The Tonse Alliance has taken note of the statement issued by the Patriotic Front Chairperson for Information and Publicity, Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba, regarding the ongoing Tonse Alliance nominations and preparations for the National Congress.
At the outset, it is important to clarify one critical point: the Tonse Alliance process is not a Patriotic Front (PF) process. In that respect, Amb. Mwamba is correct to advise PF members that Tonse Alliance activities are non-PF activities. However, it is misleading and inaccurate to label the Tonse Alliance process as “illegal.” Legality is determined by constitutional authority within an institution, not by external political parties.
Tonse Alliance operates under its own Constitution, duly amended and ratified through an agreed collective process involving over eighteen (18) political parties and civil society organisations. That amendment—including the removal of the PF faction whose leadership is contested in court—was not unilateral. It was a collective, recorded decision, taken precisely to protect the Alliance from legal uncertainty and paralysis. The process was conducted transparently, publicly, and in full view of the media.
Notably, Mr. Kelvin Bwalya Fube (KBF)—now cited indirectly in public controversies—was not only present throughout these deliberations but was a member of the constitutional amendment committee, was elected Interim Second Vice Chairperson thereafter, and publicly signed and ratified the amended Tonse Alliance Constitution at a press briefing held at the FDD Secretariat. He attended Council of Leaders meetings where the roadmap to the National Congress was agreed, including delegate numbers, timelines, and the nomination date. To now suggest procedural impropriety without first exhausting internal mechanisms is both factually inconsistent and institutionally improper.
The Elections Committee currently administering the process was appointed by the Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders and is composed of three legal practitioners—Mr. Mwaba Mushota SC, Mr. Benjamin Mwelwa, and Mr. Debby Kambwa Aongola who is the Commission Chairman. The three commissioners jointly developed the Rules of Engagement, Code of Conduct, and operational guidelines which were collectively approved by the Council of Leaders. There is therefore no clandestine or parallel process at play.
Tonse Alliance respects the right of the Patriotic Front to conduct its own internal processes, including its forthcoming National Convention either in March or April as reported. Equally, PF has no constitutional authority to declare Tonse Alliance decisions illegal, just as Tonse Alliance does not interfere in PF internal affairs. What exists here are two distinct political processes, not a hierarchy of legitimacy. Here, political professionalism and mature leadership demand that each institution sticks to their own lane.
Finally, the Alliance urges all leaders—within and outside Tonse—to exercise restraint and accuracy in public communication. Political disagreement should never come at the expense of truth. The Tonse Alliance remains committed to order, constitutionalism, unity, and transparency, and will continue to address internal concerns through its established governance structures—not through media escalation.
Issued in the interest of clarity, public record, and national political maturity.
Issued by:
Dr Lawrence Mwelwa Interim Spokesperson Tonse Alliance
Soon you will see several Tonse’s emerging, what is wrong with some opposition leaders???
SAMLIND you don’t understand what you are writing and you don’t understand politics these people they can’t come together history is all over ask people from unip,anc ,AG for kashambata and mmd then you will understand Zambian politics.