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Embattled Patriotic Front (PF) President Makebi Zulu has appointed prominent author, playwright, and social activist Mulenga Kapwepwe as a Member of the Central Committee.
Zulu has also lifted all suspensions and issued a moratorium on expulsions with immediate effect, according to a statement issued by PF Chairperson for Information and Publicity, Emmanuel Mwamba.
In the statement released in Lusaka on Monday, Mwamba said Zulu had appointed former Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) National Coordinator Chanda Kabwe as Chairperson for Mobilisation.
Zulu also appointed former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, David Shamulenge, Nachilima Chisala, and Kangwa Puta as additional Central Committee members.
Mwamba said Zulu had directed Kabwe to work with Provincial Chairpersons to finalise applications from individuals seeking to contest as Members of Parliament, Mayors, Council Chairpersons, and Councillors, before submitting them to the Central Committee for approval.
“Meanwhile, President Zulu has lifted all suspensions. He has encouraged Party structures to adhere to discipline even when the organization was going through its most challenging times,” Mwamba said.
He added that Zulu had issued a moratorium to all those who were expelled and advised members willing to reconcile with the party to contact the Secretariat to begin the process of returning.
Mwamba clarified that the new appointments were meant to fill existing vacancies in the Central Committee.
“This is the same Central Committee headed by Zulu and Given Lubinda as Vice President of the Party,” he said.
Read More: Disputed PF president, Makebi Zulu, Lubinda face contempt charges over defiant convention
Zulu has additionally appointed Daniel Bukali, journalist-turned-politician, Isaac Nsoneka, aspiring Member of Parliament for Katuba, Kenneth Moola, Dr. Alex Lwando, Rizwan Patel, and Max Kapantha as members of the Central Committee.
These developments come amidst ongoing contestations for PF leadership, especially by Miles Sampa who was resently declared by a High Court as authentic leader of the party.
The Lusaka High Court confirmed Sampa as the legitimate president of the Patriotic Front, dismissing a legal challenge that sought to overturn his election.
The ruling follows a petition filed by Brian Mundubile and seven others who argued that the extraordinary general conference held on October 24, 2023 was unlawful. The court found that the applicants failed to prove illegality in the process, effectively validating the conference outcome.
Judge Conceptor Chinyama held that Sampa was justified in convening the conference at a time when the party did not have a functioning central committee. The court further noted that the Patriotic Front had adopted a laissez-faire posture in its internal operations, creating the conditions that led to the disputed gathering.
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