202 Views Patriots for Economic Progress Party (PeP), led by Sean Tembo was at no point changed to a church or religious organisation as it is still a political party. Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo has clarified to the media this afternoon that the Registrar of societies can […]

202 Views

Sean Tembo

Patriots for Economic Progress Party (PeP), led by Sean Tembo was at no point changed to a church or religious organisation as it is still a political party.

Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo has clarified to the media this afternoon that the Registrar of societies can never change anything without the owner’s authority.

He emphasized that an attempt to change the party was made in 2023, but remained at application level, meaning it was never effected.

This came after the presidential candidate Eng. Chanda Katotobwe and his running mate Sean Tembo failed to successfully file in their presidential nomination papers following alleged irregular changes made to the party’s records at the Registrar of Societies.

The opposition party says the changes, which were allegedly made on May 8 and May 21, 2026, resulted in PEP being reclassified from a political party to a church organization.

The party further says the position of Secretary General was also altered without authorization.

Katotobwe, Tembo praying in SDA Church

PEP Running Mate, Sean Tembo said the matter was discovered on Wednesday during the nomination filing process at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

He said party officials later rushed to the Registrar of Societies offices to seek clarification and reversal of the alleged changes.

Tembo also claimed that officials at the Registrar of Societies informed them that the changes were made from an internet café by an unknown person identified as Prince Care.

However, PEP said the records were not immediately restored despite the alleged irregularities being brought to the attention of authorities.

The party has further alleged that one of the individuals appearing as Secretary General in the party records is deceased, a situation the party says complicated the nomination process for both the presidential ticket and aspiring parliamentary and local government candidates.

Meanwhile, the party appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema and the Electoral Commission of Zambia to intervene in the matter and extend the nomination filing period to allow its candidates to participate in the 2026 general elections.