🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Mundubile Turns Campaign into Lungu Tribute as Opposition Struggles for a National Message
Presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has signalled that his 2026 campaign under the Tonse Alliance will revolve heavily around the unresolved burial and political legacy of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, underscoring how deeply the opposition’s electoral narrative has become tied to what critics now describe as “body politics.”
Moments after filing nominations alongside running mate Makebi Zulu, Mundubile gathered supporters and declared that the campaign would be dedicated to Lungu, whose remains have now spent nearly a year in South Africa amid legal disputes between the family and the Zambian government.
“We were tutored by him, we were guided by him, we were mentored by him. We will therefore dedicate this campaign to Edgar Chagwa Lungu as we go round the country,” Mundubile told supporters, framing the election not merely as a political contest but as a continuation of Lungu’s unfinished struggle.
The messaging is politically revealing.
At a moment when Zambians are waiting to hear competing visions on the economy, energy, jobs, debt, agriculture, and cost of living, a major opposition campaign appears to be anchoring itself around mourning, grievance, and symbolism. The implication is difficult to ignore: the opposition still lacks a unifying forward-looking message capable of transcending the emotional weight of Lungu’s death.
The strategy may energise sections of the PF-aligned base, particularly across parts of the green belt, the former ruling party’s traditional strongholds in the northern corridor, Luapula, Muchinga, and sections of Eastern Province; where sympathy for the late former president remains politically potent.
But whether grief can substitute for governance messaging in a national election remains uncertain.
Makebi Zulu, who simultaneously serves as Lungu family spokesperson and vice-presidential running mate, reinforced the alliance’s mobilisation tone, calling on opposition figures such as Harry Kalaba and Kelvin Fube Bwalya to “put aside their egos” and unite behind the camp. The appeal reflects a broader opposition reality: fragmentation remains its greatest structural weakness
Ironically, even as the opposition speaks the language of unity, the presidential ballot continues to expand. More candidates are expected to contest the presidency, with multiple alliances, factions, and parallel opposition centres emerging simultaneously.
© The People’s Brief | Mwape Nthegwa
“We were tutored by him, we were mentored by him, we were guided by him”. In other words expect more of Mr. Lungu’s way of conducting business. Mr. Mundubile et al are promising a double dose of the corruption, cadre violence, lies, hypocrisy, foul language and thuggery we suffered under Mr. Lungu.
Their simple message is that they are unrepentant. They will rule like their mentor did. They will resurrect the legacy of their great leader. Theirs will be PF 2.0. More concentrated, more lethal.
There’s nothing wrong with a Party remembering the immediate Past President, especially one lying in the Morgue unburied close to a year after his death. Only an Evil person can fail to acknowledge the person who was President of the Patriotic Front which birthed most of those people who are now in Tonse – PAMODZI Alliance.
It was in order for the Tonse Alliance President to acknowledge the Late President. No apologies to whoever wants to erase Dr Edgar Lungu from history.
Mr Lungu got 1.8million votes out of the 4.6million votes cast in 2021. He lost by 1million votes.
There is no basis to believe that he has got more support by virtue of his death and the lack of resolution of where he ought to be buried.
Even without opposition fragmentation, it is nearly impossible for Mr Lungu to garner a higher percentage of votes than he did while he ruled us. Those campaigning on his name show a lack of political strategy.
Getting 1.8 Million Votes is not the issue here.
The Tonse Alliance last President is the Late President Edgar Lungu.
He is the one who formed the Tonse Alliance.
Surely a successor should acknowledge this. Brian Mundubile is succeeding the late Edgar Lungu who to this day remains unburied in the South African Morgue. Is it wrong to acknowledge this and dedicate the campaign to his memory?
Come on, let us be human. This hatred for Edgar Lungu won’t take us anywhere. Takwaba.
No wonder you can even do postmortem on his body without the family knowing.
Just a grouping of thieves.Their businesses can’t survive without government contracts and tenders.Its about their pockets not working for Zambians.Lungu was being mislead by all these individuals.Those contracts were initiated by these guys.
Mr. Lungu was not misled by anybody. He was the chief architect of all that went on during his rule and he was fully aware of the violence, corruption, vulgar language, thuggery, lies and hypocrisy that formed the bedrock of his rule.
These are bad men,I hope and pray they never lead this country