Zambia's political landscape is currently marked by significant turmoil within the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party, with accusations of state-sponsored destabilization and the alleged manipulation of state institutions. Civil Rights Activist Brebner Changala has directly implicated the state in fostering the ongoing confusion, asserting that the UPND government handpicked Matero lawmaker Miles Sampa to instigate internal disputes through an 'illegal convention,' a decision Sampa later rescinded. This interference, Changala argues, is evident in how courts are allegedly being used in a broader political scheme, citing a recent court order obtained by Mafinga PF lawmaker Robert Chabinga to close the party secretariat and halt meetings linked to the Given Lubinda-led faction.

Changala further detailed that before former Home Affairs and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Joseph Akafumba, was dismissed, PF office bearers' details at the Registrar of Societies were allegedly altered to favor Sampa's faction, which Chabinga later challenged. He noted a change in tone from the Ministry of Information and Media, where Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana, who previously warned the PF to 'put its house in order,' ceased doing so after Sampa assumed the presidency. This ongoing turmoil, according to Changala, constitutes an assault on democracy, advocating for political groups to operate freely without state interference.

Echoing these concerns, the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has expressed alarm over the continued abuse of the judiciary and other state institutions under President Hakainde Hichilema's administration. FDD spokesperson Anthony Chibuye urged Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila to assert control over the judiciary or resign. Chibuye highlighted the unfortunate interference in the PF, particularly a consent judgment involving Miles Sampa and other PF colleagues that a judge allegedly refused to sign.

The internal conflict within the PF escalated into a direct confrontation between the Lubinda and Chabinga factions. Lubinda framed his faction's convention as an act of survival, asserting that the party belongs to those who 'live its daily struggles' and that no individual can impede its renewal. However, Chabinga's camp maintains a strong legal position, citing a court order that declared 'no convention this year,' insisting that the last valid one was in 2023 and the next is due in 2027. This stance leans heavily on a ruling that recognized Chabinga in PF filings, rendering any convention outside this legal framework null. The police, Registrar of Societies, and the courts are now central to this rapidly escalating internal conflict, with Lubinda's rebuttal signaling a readiness to test the legal position against political mobilization on the ground.

Further intensifying the judicial scrutiny, Emmanuel Mwamba, PF Member of the Central Committee and Chairperson for Information and Publicity, formally reported the Judge-in-Charge of the Kabwe High Court, Justice Kelvin Hancubwili Limbani, to the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC). Mwamba accused the judge of misconduct for allowing Morgan Ngona, described as a 'purported Secretary General' of the PF, to 'shop for a forum' and obtain an injunction outside Lusaka. Mwamba argued that all PF internal dispute matters were consolidated before a single judge in Lusaka to prevent multiplicity of actions and abuse of court processes. He highlighted that Ngona, fully aware of this administrative directive, nonetheless approached the Kabwe High Court to secure an injunction over activities (the process of replacing former leader Dr. Edgar Lungu and announcing an elective General Conference) taking place at the party’s Lusaka Secretariat. Mwamba stressed that the judiciary, through individual misconduct, must not be used to promote injustice or illegalities, calling for an investigation into Judge Limbani's highly irregular decision.

Beyond the immediate PF crisis, a broader debate on governance and the legacy of cadre politics in Zambia is unfolding. Critics argue that what the PF built between 2015 and 2021 was not empowerment but a 'patronage pyramid' that rewarded thuggery with land, market stalls, mining sites, and cash, leading to institutional decay, weakened policing, and widespread corruption. This system, it is argued, fostered a dangerous mindset where political support equated to personal enrichment, and proximity to the ruling party served as an economic plan. The Chingola stoning incident exposed the perils of this mindset, reportedly involving a UPND cadre linked to internal networks unhappy with President Hichilema's refusal to open the treasury for party loyalists. This incident revived whispers of cadres sabotaging their government, believing 'Hichilema is favoring professionals over us.'

However, proponents of Hichilema's stance argue that the President campaigned on dismantling the very cartel system admired under the PF, reminding that the PF, despite its formidable cadre network, was flushed out of power. They assert that any president handing out houses, plots, and patronage is the fastest route back to national disorder. The call is for a Zambia where markets are free of gangs, councils operate without fear, police officers answer to the law, and citizens succeed through work, not violence. President Hichilema's refusal to feed cadre politics is deemed not a betrayal but the only path to national stability, emphasizing that citizens are not owners of the state but deserve opportunities from a growing economy, clean governance, and institutions that protect all Zambians. The political class is warned against flirting with cadre appeasement, as it invites violence, corrodes institutions, and threatens democracy. The lesson from incidents like Chingola is the urgent need to confront the entitlement culture poisoning Zambian politics, demanding state action, party reform, and greater citizen accountability to avoid a repeat of the past.