KBF leading in Tonse Alliance Faction

Zambia Must Prosper Party leader, Kelvin Fube Bwalya is set to scoop the leadership of the Tonse Alliance faction led by Dr. Dan Pule.

Inside sources disclosed that the dynamics in the Alliance favoured KBF against Mporokoso MP, Brian Mundubile

“The so-called ECL Movement has no political party and is no longer the anchor party. It has therefore lost significant influence and dominance. It’not like the PF Tonse were the party was guaranteed to provide a presidential candidate”

Details have emerged that the architect, former State House Special assistant for politics, Zumani Zimba has lost the plot and influence and his schemes have ended up weakening the PF faction in Tonse Alliance  called “ECL Movement”.

The movement is hoping that the delegates will elect to elect Mundubile.

●KBF demanded that the so called “ECL Movement” is an illegal and undefined entity and should have less numbers.

● KBF rejected that the proposal that the Vice Chairperson elected should be the running mate.

● Mprokoso MP, Hon Brian Mundubile led a team that included Shiwangandu MP, Stephen Kampyongo, Lunte MP, Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya, former Secretary General Davies Mwila, lawyer Derby Aongola, and Zumani Zimba and Chanoda Ngwira.

● Zumani Zimba has proposed that Dan Pule must vacate his position as Chairperson since he was a candidate and that after the election of the new Chairperson will become the presidential candidate.
Tonse Alliance faction Chairperson Dan Pule also is hoping to win the leadership.

UPHOLD THE LAW AND REJECT ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN CHAWAMA NOMINATION

The Consortium of Civil Society Organisations on Governance and Constitutionalism strongly urges the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to reject in the clearest possible terms the call attributed to Mr. Morgan Muunda of the United Party for National Development (UPND), a losing aspiring candidate, that it must invoke powers that the Commission does not possess in order to nullify the nomination and eventual election of Mr. Bright Nundwe of the Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) as candidate for Chawama Constituency.

At the outset, it is important to place the matter squarely within the law. The Electoral Commission of Zambia Act, which Mr. Muunda purports to rely on, contains no Section 35 granting the Commission authority to invalidate a candidate’s nomination. Elections in Zambia are governed primarily by the Electoral Process Act, and Section 35 of that Act does not confer any power whatsoever on the ECZ to cancel or invalidate a nomination on the grounds alleged by Mr. Muunda.

The law is settled and unambiguous. Where a person is dissatisfied with the nomination or election of a candidate, the Electoral Process Act provides a specific and exclusive remedy. Mr. Morgan Muunda’s only lawful option is to file an election petition within fourteen (14) days under Section 100(3) read together with Section 96(1)(a) of the Electoral Process Act. Attempts to short-circuit this process by inviting the ECZ to act outside its mandate are legally untenable and constitutionally dangerous.

The Consortium further notes that the ECZ’s corrective powers under Section 76 of the Electoral Process Act are strictly limited to the correction of errors committed by an electoral officer in the tabulation of results, and only within seven (7) days after the declaration of results. These powers do not extend to revisiting nominations or disqualifying candidates after the fact.

Beyond the immediate dispute, the Consortium takes the considered view that the argument suggesting that a candidate must be a registered voter in the very constituency they seek to contest raises a serious constitutional question. Neither the Constitution of Zambia nor the Electoral Process Act expressly provides that a parliamentary candidate must be registered as a voter in the constituency they wish to contest. This issue, if contested, is one that properly belongs before the Constitutional Court for authoritative interpretation, not before the ECZ through administrative pressure.

We therefore call upon the ECZ to defend its institutional integrity, adhere strictly to the law, and resist being drawn into actions that would be illegal, unconstitutional, and capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

Finally, the Consortium appeals to Mr. Muunda and to all persons intending to contest elections in August 2026 to familiarise themselves with the Constitution and electoral laws. Political ambition must never override the rule of law. Zambia’s democracy is best protected when disputes are resolved through lawful, orderly, and constitutional means, not through misdirected demands on independent institutions.

