Nakacinda rightly feels betrayed
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Secretary-General Raphael Nakacinda is right to feel betrayed. While he has been incarcerated for defending democratic principles and speaking truth to power, some senior PF leaders are busy scheming for leadership positions rather than promoting unity within the party ahead of the crucial August 13 general elections.
This is not only disappointing, it is downright selfish and short-sighted.
Nakacinda’s imprisonment is a stark reminder of the price that comes with standing up for democracy in Zambia. He has made it clear that he was jailed not for corruption or personal gain, but for holding a divergent opinion from those in leadership and for reminding President Hakainde Hichilema of his responsibility to govern decently.
Yet, while he pays this price, some PF leaders are exploiting the vacuum created by his absence to advance their own ambitions. This is a betrayal not only of Nakacinda but of the ideals on which the party was founded.
It is unfortunate that infighting continues at a time when Zambians are looking to the former ruling party for credible alternatives. PF, under the leadership of Michael Chilufya Sata and later Edgar Lungu, built its reputation as a party that could offer principled opposition and leadership rooted in the welfare of the people.
Had these late leaders witnessed the current internal rivalries, they too would have been deeply disappointed. Instead of working collectively to present a united front, some PF officials appear to prioritise personal advancement over the party’s cohesion and the country’s democratic health.
The timing of this disunity could not be worse. With elections just months away, the PF is being closely watched by Zambians who are increasingly frustrated with the state of governance. Nakacinda has appealed to the international community to pay attention to his plight and the political interference that has delayed his bail hearing.
The delay of justice in his case reflects poorly not only on the judicial process but also on the political maturity of those who wield power within and outside the PF. While the country debates leadership and governance, it is ironic that those entrusted with guiding a political party are seemingly blind to the broader responsibility of fostering unity and stability.
Nakacinda’s principled stand should be commended. His incarceration underscores the reality that defending democracy is never without sacrifice. Yet, it also casts a harsh light on the PF’s internal culture, where ambition seems to trump principle.
The party risks losing credibility if it continues down this path of selfish infighting. History will judge harshly those who benefit from another’s misfortune while pretending to uphold the ideals of the party.
It is not only Nakacinda who feels let down. Many PF members, and indeed Zambians who believe in fair play and democratic accountability, must also share in this disappointment. A party that fails to unite around its principles at a critical moment risks not only electoral defeat but also the erosion of the values that originally inspired its formation.
PF leaders must ask themselves how they will be remembered as true custodians of the party’s legacy, or as opportunists who chose personal gain over national service.
The road to August 13 offers the PF a chance to correct course. Unity must be prioritised over ambition, and the party must demonstrate that it can offer credible, principled leadership. Until then, Raphael Nakacinda’s feelings of betrayal are fully justified. The question remains whether those who have turned a blind eye to the party’s internal fractures will step up or whether selfish ambition will continue to define the PF’s trajectory.
Nakacinda has spoken for democracy. It is now up to the PF and its leaders to prove that they are capable of rising above personal interest for the sake of the party and the nation. Anything less would be a shameful abdication of responsibility.
