Patriotic Front (PF) Lusaka Province executive chairman Paul Moonga has withdrawn his complaint against Kabwata PF member of parliament Given Lubinda, apologizing for authoring a letter “in bad taste”.

In a letter dated October 29, Moonga had charged that Lubinda’s conduct at late president Michael Chilufya Sata’s memorial was immoral and asked party Secretary General Davies Mwila to compel the Minister to show cause why he should not be suspended from the party for insubordination.

“Hon Lubinda displayed a character of a savage, immoral and inhuman in a holy place where the people are supposed to unite and show love to one another. During the memorial service, I sat in the same row with Hon Lubinda, Hon Kampyongo, the national chairperson, my secretary Mr [Kennedy] Kamba and other party members. When time for receiving Holy Communion came, I extended my hand to greet Hon Lubinda as he was passing by where we were seated enroute for him to go and receive his Holy Communion, but the most embarrassing thing happened. Honorable Lubinda with intention to demean me, sarcastically, refused to shake hands with me as his provincial chairman. He showed the hate he harbours for the party structures in general and for me as his provincial chairman in particular. Honorable Lubinda’s behaviour amounts to insubordination. He refused to shake hands with me because I defended the party during the Central Committee meeting we had prior to the memorial service,” Moonga had lamented in his letter.

“Hon Lubinda has shown that he does not want to work with the party structures or anyone who is an ardent supporter of His Excellency the President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu. This can be supported by his submission during the meeting we had with the Lusaka District members of parliament where he declared that he will not work with the party structures, but form his own parallel structures, hence his treacherous behaviour of not recognizing me as the Lusaka Provincial Chairman. This shows that he does not even recognize the appointing authority as evidenced by his behaviour in church.”

But during the PF Central Committee Meeting, which was held on Sunday, November 3, Moonga withdrew his complaint letter against Lubinda and apologized for the misrepresentations.

Lubinda took the letter to the attention of the Central Committee, and the Committee in its deliberations, agreed that the letter was in bad taste and its contents undesirable.

But at that point, Moonga offered to withdraw the letter and apologized to Lubinda during the sitting.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee directed Mwila and Disciplinary Committee chairperson Brian Mundubile to ensure that the party remained a shining model for discipline in Zambia and beyond.

In a statement, Monday, Mwila stated that the Committee had noted the sporadic indiscipline at various levels in the party.

“Central Committee has noted sporadic indiscipline at various levels in the party; and such indiscipline is uncalled for. Central Committee has reaffirmed the party’s zero tolerance policy towards indiscipline at all levels. In light of the foregoing, the Central Committee has directed the Secretary General and Chairperson for the Disciplinary Committee to ensure the party remains a shining model for discipline in Zambia and beyond. In this regard, all disciplinary issues must be looked at and determinations made without delay. All members of the party have been called upon to take ownership in observing and upholding the organizational discipline of the PF, and to safeguard the values and principles of the Party,” Mwila stated.

He also urged members of parliament to act as unifiers of the party membership.

Mwila added that no amount of malice and peddling of malicious fabrication through social media would deviate the party from its determination to remain united in delivering development to all parts of the country.

“Central Committee expressed concern about the levels of social media abuse and called for drastic measures to curb the vice. Social media abuse manifesting as cyber-bullying, hate speech, peddling of falsehoods, among others, is viewed as a threat to our cherished democracy both as a party and country; the Central Committee discouraged deliberate and calculated propagation of falsehoods and misinformation by faceless sources in the media to pursue narrow individual ends. Central Committee is, however, resolved that no amount of malice and peddling of malicious fabrications shall deviate the Patriotic Front from its determination to remain united in delivering development to all parts of the country in line with its 2016-2021 manifesto,” Mwila stated.

He also directed all party structures and members to strengthen the party ahead of the 2021 general elections.

“Central Committee has since directed all party structures and members to focus on the elections in 2021 by strengthening the party, consolidating the unity of purpose, entrenching discipline and mobilize the grassroots. Central Committee has since made a clarion call for organizational renewal, insisting on all members of the party to intensify efforts to build and strengthen the PF. The party remains unstoppable in its quest to realize a more developed and prosperous Zambia without leaving any province behind,” stated Mwila.

Meanwhile, the PF Central Committee directed all provincial chairpersons to be preparing periodic political reports for main committee deliberations, with immediate effect.