WHAT IS BEHIND RESURRECTION OF CASE AGAINST CHITALU CHILUFYA?
There are three troubling questions surrounding the recent well publicised resurrection of alleged corruption charges against former Health Minister in the Patriotic Front (PF) government, Dr Chitalu Chilufya. This involves charges related to the Honeybee supply contract, for which he was acquitted on all charges by the courts, more than four years ago on 25th August, 2020.
It has taken this long for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, now occupied by Gilbert Phiri, to appeal Dr Chilufya’s acquittal, perhaps speaking volumes about both the motivation and inefficiency of this office.
And herein lie the reasons for disquiet, and the fertile ground for much speculation and raising of questions.
Is it the dismantling of the vestiges of what used to be “Luapula United”?
Dr Chilufya, while still Minister under the PF, was associated with the emergence of a united leadership group thought to have been organising for a push to take over the reins the PF party and later, government.
It was, in fact, the uneasiness of the PF leadership about the apparent presidential ambitions of Dr Chilufya which led the then PF government to raise, some say concoct, the charges against him to begin with.
Fast forward to recent politics. The United Party for National Development (UPND) government still realises that the way the 2026 election battle is shaping up, Luapula Province outcomes will be crucial for winning the contest. This factor helps explain the sledgehammer approach in decimating the province’s erstwhile key political players, such as Nixon Chilangwa and Ronald Chitotela.
With these two gone, Chitalu Chilufya is the remaining PF stalwart from Luapula United. Harry Kalaba was also hounded out of the PF for being perceived to harbour presidential ambitions, and is now running Citizens First party.
It can be observed that the UPND has already attempted dangling the carrot of “working with President Hakainde Hichilema” before Dr Chilufya. But when paraded with others during one of the President’s visits to the province, he seemed to have balked at the prospect of denouncing either former President Edgar Lungu or the PF, and declaring public endorsement of Hichilema.
Hence, the second question: is the rehashing of these corruption charges some form of punishment for his perceived refusal to play ball, in the similar grovelling manner that Robert Chabinga has done?
Or is it that, with former President Edgar Lungu still to disclose full details of his Plan B, and the unified Tonse Alliance candidate still a mystery, the UPND and President Hichilema perceive Dr Chitalu Chilufya to be among the contenders to be anointed by ECL?
The people are watching.
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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