By 
Patriotic Front (PF) acting president, Given Lubinda, has accused President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of turning the mourning of the late President Edgar Lungu into a political spectacle.
Lubinda said President Hichilema’s attempt to posture as a national unifier during the mourning period was hypocritical, claiming the Head of State had “humiliated the country” in South African courts while Zambian courts remained under overwhelmed with politically motivated cases.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday at the PF Secretariat in Lusaka, Lubinda alleged that the President was using the Lungu family’s grief as a political tool.
“We challenge him: does your obsession with the Lungu family’s grief override your duty to lead this nation? What sort of leader turns family mourning into a political circus? You have failed to bury your own fears—do not humiliate Zambia abroad,” Lubinda said.
He condemned what he called the UPND regime’s orchestrated propaganda war against the late President, describing it as appalling that the ruling party continues to attack someone who can no longer defend himself.
“If President Lungu truly failed, as they claim, why does his legacy still haunt you from the grave?” he asked.
Lubinda added that it was unheard of for a sitting President to drag a bereaved family before a foreign court simply to force his way into a funeral he was clearly told not to attend.
Lubinda also condemned what he described as the brutal killing of three artisanal gold miners in Mufumbwe, allegedly by police officers.
“These are not just deaths — they are a tragic sign of a government that has failed in its fundamental duty to guarantee the security and sanctity of life,” he said.
He demanded an independent and transparent investigation, free from political interference, to uncover the truth behind the killings.
“To those behind these killings: no amount of intimidation will bury the truth. You may silence voices, but you cannot silence justice,” Lubinda declared.
On Electoral Integrity, Lubinda raised the alarm over alleged electoral manipulation ahead of the 2026 general elections.
He claimed that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) planned to introduce an “automated voting system” as part of a high-tech rigging scheme disguised as modernization.
“Zambians have seen leaked reports and verified exposés showing how this regime plans to weaponize the ECZ — secret tenders, questionable digital systems, unaccountable server rooms — all being prepared behind the people’s backs,” he said.
Citing the recent Lumezi by-election, Lubinda alleged that ballot papers were received in the absence of party representatives and observers, in violation of electoral transparency principles.
He claimed that the confusion over candidate names and the last-minute printing of replacement ballots were deliberate tactics to frustrate voters.
Lubinda also pointed to the Kalulushi Ward by-elections, which he said were marred by electoral malpractice, including vote-buying, intimidation, and abuse of state resources.
“What should have been a simple, democratic local contest turned into yet another showcase of the UPND’s daily brand of electoral fraud and democratic betrayal,” he charged.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments