Changala, Chibuye allege govt using judiciary, others to sponsor confusion in Zambia’s main opposition party, PF

Civil Rights Activist, Brebner Changala, has accused the state of sponsoring the political confusion that continues to destabilise the opposition Patriotic Front (PF).

Changala said the former ruling party had failed to regain stability since the UPND government allegedly handpicked Matero lawmaker, Miles Sampa, to trigger internal disputes through what he described as an illegal convention — a decision Sampa later rescinded.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor, Changala said the latest development, in which Mafinga PF lawmaker Robert Chabinga obtained a court order to close the party secretariat and halt all meetings linked to the Given Lubinda-led faction, demonstrated how the courts were being used in what he termed a broader political scheme.

He said that before former Home Affairs and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Joseph Akafumba, was dismissed, PF office bearers were allegedly altered to favour Sampa’s faction, which he later lost to Chabinga.

“In the past the papers of office holders at the Registrar of Societies were changed when Joseph Akafimba was PS, and this PS at Ministry of Information and Media, Thabo Kawana, used to warn the PF to put its house in order, but after Sampa assumed presidency, he stopped,” Changala said.

He added that the ongoing turmoil in the PF amounted to an assault on democracy, arguing that political groups should be allowed to operate freely without state interference.

Meanwhile, the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has expressed concern over what it described as the continued abuse of the judiciary and other state institutions under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration.

FDD spokesperson, Anthony Chibuye, urged Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila to assert control over the judiciary or resign if unable to do so.

“As a member of the TONSE Alliance, the FDD finds the interference in the PF by our institutions very unfortunate. We all know that Mr Miles Sampa and other PF colleagues entered into a consent judgement. To our surprise, the Judge Conceptor refused to sign the order,” Chibuye said.

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