A decision on the Foreign Minister's fate over allegedly colluding with the opposition, was due during the past week. But Lubinda is widely expected to lose his cabinet post and membership of the ruling party. The party disciplinary committee chaired by Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu on January 6 made recommendations to the central committee after going through Lubinda's exculpatory letter. He had on December 10 been given seven days to exculpate himself of the accusations.
Reports were that the Lungu committee had found Lubinda, once regarded as President Michael Sata's right hand man, "guilty as charged" and recommended his dismissal from the cabinet and the PF for "treachery."From the time that the charges were first disclosed in December, there has been a spirited campaign by party officials and members for his expulsion from the party. A number of demonstrations have been staged and party officials from his own parliamentary constituency in Lusaka have threatened to physically prevent him from entering his office at the Foreign Ministry building.
