GULAM PATEL NAMED AS KEY FINANCIER IN OPPOSITION PLOT AHEAD OF AUGUST POLLS
LUSAKA — Prominent Lusaka businessman and Nyimba Investments proprietor, Gulam Patel, has been linked to a coordinated financial campaign aimed at destabilizing the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration ahead of the August elections.
Leaked intelligence indicates that earlier this year, Patel instructed lawyer Makebi Zulu to intensify legal battles between the state and the family of former President Edgar Lungu. Sources describe the move as a calculated effort to damage President Hakainde Hichilema’s public image.
Leaked intelligence indicates that earlier this year, Patel instructed lawyer Makebi Zulu to intensify legal battles between the state and the family of former President Edgar Lungu. Sources describe the move as a calculated effort to damage President Hakainde Hichilema’s public image.
According to insiders within the Patriotic Front (PF), Patel has emerged as a principal financier of opposition strategies designed to fuel public dissatisfaction. Among the alleged tactics was the prolonged, highly politicized dispute surrounding the burial of former President Lungu.
Chasing Lost State Contracts
Senior PF sources reveal that Patel has held private strategy sessions with Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile to unite opposition forces.
“Gulam wants to ensure Makebi Zulu rises as the main opposition leader and eventually the Presidency,” a source stated. “The ultimate goal is to regain access to the lucrative government supply contracts his family lost when the UPND took office.”
Patel is reportedly aggrieved by the cancellation of several multimillion-kwacha state contracts in the health, tourism, mining, and agriculture sectors following President Hichilema’s anti-corruption reforms.
In a separate political maneuver, Patel reportedly courted Darlington Chiluba—son of the late former President Frederick Chiluba—to join active politics. However, Chiluba reportedly distanced himself from the plot, expressing respect for President Hichilema and noting that he would not consider a presidential run until 2031.
State Security on High Alert
The government is increasingly alarmed by these covert financial networks. Security and intelligence agencies are currently monitoring several high-profile businessmen across Lusaka, Chipata, and other key towns suspected of organizing closed-door fundraising for PF factions.
State officials emphasize that the scrutiny is strictly legal, not racial or nationality-based. While Zambia continues to welcome legitimate foreign and local investment, insiders warn that anyone using wealth to distort democracy, evade taxes, or launder money will face prosecution.
Regulatory bodies—including the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA)—are now auditing companies suspected of keeping double books, under-declaring imports, and using shell companies to fund political campaigns.
As ordinary Zambians demand accountability, the UPND administration faces a critical test of its campaign promises. The message currently reverberating through Lusaka’s boardrooms is clear: Zambia is open for business, but it is not for capture.
Source: Elly Katu
Funny. We are in election period and parties need to fundraise. All written here is crap. The heat is being felt
