By Hope Musaila
Confidential information has leaked out linking Lusaka businessman and Nyimba Investments proprietor Gulam Patel as instructing lawyer Makebi Zulu to intensify the ongoing legal battle between Government and the Lungu family, in what sources describe as a calculated attempt to damage President Hakainde Hichilema’s image ahead of the August elections.
Sources within the Patriotic Front (PF) claim Patel has emerged as one of the principal financiers of opposition activities and is backing strategies aimed at portraying government negatively. 
Among the alleged tactics is the prolonged dispute surrounding the burial of former President Edgar Lungu, which some insiders believe is being used to create public dissatisfaction and weaken confidence in the UPND administration.
A senior PF source said Patel has been holding private meetings with Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile to explore possibilities of uniting opposition forces in a bid to challenge President Hichilema in the forthcoming polls.
“Gulam wants to ensure that by any means possible, Makebi Zulu rises as the main opposition leader and eventually President, so that business interests linked to his family can regain access to lucrative contracts,” said the source.
Patel is aggrieved by the cancellation of several government supply contracts in sectors such as health, tourism, mining, and agriculture, which allegedly affected his business empire after the UPND came into office.
The businessman is also said to be courting Darlington Chiluba, son of late former President Frederick Chiluba, to join active politics and revive the charisma associated with his father’s political legacy.
However, Darlington Chiluba is understood to have distanced himself from immediate political ambitions, expressing respect for President Hichilema and indicating that 2031, when the current Head of State is expected to complete his tenure, would be a more appropriate time for him to enter the race.
Meanwhile, government circles are said to be increasingly concerned about what they describe as covert financial networks attempting to influence Zambia’s democratic process through hidden funding of opposition political parties.
Security and intelligence agencies are reportedly monitoring several businessmen operating in Lusaka, Chipata and other towns who are suspected of organising closed-door meetings, covert fundraising, and co-ordinated financial support for opposition campaigns, particularly the PF factions.
Officials insist the concern is not based on nationality or race but on alleged unlawful interference in national politics and abuse of financial power.
Zambia has historically welcomed investors and entrepreneurs from across the world whose contributions to manufacturing, retail trade, employment creation, and tax revenue are widely recognised.
However, government insiders say anyone using wealth to distort democracy, evade taxes, launder money, or sponsor political destabilisation should face the full force of the law.
Sources indicate that regulators are examining companies suspected of maintaining double books, under-declaring imports, externalising profits, and using shell companies to conceal transactions.
According to insiders, such practices flourished under previous administrations but are now under heightened scrutiny following the UPND government’s anti-corruption and accountability agenda.
“It is for this reason that some businessmen who benefited under the PF administration want the former ruling party back in office,” said one source.
Authorities are also reportedly concerned that some of the funds under investigation may be finding their way into campaign structures and partisan political operations.
Analysts warn that no democracy can thrive when political influence is bought behind closed doors or when parties become vehicles for commercial syndicates seeking favours after elections.
That is why institutions such as the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and other law enforcement bodies are expected to intensify scrutiny of suspicious transactions, unexplained wealth and campaign financing trails.
Many ordinary citizens have also expressed frustration over what they see as a double standard in the economy. While market traders, workers, and small businesses struggle to meet tax obligations and comply with regulations, some wealthy operators are accused of moving millions through complex networks while presenting themselves as respectable business leaders.
The government is, therefore, under growing pressure to send a clear signal that Zambia welcomes genuine investment but will not tolerate criminal enterprise disguised as legitimate commerce.
The opposition, too, faces difficult questions. If any political party seeks office through hidden sponsors rather than public trust, it risks undermining the democratic principles it claims to defend.
The UPND administration came to power promising reform, accountability, and order. Observers say this moment represents a major test of that promise. If the law is enforced fairly and fearlessly, confidence in Zambia’s institutions could be strengthened.
The message now circulating in boardrooms and political circles is clear: comply with the law, keep business separate from illegal politics, and respect the will of the people.
Because Zambia is open for business — but not for capture.
