed to stop the activities, programs and appointments by the leadership of the Party and its members.
So the court process or threats of contempt has never been a reason or fear to stop our meetings, work, and activities.
Later, we saw announcements made by the Acting President, Hon. Given Lubinda, to remove from the Central Committee ; Hon. Musonda Mpankanta, Hon. Brenda Nyirenda, Hon. Davies Mwila, Hon. Christopher Shakafuswa, Mr. Chomba Chipili, Mr. Abyud Kawangu, and Mr. Tombi Tombi.
These actions aggravated the crisis in the Party to a deeper level.
I have since come to understand that the action by Hon.Lubinda was made to prevent what would have turned out to undermine his leadership and a negative agenda against the Party and to help forestall discipline in the Party.
Further, it is within his powers to call or postpone any meeting using available information or circumstances before him.
On Saturday, we saw the press conference and later the so-called Central Committee held by Hon. Mpankanta and attended by some members.
It must be noted that the powers to call and hold the Central Committee are vested in the President, and this meeting was therefore illegal.
The Chairperson of the Party has powers but those powers kick-in at the General Conference where he chairs the General Conference.
For this reason, I wish to advise Hon. Mpankanta to disown and denounce the meeting he held as it is not supported by the law and was merely reactionary and defiant to the decisions made by the Acting President.
It must also be noted that the decisions made by Hon. Lubinda are within his powers and discretion as Acting President.
However in light of the fragile state that the Party finds itself in, and in light of the circumstances we find ourselves in, we must immediately de-escalate the crisis and activate dialogue to resolve these contentious issues and commit to dialogue.
We must remember that we have been united, resolute and determined to fight the invasion by the State and its surrogates deployed against our Party.
We therefore must not lose that strength and determination and we have remained focused on the larger agenda to reclaim power from the oppresive UPND.
If not careful, we risk opening a second front or so-called third faction, if we sustain the actions meted against the Chairperson of the Party, yhe Acting Secretary General and others, a matter which will instantly weaken our party further.
I therefore appeal to Acting President Hon. Lubinda to reinstate those removed from Central Committee, for the sake of unity of purpose.
I also appeal to the President and to the Central Committee to immediately postpone the General Conference scheduled for 29th November 2025 and posibbly to end of December or January 2026.
Further, we should use this period to bridge the emerging gaps, reginr issues of the Conference such as to consolidate the delegates’ list and appointment of an Electoral Commission that will run the General Conference.
I also appeal to the leadership and Party members at large to support the calls made by the OASIS Forum and the Church to participate in nation-wide protests and demonstrations against the ill-timed constitutional-making process.
If Bill 7 or the Draft Constitution succeeds, it will spell doom to our Democracy and threaten the holding of credible, free and fair elections in 2026.
Therefore I appeal to our Members of Parliament to effect the calls to initiate a Petition in Parliament to obtain signatures against Bill 7 or the proposed Draft Constitution, to demonstrate that the Bill is ill-fated and will not enjoy a majority vote and therefore destined to fail.
Source: zambianobserver
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