Judgment in PF case coming up on 25 February 2026

Judgment in PF case coming up on 25 February 2026

The Lusaka High Court is set to deliver judgment on 25 February 2026 in the long-running legal dispute concerning the leadership of the Patriotic Front (PF), a case that has exposed deep fractures within Zambia’s former ruling party.

According to a Notice of Judgment issued by the court, Lusaka High Court Judge Conceptor Chinyanwa Zulu will hand down the ruling in a matter that centres on the legitimacy of PF leadership arrangements following internal disputes that escalated into litigation.

The case arises from a consent agreement entered into in May 2025 between senior PF members led by Brian Mundubile, the Mporokoso Member of Parliament and a member of the party’s Central Committee, and Miles Sampa, the Matero Member of Parliament who has laid claim to the PF presidency.

The consent agreement was intended to resolve the protracted leadership crisis that had engulfed the party following competing claims to its top office. However, disputes over the interpretation and implementation of that agreement later prompted further legal action.

Court records indicate that a petition was filed in August 2025 outlining the terms agreed upon by the parties in May. Central to the agreement was the nullification of the PF meeting held on 24 October 2023, during which Miles Sampa was elected as party president. The parties agreed that the meeting and its outcomes were to be declared null and void.

The agreement further provided for the restoration of PF leadership to the status quo that existed prior to the disputed October 2023 meeting. This included the nullification of all appointments and decisions arising from that meeting, as well as the reinstatement of office bearers as they stood before that date through the office of the Registrar of Societies.

Despite the consent agreement, disputes persisted, culminating in continued court proceedings to determine the legal standing of the various leadership claims and the effect of subsequent actions taken within the party.

The matter before the High Court also involves additional parties who were later joined to the proceedings as interested parties. These include the expelled Mafinga Member of Parliament, whom government has recognised as Acting President of the Patriotic Front and as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. Also joined to the case is Morgan Ngona, who has been presented as Secretary General of the party.

The inclusion of these parties reflects the complexity of the dispute, which has extended beyond internal party mechanisms into broader questions of recognition, authority, and representation within Parliament and public institutions.

At the heart of the case is the question of whether the consent agreement reached in May 2025 remains binding, how it should be interpreted, and whether subsequent actions taken by any of the parties were consistent with its terms. The court is also expected to address the legal status of decisions made following the disputed leadership meeting and the role of statutory bodies in recognising party officials.

The PF leadership wrangle has had significant political consequences, including uncertainty over who holds legitimate authority within the party and who is entitled to act on its behalf in official forums. The dispute has also affected the party’s standing as the largest opposition grouping in Parliament.

The judgment scheduled for 25 February 2026 is expected to provide clarity on these outstanding issues. Once delivered, the ruling is likely to determine the immediate leadership structure of the Patriotic Front and set the legal parameters for any further actions by the party and its members.a