Yayukanyikwa (it’s known) ; PF has a history of nasty and violent transition!

The other day, Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe took to Social Media urging the UPND to give back the PF to Edgar Lungu and his team.

“Let them give back the PF to its authentic leadership of Mr. Edgar Lungu and his team. These are really the authentic leaders of the party and not Mr. Sampa and his league,” stated M’membe in his statement.

Well….what a dumbest and ludicrous suggestion to make! As a former Editor of a reputable newspaper, a lawyer and indeed an intellectual of note; we expect M’membe to be mindful of the political discourse in this country, and therefore don’t expect him to comment on issues devoid of facts for the sole purpose of deliberately misleading the masses.

It’s a well documented fact PF has a history of violent and nasty transition; how is UPND expected to resolve their problems? PF has wrought these problems upon themselves, and must therefore extricate themselves from the same!

In his book, Adventures in African Politics, PF founding vice president Guy Scott lets-us in into the murky world of PF’s undemocratic and ‘kaponya’ way of choosing its leaders.

“By late November, the PF Secretariat was deep into the job compiling lists of eligible delegates, drawn up in accordance with the constitution. Under severe pressure and threats, the team worked under tight security, around the clock, to produce a credible register of voters. Mulungushi Rock rapidly became overrun with unknown and unregistered delegates. The entrances were manned by thugs, who chased away many who were entitled to attend. The atmosphere was febrile; the appearance of any leader not in the Edgar camp could have triggered any kind of response. I was in the presidential guesthouse in nearby Kabwe, waiting for confirmation that the accreditation process was acceptable, at some level at least. One delegate ended up being detroused! Under Inonge Wina’s leadership, candidates were called to come forward with the required 2000 nominating delegates. Of all the candidates, only Lungu was there. No one else could have turned up without serious risk to life and limb. So there was only one candidate. He was declared to be elected unopposed.”

What do we make of this?

Miles Sampa is a good political student; he has obviously mastered the above political script in accordance with the Gospel according to PF! Edgar Lungu is on record as having resigned as PF president upon being “whitewashed” by non other than Hakainde Hichilema in the scintillating 2021 general elections!

After what was occasioned on him by Lungu and his cohorts following the untimely demise of Micheal Sata, did you expect Sampa to remain ndwi (idle)? It was just natural that Sampa followed the same route as Lungu of choosing the next leader of PF, and ended up being ushered-in as president, unanimously!

Prince Bill M. Kaping’a

Political/Social Analyst