PF ‘rebels’ plot revolt

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 07:33:13 +0000

A PLOT to destabilise the Patriotic Front (PF) and cause an uprising against the governing party’s legitimate leadership including President Edgar Lungu who is leader of the PF has been unearthed.

The calls for elections by PF elections deputy chairperson Kelvin Bwalya Fube and Roan member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili are but part of the scheme to agitate a rebellion against President Lungu as head of the PF and the secretary general of the ruling party, Davis Mwila.

PF elections chairperson Jean Kapata has lambasted Mr Kambwili and Mr Fube for calling for elections from top to bottom in the PF and has branded the two as treacherous individuals who wanted to cause consternation in the ruling party.

Ms Kapata said the ruling party was aware that some disgruntled officials within the party were allegedly sponsoring confusion in the party and had been scheming against Mr Mwila whom they want to unseat.

She said the PF elected President Lungu at its extra-ordinary convention soon after the death of president Michael Sata and that the Head of State had a five year mandate to preside over the governing party.

She said she was aware that Mr Fube, Mr Kambwili and some other PF officials had been having clandestine and covert meetings to subvert the mandate of President Lungu as head of the ruling party and Mr Mwila as general secretary.

Ms Kapata said Mr Kambwili and Mr Fube were directly attacking President Lungu by suggesting that officials he (President Lungu) had appointed to various positions in the party had no mandate to hold such positions.

“I am aware that some PF officials who are disgruntled are involved in covert activities and are agitating an uprising against President Lungu as leader of the PF and Mr Mwila, the secretary general of the party. It is not individuals such as Mr Fube and Mr Kambwili who should call for elections at all levels of the PF.

“We have the central committee which is the supreme organ of the party that decides and President Lungu was elected at a convention and has only served less than two years. Mr Kambwili as a member of the central committee should know well than what he is doing. Mr Kambwili and Mr Fube are directly attacking President Lungu by agitating for confusion in the party,” Ms Kapata said.

She disclosed that she was aware that some officials were sponsoring revolts against selected PF provincial chairpersons particularly in Eastern Province where a former PF provincial chairman and a local businessman in Chipata had been named as plotting against the current chairman Andrew Lubusha.

Mr Mwila is on record that the PF leadership and President Lungu were happy with the Eastern Province PF leadership which had performed exceptionally well.

Ms Kapata warned that individuals fermenting trouble in the PF should know that disciplinary action would be taken against them.

“We went to a convention in 2014 where President Lungu was elected leader of the PF and we are just coming from general elections. The general membership of the PF need to rest for now as its leadership is working out how best to govern the country. We have not seen anything wrong with the current leadership in the party and Mr Kambwili and Mr Fube should wait until the central committee meet,” Ms Kapata said.