Former Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General and Economic Freedom Party President, Wynter Kabimba, has dismissed claims that President Hakainde Hichilema or the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) are behind the confusion and destruction rocking the PF. Instead, Kabimba says the former ruling party is responsible for its own downfall, which he argues began with the death of its founder, late President Michael Sata.
Speaking in his trademark blunt style during an appearance on Diamond Television, Kabimba said PF’s “death” started immediately after President Sata passed away.
“I don’t agree that the one pushing the coffin of PF is HH or UPND. PF is committing its own suicide. This started immediately after the death of Michael Sata — PF has been dying,” Kabimba said.
He explained that once a governing party loses power, its chances of remaining intact significantly diminish, citing the collapse of former ruling parties such as UNIP and MMD as historical examples.
Kabimba said the leadership crisis deepened when Edgar Lungu took over after Sata’s death. He accused Lungu of misleading close allies by claiming he was not interested in contesting future elections, a move Kabimba described as “Mingalato” — political deception.
“When Sata died, Edgar Lungu takes over. He tells his friends he is not interested in running again. The man wasn’t sincere. Everyone started playing Mingalato against one another,” Kabimba said.
He added that following Lungu’s death, PF has been left almost leaderless, accelerating the party’s fragmentation.
Kabimba further argued that the death of Edgar Lungu severely weakened PF because he was the party’s main financier.
“Edgar was the financier of PF. There’s no financier now. Those rallying around him were not loyal; they were surviving,” he said.
He warned that political loyalty is often confused with survival, especially when power and money are involved, noting that many alliances within PF were driven by personal interest rather than genuine commitment.
The former Minister of Justice rejected suggestions that external forces are responsible for PF’s decline, describing such claims as denialism.
“To accuse anybody that the gradual disintegration of PF is because of an outside force is denialism,” he said.
Kabimba also revealed that during his time in PF, he openly spoke against tribalism and corruption, positions that made him unpopular within the party.
“They thought I was the obstacle. I was probably the one telling them the truth,” he said.
Kabimba also poured cold water on emerging political alliances ahead of the August 13 General Elections, including the Tonse Alliance and the People’s Pact.
“Nothing will come out of Tonse. Nothing will come out of People’s Pact because none of them want to be led — they all want to lead,” he said.