Issued by

Solomon Ngoma
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
Consortium of Civil Society on Governance & Constitutionalism

PEOPLE’S PACT PETITIONS ECZ AND ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HALT DELIMITATION PROCESS

By Nelson Zulu

The opposition People’s Pact has petitioned the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- and Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha in the Constitutional Court seeking an order to halt the implementation of the delimitation process scheduled for April this year on the basis that the process is illegal.

The pact is asking the court for a stay of the 2025/2026 delimitation exercise and an injunction preventing certification of the final voters register, which is due on 30th April 2026, arguing that the ECZ’s sequence of operations contravenes constitutional provisions governing boundary changes.

Pact Vice President for Strategy Peter Sinkamba submits that the voter registration data were captured before the legal finalization of new boundaries and before the dissolution of parliament and councils, raising alleged breaches of article 58(6) and article 57(6) of the constitution.

Mr. Sinkamba alleges that certifying the register on 30 April will create an irreversible legal lock under the Electoral Process Act and risk mass disenfranchisement, since voter cards issued under the existing 156 constituencies could be mapped to 211 constituencies after.

He also argues the impending provisional register inspection window from 9 to 23 February 2026, saying voters currently lack the constitutional certainty required to verify their registration details against legally finalized boundaries.

The petition also contends that the ECZ has not demonstrated compliance with the population quota requirement set out in article 58(5) and notes uncertainty over which delimitation report the commission intends to rely on, whether a 2019 report or a post-2022 census report will be used and insists that maintaining the status quo of 156 constituencies pending judicial determination is the balance of convenience that will protect the credibility of the august 13, 2026 election.

PHOENIX NEWS

WHERE IS HON. GARY NKOMBO?

17th January, 2026

The UPND’s defeat in the Chawama by-election has done more than change the political scoreboard; it has also ignited curiosity about the missing man in the room, the party’s Chairman for Elections and long-time strategist, Hon. Gary Nkombo. In a constituency where handshakes, footwork, and face-time often decide outcomes, his absence from the campaign trail was hard to miss and even harder to explain.

Now, with the votes counted and the dust settled, the silence persists. Supporters and political observers alike are left wondering whether Chawama was a calculated gamble, a strategic oversight, or simply a case of the general showing up after the battle had already been lost.

Whatever the explanation, the questions remain, and in politics, unanswered questions often speak the loudest.

© Kafue Reports

THE ELECTION OF BRIGHT NUNDWE TAKES A TWIST.

…..as UPND Morgan Muunda, petitions ECZ not to validate his election, citing nomination irregularities.

Bright Nundwe’s election as Chawama lawmaker has taken a turn, as the UPND losing candidate in the Chawama parliamentary by-election, Morgan Muunda, has petitioned the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) not to validate his election, citing irregularities in his nomination.

Mr. Muunda stated that the newly elected Chawama lawmaker should not be sworn in, claiming that he did not qualify for nominations in the Chawama by-elections because he is not a registered voter in Chawama.

He also stated that ECZ’s acceptance of Mr. Nundwe’s nomination violated the law and Mr. Nundwe’s missing in the 2021 Chawama constituency register, must prompt ECZ to declare his election as Chawama Member of Parliament null and void.

Mr. Muunda is hopeful that the Commission will act lawfully by utilizing its mandate under Section 35 of the ECZ Act, which specifies the criteria for validating a candidate’s nomination.

Following Tasila Lungu’s extended absence in the national assembly due to her father’s (Sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu) contentious burial, the Speaker declared the seat vacant, prompting a by-election in the Chawama constituency,which was on Thursday,January, 15, 2026.

Mr. Nundwe emerged winner after polling 8,085 votes, beating eight other contenders.
His closest rival was Morgan Muunda of the ruling UPND, who came second with 6,542 votes.

“I appeal to ecz to withdraw the nomination of Mr Nundwe before being sworn in at parliament on 15th Feb 2026.he did not qualify to be mp nominations in chawama bye elections which operated under 2021electrol register where he is not registered in Lusaka province as prescribed by law. The ecz act section 35provides for laws doing vote protection against fraud. It’s the duty of ecz mandate to reconsider and do the lawful action by using it’s mandate on section 35provides it to pronounce by law a candidate who meets the criteria of elections mp nominations.”

