“Zaloumis, ECZ and the Redemption of Brian Mundubile”
…as Counselor Makebi Zulu gets in the pick
Amb. AM. 19th May 26
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“As Winston Churchill once warned: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
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On 19 May 2026, Zambia stood at the edge of history, democracy trembling like a candle in the wind.
I, as an author and analyst, remained glued to the radio, television, and verifiable online outlets, knowing that this day would either bury the aspirations of Tonse Alliance President Hon. Brian Mundubile or breathe new life into Zambia’s democratic soul.
At about 6:00 pm CAT, Ms. Mwangala Zaloumis, SC, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia, and Returning Officer for presidential polls, spoke in a voice soft yet resolute: “Dear Mr. Brian Mundubile, I wish to inform you that in accordance with Article 100 of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Act No. 2 of 2016, I have determined that you have been validly nominated as Presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2026 Presidential elections.”
The seasoned lawyer added, “I have also determined that Mr. Makebi Zulu has been validated as your running mate.”
Those words were not mere legalese; they were the lifeline of democracy in a nation of 22 million people, a country that has changed seven presidents since 1964 without descending into civil war, unlike neighbour’s Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, or Mozambique.
Zambia is unique.
The importance of the ECZ Chair in Zambia cannot be overstated. As Returning Officer for presidential elections, she is the custodian of legitimacy, the arbiter of fairness, the one who ensures that ballots are not just pieces of paper but instruments of sovereignty.
Yet this decision did not emerge from nowhere. It came after weeks of suspicion, cliff-hanger uncertainty, and fears of rogue politics.
Exactly two months earlier (March 19-May19), Mundubile had been interrogated for nearly ten hours by combined state security operatives, his three phones confiscated, his diplomatic passport seized, and his dignity stripped as he spent a night in a jail cell without charge.
The following day, he was formally accused of “abuse of office.” Many feared Zambia was sliding into the cesspool of authoritarianism.
But today, Zaloumi’s pronouncement reversed that narrative, thanks to millions of Zambians who kept vigil online and thousands who thronged the streets chanting: “We won’t go home until you allow our man to be on the ballot, it’s our only cry.”
Many Zambians just prayed in this only ‘Christian Nation’ by constitution in Africa.
One wonders why so much prayer for Brian and Makebi!
Zambia’s history of smooth transitions is both inspiring and turbulent. From Kenneth Kaunda to Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda, Michael Sata, Edgar Lungu, and now Hakainde Hichilema, the nation has seen peaceful handovers but also moments of bloodshed and contestation.
Only an unburied and frozen President ECL changes the complexion under the current regime.
Democracy here has been tested, sometimes scarred, but never extinguished
CAUTION TO BRIAN AND MAKEBI TEAM NOW
Friends and associates of Mundubile stayed up sleepless nights, strategizing to ensure he got his fair chance on the ballot rather than languishing in a cell.
Their resilience mirrors Zambia’s broader democratic spirit.
Mundubile 54, himself is no stranger to public service. A seasoned parliamentarian with a decade in the legislature, he has carved a reputation as a constitutional lawyer and reformist voice.
His running mate, Makebi Zulu, at just 45 years, is a vociferous lawyer destined for the stars — articulate, fearless, and already a beacon for Zambia’s youth.
Together, they represent untried but untested energy, a generational shift that could re energize politics. Yet caution must be their watchword.
To Mundubile’s shadow kitchen cabinet and campaign team: in politics, there is no time to sleep. President Hichilema wants to win as much as Mundubile wants to win. The battle has only begun.
HH enters the polls with economic credentials: debt restructuring, inflation tamed to single digits, and foreign reserves bolstered.
Yet poverty remains stubbornly high, unemployment gnaws at the youth, and democracy feels constricted under bans on rallies and repressive laws.
Could Zambia be ready to trot into a Fourth Republic, one defined by youthful vigour and restored freedoms? Only if the police chief emulates Zaloumis, returns Mundubile’s papers, and allows opposition rallies to resume after five years of silence.
Democracy is not an authoritarian state; it is oxygen, and opposition is its best supply.
Examples abound of nations where democracy flourishes. In the United States and the European Union, free speech is the cornerstone, dissent is protected, and opposition is not criminalized.
Zambia too, could be greater by focusing on economic growth rather than passing repressive laws. As I reflect, I encourage Mundubile, Makebi, and all opposition leaders: unite, for unity is the strongest antidote to tyranny. “Una oposición fuerte es el mejor oxígeno para la democracia.”
And let us remember the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
Mundubile himself declared: “We are on the way to redemption and winning the polls to help Zambia slash poverty.” Makebi Zulu added: “I join Hon. Mundubile as his running mate to invite others in opposition for us to work together because we are one in positive change.”
Zambia was on edge from dawn until dusk, breathing only when Zaloumis spoke. This story echoes Ghana’s democratic resilience in Africa and recalls medieval Europe’s Magna Carta moment, when power was checked, and liberty enshrined.
Daily Nation Zambia Daily Revelation Newspaper 🗞️
Yet for Brian and Makebi, this is just the beginning. As Winston Churchill once warned: “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
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Amb. Anthony Mukwita Author & International Relations Analyst.