In a New Year’s message that blends political strategy with social commentary, Patriotic Front (PF) presidential aspirant Chishimba Kambwili has issued a clarion call for party unity, urging members to shelve internal disputes and concentrate all efforts on reclaiming power in the 2026 general elections. This appeal for cohesion comes amidst visible factionalism within the former ruling party, which has been grappling with leadership contests and strategic direction since its 2021 electoral defeat.
Kambwili’s message is particularly significant given the recent political context. Just this week, tensions flared publicly between his camp and that of fellow presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile, highlighting the deep-seated rivalries that threaten to fracture the party. Political analysts suggest that for the PF to mount a credible challenge in 2026, it must first navigate a successful internal transition, reconciling its veteran base with newer factions. Kambwili’s statement can be seen as an attempt to position himself as a unifying figure capable of bridging these divides, a critical first step in any opposition’s journey back to power.
Beyond intraparty politics, Kambwili’s address touched on several national issues, framing them within the PF’s critique of the current administration. He expressed sympathy for farmers awaiting payments from the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and called for urgent government intervention through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) for flood victims in Lundazi. These points are strategic, aligning the party with widespread public grievances concerning agricultural policy and disaster response.
Perhaps the most notable, and potentially controversial, segment of his message was a call for national prayers for Roman Catholic Archbishop Alick Banda, who is scheduled to appear before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC). This intervention into a sensitive legal and religious matter is a high-stakes political maneuver. It implicitly questions the motives of the investigation and seeks to galvanize support from Zambia’s substantial Catholic community, framing the event through a lens of perceived persecution rather than legal procedure. This tactic underscores how political narratives in Zambia are often built around aligning with or defending influential societal institutions.
Kambwili concluded with the signature “CK” and the aspirational note, “Let love lead.” However, the subtext is a hard-nosed political calculation: a divided PF cannot win. His New Year’s message is less a festive greeting and more a strategic roadmap. It acknowledges the party’s current state of internal conflict, attempts to expand its appeal by addressing national crises, and boldly intertwines the party’s fate with a major religious figure’s legal challenges. Whether this call for unity can silence the drums of war within the PF’s own ranks remains the unanswered question that will define the party’s trajectory toward August 2026.