CIC PRESS TEAM

 BRIEFING | Miles Sampa Turns on FDD as Opposition Unity Frays After Chawama Win

The fragile opposition truce forged during the Chawama by-election is already showing signs of strain, with Miles Sampa launching a public broadside against the Forum for Democracy and Development, an alliance partner in the Tonse arrangement that delivered the seat.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, Sampa dismissed the role of FDD and rival Tonse figures in the Chawama victory, insisting that the win belonged exclusively to the Patriotic Front’s grassroots machinery.

He claimed that the newly elected MP, Bright Nundwe, was “not FDD” but a product of what he called the “genuine True Green PF movement.”

“For the record; the new MP for Chawama is a product and part of the genuine True Green PF movement that is in people’s hearts and will never die,” Sampa wrote, before warning the FDD and the rival Tonse faction to “stay away from him.”

The remarks directly challenge the political reality of the by-election. Nundwe formally contested on the FDD ticket, with the Tonse Alliance adopting FDD as a special purpose vehicle amid unresolved leadership disputes within the PF. That arrangement was meant to project unity and avoid brand confusion. Instead, Sampa’s intervention has reopened the fault lines.

At the heart of the dispute is ownership of victory. Sampa is arguing that PF structures, history, and sentiment in Chawama delivered the win, while the FDD merely provided a legal vehicle. By contrast, the Tonse faction led by Dan Pule has treated the result as a collective opposition success achieved through compromise and coordination.

The language used by Sampa is telling. By accusing alliance partners of “hijacking” the win, he signals that the cooperation was tactical, not ideological. It also reflects deeper anxiety within opposition ranks about who controls political capital generated by Edgar Lungu’s legacy strongholds, and who gets to brand that support going into August vote.

So far, the FDD has chosen silence, declining to respond publicly to the attack. But the damage is already visible. What was supposed to be a moment of consolidation after a morale-boosting by-election has quickly turned into a struggle over narrative, credit, and control.

Chawama has exposed an uncomfortable truth for the opposition. Winning together is easier than agreeing on who owns the win. And if these tensions surface so quickly after a single constituency victory, they raise serious questions about whether opposition alliances can hold under the pressure of a national campaign.

For now, the seat is secured. But the aftershocks suggest that opposition unity remains transactional, brittle, and vulnerable to implosion at the first sign of triumph.

© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya

A CHAT WITH A POLITICIAN – A MUST READ FOR POLITICAL LEADERS AHEAD OF 2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS

By Brian Matambo | Lusaka, Zambia

This was a private conversation with a political heavyweight in Zambia. I will not name the person. What matters is the substance of what we talked about, because it captures with unsettling clarity the crossroads at which the opposition now stands as the country approaches the 2026 general elections.

In the wake of the Chawama by-election won by the Tonse Alliance on the FDD ticket, the conversation revolved around one central warning: the opposition risks collective failure, not because the ruling party is invincible, but because ego, celebrity politics, and selfish calculation at the top are blocking strategic clarity.

My counterpart began by drawing a sharp and uncomfortable distinction between ordinary citizens and political leaders. The ordinary people, they argued, are far more alert to the real danger facing the country than the elites who claim to lead them. The failure is not at the base. It is at the top. Leaders are too busy protecting their positions, their visibility, and their personal relevance to confront the existential stakes of this moment. If leaders do not first grasp the danger, the message cannot filter down to the people who actually carry the vote.

I then introduced what I believe is the psychological core of the problem. Many contemporary politicians are not driven by ideology, policy, or national duty. They are driven by the desire for celebrityhood. Politics has become a shortcut to recognition. Artists, musicians, and actors work for years before applause finds them. Politicians, by contrast, want to step straight onto the red carpet. Titles, motorcades, and the intoxicating repetition of “Honourable” become addictive.

This produces a specific fear. It is not primarily the fear of losing state power, because many of these politicians privately know they are unlikely to win it anyway. The deeper fear is losing relevance, losing the limelight, losing the sense of being somebody. That is why stepping aside for a stronger candidate becomes psychologically impossible, even when it is strategically obvious.

