Tonse Alliance official appoints ordinary citizens as campaign managers for the Mundubile-Makebi Zulu ticket ahead of August elections
Binwell Mpundu has thrown himself into the 2026 election campaign with characteristic theatrics, issuing a sweeping nationwide mobilisation call that appoints ordinary Zambians as campaign managers for the Brian Mundubile-Makebi Zulu presidential ticket while excluding citizens he accuses of supporting violence, corruption and injustice.
The statement, issued under the heading “Special Announcement”, was signed by Mpundu in his self-styled role as chairman for presidential affairs and carried the urgent tone that has increasingly defined political mobilisation efforts within the opposition alliance ahead of the August 13 general elections.
“The assignment starts this moment,” Mpundu declared, directing supporters to carry the message of Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu across the country as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation before the official campaign season fully accelerates.
The statement drew attention not only for its nationwide appointment of citizens as campaign operatives, but also for the categories of people Mpundu openly excluded from the assignment. He said those not part of the mobilisation included citizens who support violence, corruption, tribalism, injustice, weak leadership and what he described as the continued suffering of ordinary Zambians.
Mpundu also targeted governance institutions and accused sections of the state machinery of political bias. He criticised what he described as incompetence in leadership, unequal distribution of national resources, poor economic conditions and laws he claimed restrict freedoms and democratic rights.
His remarks extended to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, where he alleged that governance institutions were being influenced by political cadres, a claim likely to add to already heightened political tensions following the countrywide nomination process held in recent days.
The statement arrives at a politically sensitive moment after nomination activities across several districts were accompanied by reports of confrontations, isolated violence, disputes over adoption certificates and allegations of intimidation involving rival political camps.
Opposition political messaging has steadily sharpened following the nominations, with several parties now placing governance, economic hardship, unemployment and democratic freedoms at the centre of their campaign narratives heading into the August elections.
Mundubile recently filed his presidential nomination papers alongside Makebi Zulu, positioning the Tonse Alliance ticket as a direct challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling UPND.
The alliance has increasingly framed its campaign around governance concerns, rising public frustration over economic pressures and claims that democratic space is shrinking under the current administration.
Mpundu’s latest mobilisation message also touched on youth unemployment, wages and the handling of mining opportunities, including criticism surrounding foreign participation in Zambia’s mineral sector.
He accused authorities of failing to adequately protect ordinary citizens from poverty and economic hardship while also condemning the shooting of youths involved in mining-related disputes, remarks likely aimed at tapping into growing frustrations among unemployed young voters and communities dependent on mining activities.
The statement closed with Mpundu encouraging supporters to directly contact him whenever they encountered challenges during campaign activities, reinforcing the alliance’s attempt to project itself as a grassroots-driven political movement ahead of the polls.
He signed off the announcement with the phrase: “The Last Man Standing.”