Understanding the purpose of politics, in the context of the Chifunabuli feud

The Chifunabuli fall out, once again, sparks the debate on who benefits under the current political system between an MP and a Constituent.

By Mpandashalo Mwewa | Chief Editor.

Lusaka, Sept. 3 – Chifunabuli Constituency, just as the case is in many parts of Zambia, is one big extended family and our current political system has often brought disunity in families as different family members choose to align themselves to political parties of their choice, a perfect example of why we need a new home bred governance system that must prioritize development over politics of patronage.

In a typical Zambian community setup, decision making has always been done through wide consultations and consensus through compromise. Western multiparty politics, however, means the winner takes it all, a new phenomenon that leaves the losing parties feeling disenfranchised, although, I must emphasize, it comes from the lack of understanding of the political system.

There’s a video circulating on social media in which the current Patriotic Front Member of Parliament for Chifunabuli Constituency, Hon. Julien Mfwanki Nyemba, can clearly be seen disparaging the Minister of Energy, Hon. Eng. Peter Chibwe Kapalaq, who she perceives as her competitor for her seat in the 2026 general elections.

The personal attacks have left many wondering what’s at stake if the purpose of her position as area Member of Parliament is to uplift the living standards of the people of Chifunabuli Constituency, because that’s exactly what the Peter Kapala Foundation is doing, supplementing government efforts.

Also Read: Chifunabuli gets first ever community radio station.

Under normal circumstances, the various social economic development projects in the Constituency under the Peter Kapala Foundation should not unsettle an MP with a K28m Constituency Development Fund at her disposal, among other opportunities as Member of Parliament. This raises fears that the position of MP, under the current political setup, may be benefiting politicians more that it’s supporting the Constituents it’s meant to.

Politics should, however, not be a self preservation tool but a vehicle for development. An MP, in this case, should welcome and utilise every available resource in one’s area to attend to the various social economic development challenges in the area.

And commenting on the issue, the immediate past area Member of Parliament, Hon. Ponde Chunga Mecha, called for calm and cooperation.

“The mandate of an MP in Zambia is five years. Therefore, no serving MP has the right to stop anyone aspiring for that office beyond the current mandate. Any Ng’umbo person is free to start positioning oneself for 2026. There’s nothing wrong with that. I, personally, allowed people to start positioning themselves without interference including the current MP,” Hon. Mecha explained.

“My advice to our MP is to keep her calm and focus on delivering development to our area without antagonizing other stakeholders who equally mean well to the Chifunabuli people. Similarly, my advice to Hon. Kapala is to ignore the attacks and continue helping the people of Chifunabuli in any way he can. Ukwenda babili temwenso kabili umunwe umo tausala nda!” he further advised.

Also Read: Hon. Ponde Chunga Mecha discusses mealie meal shortage and its increased smuggling!

There’s a lot one can learn from the silence from the Peter Kapala Foundation despite persistent unprovoked attacks, that public service must evolve around the ultimate beneficiary, an ordinary person on the streets. Responding to the attacks would mean shifting the energy and time from development to an intended distraction, a clear sign of an unfocused mind.

With the current decentralisation policy by the new dawn government, what Chifunabuli Constituency desperately needs, is a strategic development plan into which all aspiring MPs must buy, with realistic measurable development goals against which the performance of MPs ought to be equally pegged. Replacing an underperforming MP should no longer be raising dust, it should be the norm because ultimately the beneficiary of politics should be the Constituency and not the MP as the case may be at the moment.

Hon. Julien Mfwanki Nyemba’s action is regrettable but let’s learn from it rather than dwell on it. Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history. But from this feud, expect the current status quo to be shaken.

And, as they say, when patterns are broken, new worlds emerge. Politics of continuity may give us roots. Change, however, gives us branches, letting us to stretch and grow and reach new heights! And that’s the Chifunabuli Constituency we want where growth is the only constant!

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