This, more than ideology, explains why weak candidates insist on running, why fragmentation persists, and why unity talks repeatedly collapse. It also explains why, as I bluntly put it in the conversation, useless people enter politics. Politics has become an identity crutch rather than a service platform.

We then turned to the by-elections in Chawama and Petauke. We agreed that these were not isolated contests. They were protest votes against the ruling party. The ruling party was deeply unwanted in those constituencies, particularly because of their symbolic association with the late Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu. The electorate’s message was not subtle. Whoever best represented opposition sentiment stood to benefit.

I insisted these elections should have been used as a temperature check by opposition leaders. Instead, some leaders spun third-place finishes as victories, or worse, as proof of relevance. A distant third, especially where the gap between second and third is wide, is not competitive. It is relegation. Dressing it up as success is self-deception.

I openly ridiculed the logic that merely participating among “over 200 registered political parties” is a win. In a high-stakes national moment, participation without impact is political noise, not leadership.

Our discussion then shifted to data, because politics without data is guesswork masquerading as strategy. I shared findings from my own data-driven analysis. Southern Province is structurally difficult terrain for opposition forces, particularly since the emergence of UPND. Historical voting patterns from 1996 onward show deeply entrenched behaviour. Since UPND began contesting seriously in 2001, it has consistently posted above-average results in Southern Province, starting around 72 percent and climbing to over 90 percent support. Parliamentary dominance followed naturally.

By contrast, PF’s performance in Southern Province has historically been marginal, at times falling below one percent, with humiliating vote gaps in certain by-elections. The conclusion is unavoidable. Southern Province is not where elections are won for the opposition. Pretending otherwise is strategic fantasy.

The analysis then broadened to Lusaka and the Copperbelt, where trends are more fluid and therefore more decisive. Here, the data tells a different story. PF once dominated Lusaka, but its support declined as UPND rose, effectively swapping places. Similar patterns appear on the Copperbelt. Unlike Southern Province, these regions respond to performance, economics, and lived experience.

At this point, my counterpart quoted New Heritage Party President Madam Chishala Kateka who once said that UPND was an attractive opposition, but it is not an attractive incumbent. In power, the party has failed to generate goodwill, tangible improvement, or a season of favour. Unlike previous governments that at least enjoyed a honeymoon period, UPND never truly secured one. Discontent has been present almost from day one.

This is reinforced by contrasting UPND with MMD and PF. Both MMD and PF experienced periods where citizens felt progress or optimism, even if those periods later collapsed. UPND never crossed that threshold of broad public satisfaction.

I added that economic messaging alone is insufficient. Macro indicators, international praise, and flattering foreign headlines mean little to voters whose daily reality is defined by grocery prices, transport costs, and shrinking disposable income. Voters do not live in The Guardian’s economy. They live in Pick n Pay, Choopies, Shoprite, Mtendere Market, in real life on the ground.

I then raised what I believe is one of the most strategically underestimated forces in Zambian politics: the Catholic Church. With millions of adherents, it is a massive moral and electoral constituency. I warned that pastoral messaging focused on injustice, abuse of widows, persecution, and moral authority could decisively shape voter sentiment in the final weeks of a campaign. I noted how quickly even individuals previously aligned with UPND reacted when Archbishop Alick Banda was targeted. Loyalties shift fast when moral lines are crossed.

Eventually, the conversation then returned to opposition fragmentation, betrayal, and manipulation. My counterpart was blunt. Ruling parties fund confusion in the opposition. Some small parties are not meant to win. And I added that their function is to destabilise, delay, withdraw at critical moments, and weaken collective strength. Politicians linger, posture, and wait for inducements. They do not defect early because the best price is paid late.

Judas figures will always exist. Some betray out of malice. Others out of convenience. Others simply because money appeared on the way home. My counterpart lamented that trust, therefore, cannot be assumed. Systems must be built that anticipate betrayal rather than being shocked by it.

ROBERT CHABINGA SELLING PF DEEDS FOR K3MILLION

…Chabinga is not seeking re-election, expects to flee and settle in South Africa….

Expelled Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga is selling the deeds of the Patriotic Front for K3million.

