Miles Bwalya Sampa, president of Zambia’s Patriotic Front (PF) party, has dissolved the party’s central committee, effective immediately.
The surprise move comes amid internal conflicts and factions within the party. In a statement, Mr. Sampa said the decision was made to “reform and rebrand” the party, and to promote unity among its members. In a historic move, Mr. Sampa has appointed an all-female leadership to replace the dissolved central committee.
The new appointments include: – Mary Chinyama as Secretary-General – Emily Mwale as Deputy Secretary-General – Margaret Mwanakatwe as Chairperson – Grace Mumba as Deputy Chairperson – Barbara Mwamba as Treasurer The all-female leadership is seen as a significant shift in the party’s direction, and a nod to the important role women play in Zambian politics.
The PF party has been plagued by internal conflicts and power struggles in recent months, leading to speculation about Mr. Sampa’s leadership.
However, Mr Chibanga is quoted describing Mr Sampa’s appointments as “total madness”. Mr Chibanga posted on his Facebook page a message which reads; “It’s one thing to celebrate when you score yet it’s also another thing to wait for the referee to check the legitimacy of the goal. VAR CHECKING GOAL,” the message accompanied by a picture of soccer star Mbappe and a referee, reads in part.“
Mr Chabinga has removed his initial Facebook cover picture of himself and Mr Sampa, replacing it with one where he is alone.