By an Independent Observer

The Patriotic Front has reached a defining moment in its post-Lungu era, a moment that demands restraint, wisdom, and maturity rather than opportunism or factional exhibitionism. The Party’s Central Committee has already provided a clear roadmap for the General Conference, scheduled for November 2025, to democratically elect a new leader. Yet, before that process could even begin, Hon. Brian Mundubile and a small circle of his associates chose a reckless path: convening a parallel “endorsement” event, complete with signatures and declarations, as though the Party were a personal inheritance.

This move is not only premature but deeply injurious to the moral authority of a man seeking the presidency. In politics, timing and discipline matter. By rushing to anoint himself before the process begins, Hon. Mundubile has exposed a dangerous impatience that makes Party members and delegates question whether he can ever be trusted to uphold internal democracy once in power.

For years, the Patriotic Front distinguished itself as a movement of order and structure, one that believed in collective decisions guided by its organs, not in cults of personality. Except for the unfortunate episodes when Miles Sampa staged a UPND-supported sham event on 24 October 2023, and later when Chabinga, through the aid of the UPND, hijacked the Party’s legal documents, the PF has largely maintained a disciplined internal process. What we are now witnessing, however, feels like a troubling return to those same chaotic tactics. Brian Mundubile appears increasingly drawn to that brand of politics, one defined by opportunism and external manipulation, rather than the orderly tradition laid down by the Party’s founding leaders. It is a posture that betrays both impatience and disregard for the democratic structures that have sustained the PF through its toughest moments.

The 28 Members of Parliament who appended their signatures to endorse him are not the Patriotic Front. The Party has 55 Members of Parliament and hundreds of provincial, district, constituency, and ward delegates whose voices carry equal weight in choosing leadership. It is disingenuous and deceitful to pretend that a small group represents the collective will of the Party.

Brian Mundubile’s gamble has backfired. Instead of demonstrating leadership, he has shown desperation. Instead of inspiring confidence, he has confirmed suspicion. Delegates across the country are watching, and what they now see is a man willing to sidestep rules for personal gain, a politician who once wore MMD colours but now seeks to wrap himself in the PF’s founding ideology while undermining its very essence.

There is still time for the PF to redeem itself. The forthcoming General Conference, if conducted transparently, can restore faith in the Party’s democratic culture and prevent a return to the arrogance that cost it power. That restoration begins with honesty: no candidate, regardless of seniority or parliamentary experience, has the right to jump the queue or impose himself before the delegates have spoken.

At a time when Zambia’s opposition needs unity more than noise, the Patriotic Front must choose wisdom over spectacle. For Hon. Mundubile, this episode should serve as a sober reminder that leadership is not seized through press conferences or endorsement sheets. It is earned through patience, integrity, and respect for the democracy one aspires to lead.