Chabinga’s henchmen Victor Kapungwe (Mr. Ground) and Chama Amelika exposed the plot and have warned  him that Chabinga doesn’t share the proceeds, they will damage him.

They said Chabinga was not seeking the-election and was seeking a safe exit from Zambia hence the sale.

They warned the would-be buyers of the Party to ensure that they were included in the sale or they would frustrate the transaction.

The duo warned Chabinga that they suffered when they engaged in a process to grab the Party from the real owners.

Get Back to the Patriotic Front Fold, that’s where your legitimacy and strength is, Alexander Nkosi tells Hon Brian Mundubile

Alexander Nkosi Gives Second Advise to Hon. Brian Mundubile

Good evening Brian Mundubile. While time is not on your side, a good leader should learn from history. It looks like you didn’t learn anything from what happened to UKA. You actually even didn’t learn anything from your own MPs betraying you by voting for what you as their leader was against.

If you fully understand what is happening to PF, then you should know that looking at individuals in Tonse, the risk of a repeat of PF drama is higher. A good leader should have foresight. Speed alone is not good, you have to move fast but with balance so that you don’t fall. Why do you think Kalaba is avoiding alliances? He learnt the hard way and wasted a lot of time and lost pace. All you need is to get a water-tight party and use it as a vehicle not an alliance.

Just take deep introspection of what happened in Chawama. FDD was part of the initial introduction of the candidate in Chawama, but while campaigns were still going on, they ended up attending a meeting that expelled PF leaders that were campaigning for a PF FDD candidate in Chawama.

The leader of Tonse you chose even stopped the use of PF materials in Chawama. You now have an FDD MP who is loyal to Lubinda and group that were expelled from Tonse were FDD President is Vice Chairperson.

You are now making the Lubinda faction look organised even if they are equally at fault with their last minute changes in key party leadership. Don’t be surprised if PF supporters throw their weight behind Makebi Zulu because it now looks like your group and Lubinda’s group cannot unite your supporters.

ECZ Needs Reforms before 2026 Elections

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;

Since 2021, excluding ward elections, UPND has won nine (9) parliamentary and district council by-elections in:
1. Mwense (mayoral)( Stephen Chikota)
2. Kwacha (Charles Mulenga)
3. Kabushi, (Bernard Kanengo)

4. Kawambwa, (Nason Musonda)
5. Pambashe ( Justine Kapema)
6.  Mongu (mayoral), (Nyambe Muyumbana)
7. Kabwata (Andrew Tayenga)
8. Lumezi (
9. Mfuwe ( Malama Mufunelo)

The Opposition has won four (4) by-election seats:

1. Kaumbwe ( Aaron Mwanza)
2. Luangwa ( Mayoral)( Lawrence Shawa)
3.Petauke Central ( Simon Banda)
4. Chawama ( Bright Nundwe)

● A Forensic Audit of the Voters’ Register.

● Removal of partisan officials (Mwangala Zaloumis, Mcdonald Chipenzi, Brown Kasaro and Dr. Collins Kachaka).

● Make public Delimitation Process and Parliamentary Seats targeted.
●Put finality to whether Zambia will use electronic voting or not.

POWER LIES WITH THE PEOPLE- GIVEN LUBINDA

STATEMENT TO THE NATION FOLLOWING THE CHAWAMA BY-ELECTION

I address the people of Zambia today with humility, gratitude, and an unshakable sense of duty. The outcome of the Chawama by-election is not the victory of an individual or a single political organisation; it is a victory of conscience, courage, and the sovereign will of the Zambian people.

The people of Chawama have reminded the nation of a timeless truth: leadership is not bought, and democracy cannot be intimidated. In the face of pressure, inducements, and fear, they chose integrity over convenience and principle over coercion. Their message is clear and unmistakable—our democracy is alive, and our people are alert.

This moment also stands as a solemn tribute to the values and leadership associated with Edgar Chagwa Lungu. The ideals of humility, national unity, and respect for the ordinary citizen continue to inspire millions across our country. Chawama did not merely vote; it affirmed those enduring principles.

