PATRIOTIC Front national chairperson Samuel Mukupa says he has immensely contributed to the party and time has now come for him to hand over to “fresh legs”.

In an interview, Mukupa said it was time for other people to take up the leadership in the party.

“We are rebranding and it means bringing newness. We are in the process of smooth transitioning. There are others that are beginning to take up our roles and we begin to sit in the background and remain advisory. What haven’t I done which I should be hanging on to? At the party level, I have functioned as youth chairman, I have functioned as a security chairperson, deputy chairperson, a campaign manager so many times. To this point, I can say that we have contributed immensely to the party and allowing other people, fresh legs to take up the burden. Handing over leadership is a natural thing. Leadership is a burden, you have to take responsibility, I am not the only one who wants to be on the terraces, ba (Alexander) Chikwanda is going to the terraces, Madam Inonge Wina is going to the terraces, president Edgar Lungu has made it clear that he wasn’t available for 2026 whether we had won or not,” Mukupa said.

“We have done our part. We will go to the land and start producing. Zambia will not prosper by pronouncing, it will prosper by hard work. I am grateful the new President emphasised this. It is not in any way an embarrassment ngabamyeba ati lekeni tumyafweko shikulu ichi chintu ukusenda (when they ask if they can help to carry the burden of leadership). It is a baton, you handover. When fresh legs, fresh hands are available, you handover. We will be very proud because these young men who are supposed to take over from us will be building on what we have done, perhaps improving certain things that we could not have improved in our time.”

And Mukupa said PF had an enormous potential of bouncing back to government.

“Other people are saying we should have a general conference so that we can now have a totally new set of leadership, and I want to think that it could be the most logical thing to do. We strongly feel we have a good opportunity to make history for the PF and bounce back in government. We will be smiling at them and very proud if that comes to pass. We feel they have picked the pieces. We have left a legacy in the party and we are taking a back seat so that even in the future this form of rebranding should not be resisted. Close to 60 members of parliament is a very strong position. So PF can do it. We have served and we are very happy to be at the back and smile when new hands, new pairs are put into effect in order to move the boat forward. The potential to bounce back is enormous and it can’t be squandered. We are in the process of making history by getting back to power. We are grateful for the opportunity we have had of spearheading the boat, “ said Mukupa.