from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – THE election of Makebi Zulu, the former minister and lawyer to the late president Edgar Lungu, as leader of the Patriotic Front (PF) is anticipated to restore stability to Zambia’s biggest opposition party.
However, it also marks a rise in tensions amid allegations that the government is targeting the opposition ahead of the general elections in August.
The presence of police at Zulu’s residence on the day of the PF election, and the arrest of outspoken opposition figure Brian Mundubile on the eve of the polls, lend credence to those fears.
The 44-year-old polled 49.2 percent of the party’s internal vote on Saturday, defeating six candidates, including long-time interim leader Given Lubinda, who collected 8.27 percent to finish third.
Initial tallies had suggested Zulu, under the MZ8 campaign, had secured 60 percent.
It is a case of out with the old, in with the new as a younger leader takes over in a Southern African country where politics is dominated by veterans.
Lubinda, a former Minister of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services and Minister of Agriculture, is 63.
He has been acting president since 2021 following his appointment by Lungu when he retired from active politics.
However, the PF, which lost its position as the ruling party that year, has been beset by factionalism, with several members vying for leadership.
Zulu’s popularity has been rising within the party since he became the lawyer and spokesperson for Lungu and the late leader’s family.
He represented Lungu in the case regarding eligibility to stand for presidency in the August 2026 election, as well as in the dispute over the burial of Lungu following his death in June 2025 in South Africa.
The government won both cases, but that has not dented his popularity among members and critics who accuse current president Hakainde Hichilema of “capturing” the judiciary and even bribing judges in South Africa to secure victory in the ongoing burial case, which the family has appealed.
Hichilema (63) and Zulu are now seen as the frontrunners in the upcoming elections.
This past weekend, reports of police surrounding Lubinda’s residence in the Ibex Hill area of Lusaka raised fears he would be arrested for convening an “illegal” meeting.
The government is accused of restricting opposition campaigns, while Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND) continues campaigning unhindered.
PF reported that on Saturday, police Land Cruisers carrying heavily armed officers surrounded Zulu’s residence.
On Friday, the Zambia Police Service (ZPS) formally charged and arrested Mundubile with the offence of “aiding, abetting and counselling to commit hate speech” under the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act (2021).
Critics accuse the government of using the law to shield the Hichilema administration from criticism.
The suspect, a PF factional leader and Member of Parliament, has since been released on police bond and is expected to appear in court soon.
“The ZPS reiterates its commitment to upholding the rule of law and combating all forms of cyber-related offences, including the spread of hate speech,” said Chipo Kaitisha, deputy police spokesperson.
Lubinda received Mundubile following his release, seen as a significant moment for the PF and the spirit of reconciliation.
“Lubinda demonstrated that his leadership is anchored in the belief that political differences should never supersede the fundamental need for peace, unity and the protection of civil liberties,” the PF stated.
Tanazio Banda, a Christian evangelist, spoke of “a nation at a crossroads” ahead of the elections.
“From the weaponisation of the Public Order Act to the arbitrary arrest of those who dare to offer a dissenting view, the space for democratic expression is shrinking,” Banda said.
Spuki Mulemwa, spokesperson for the UPND presidential campaign team in Western Province, said Hichilema had demonstrated that he is a president for all Zambians regardless of political or religious affiliation.
“In view of the foregoing, we call upon all patriotic Zambians to support and rally behind President Hichilema’s focused leadership as he navigates the country towards prosperity,” Mulemwa said.
– CAJ News