January 15th was not an isolated event. It marked a turning point. The result has revealed a growing national resolve—a quiet but firm determination among Zambians to reclaim their voice and demand leadership that listens, respects, and delivers. What we witnessed in Chawama is a blueprint for peaceful, people-centred political renewal across the nation.

I extend sincere appreciation to the Patriotic Front leadership, our partners in the Tonse Alliance, the campaign teams on the ground, and the media practitioners who worked under difficult circumstances to ensure transparency and truth.

Your commitment strengthened democracy.
To Zambians everywhere—across provinces, across party lines, and across generations—this moment belongs to you. The future of our nation will not be shaped by fear or division, but by courage, unity, and moral clarity.

May God bless Chawama.
May God bless the Patriotic Front
May God bless the Republic of Zambia.

UPND PREPARING FOR 2026 ELECTION VIOLENCE – ANDYFORD

THE United Party for National Development is recruiting known criminals because it is preparing for violence in the August 13 general election, opposition People’s Alliance for Change leader Andyford Banda has said.

In an interview with The Mast, Banda questioned the decision by the UPND to embrace Innocent Kalimanshi, who is known for violence, into the party near the August general election.

He said the UPND was preparing to cause violence as the country gets closer to the 2026 general election.

“It is worrying to see UPND embracing Kalimanshi because Zambians know that these are the same people who caused violence during the 2021 elections,” Banda said.

He urged Zambians to be on the lookout, warning the UPND that political violence was the reason the Patriotic Front (PF) was removed from power in 2021.

Banda wondered why those in government thought that people would accept them for bringing Kalimanshi within their ranks.

“We have never been UPND or PF. So we can tell you that the reason why we have never been part of these people is that they are the same people. They have just changed colours,” he said.

“Why is it that the UPND thinks that people will accept them bringing Kalimanshi within their ranks? That is a question they should be asking themselves. The people will not accept bringing those people into the ranks. What we need is now to completely change things in 2026 because the UPND has demonstrated that they are not different from the PF.”

And Banda says PAC is the only solution to addressing the challenges the country is grappling with.

“If you look at all these candidates and ask them what their plans are, I’m not trying to shoot down the opposition, just go to their pages and see what plans they have. We always have the solution for this country,” he said.

The Mast

President Hakainde Hichilema Must Visit these Farmers Stranded in Choma

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba wrote;

President Hakainde Hichilema has been in Choma since last year!

We saw him venture out to the Daniel Munkombwe Toll Plaza and later hold a public rally at Choma Sports Grounds on 5th January 2026.

Since he is still in Choma, he probably should take a drive into Choma town and check on these stranded farmers.

Because what is happening in Choma is a reflection of what’s  happening across the country.

Farmers being paid in January 2025? Why?

It’s deep in farming season and farmers remain unpaid.

How do the farmers prepare the fields, buy seeds and fertilser? How do they manage to weed and buy pesticides in some cases?

Government claims that the Farmers remain unpaid because it budgeted for only the 500,000 metric tonnes, which constitutes the National Strategic Reserves.

For the 2025 marketing season, farmers supplied a  surplus of over 1.6 million metric tonnes of maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

But let us be clear, since 2011, the FRA has always bought from the farmers an average of one (1) million metric tonnes.

Besides, the 500,000 metric tonnes was set as the National Strategic Reserves in 1995 and clearly, is no longer the national strategic reserve amount.

A country needs to store maize, being a staple food, totalling a minimum one year supply in the event that the next farming season fails due to floods or droughts.

Zambia now consumes about 200,000 metric tonnes per month (both animal and human consumption).

In effect the National Strategic Reserve must be pegged at 2.4 million metric tonnes.

This is what motivated the Patriotic Front to embark on storing maize from two seasons.

When the UPND found 1.5 million metric tonnes in the National Strategic  Reserves in 2021 and a new harvest of 2.4million metric tonnes on the way, they embarked on an export spree and decided to sell the entire stock, ( both new harvest and national strategic reserve) on the pretext that they needed to pay the farmers!

So Mr. President,  leave the farm and explore into Choma town to establish what’s causing the delay in payments as the farmers are sleeping in the cold and in the rain.