Tasila Lungu Appointment Shifts Tonse’s Internal Power Balance

🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Tasila Lungu Appointment Shifts Tonse’s Internal Power Balance

The Brian Mundubile-led Tonse Alliance has appointed former Chawama Member of Parliament Tasila Lungu as National Youth Chairperson, placing the late president Edgar Lungu’s daughter at the centre of the opposition’s youth mobilisation ahead of the 2026 general elections.

The appointment was approved during a Council of Leaders meeting held in Lusaka yesterday, as Tonse unveiled a wider reshuffle of its national executive structures.

Tasila Lungu remains in South Africa following the death of her father, former president Edgar Lungu, who died on June 5 last year and is yet to be buried.

Crucially, she has not yet issued a personal public statement confirming acceptance of the role, and the alliance’s announcement has since triggered conflicting claims online, with some PF-linked pages suggesting she may be distancing herself from the appointment. For now, the absence of direct clarification from Tasila herself leaves the matter politically open.

Politically, the move carries weight beyond youth organisation.

It comes at a moment when opposition formations linked to the Lungu legacy are increasingly fragmented, and where competing camps continue to claim proximity to the former president’s final political intentions. Within that landscape, some supporters aligned with lawyer Makebi Zulu, who has been among the most visible voices demanding what he calls a “dignified burial” away from President Hakainde Hichilema’s presence, may view Tasila’s elevation under Mundubile as a recalibration of who now speaks closest to the Lungu family.

For that base, the symbolism is sensitive.

Makebi Zulu’s supporters have often framed him as a frontline defender of Lungu’s dignity in death, while Mundubile has not been publicly defined by the burial dispute in the same way. Tasila’s placement inside Mundubile’s structure may therefore be interpreted by some as Tonse attempting to consolidate the family’s political gravity within its own camp, potentially unsettling rival centres of loyalty.

Beyond Tasila’s appointment, Tonse also approved a series of presidential appointments to its national executive wing.

Professor Danny Pule was named National Chairman, Brenda Nyirenda was appointed Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs, Gift Kapila as Deputy Secretary General for Administration, and Lawrence Mwelwa as spokesperson.

Other roles were allocated across arts, energy, foreign affairs, security, and community development, reflecting the alliance’s effort to project a broader national governing structure.

Alliance Secretary General Chris Zumani Zimba said the changes were designed to strengthen Tonse’s presence nationwide.

“We have reorganised our leadership to boost the alliance’s presence nationwide, and all appointments have been approved by the national executive committee,” Zimba said.

Tonse Alliance President Brian Mundubile described unity as the alliance’s central objective ahead of 2026, placing young people at the heart of its mobilisation strategy.

“Young people are at the heart of this movement, they are the face of Tonse and will play a leading role in shaping the future of our country,” Mundubile said.

The Council also approved the summary report of the Tonse Alliance General Congress and welcomed new groups into the alliance.

As Tonse continues to formalise its leadership, Tasila Lungu’s appointment signals not only a youth strategy, but a deeper contest over legacy, legitimacy, and who inherits the political capital of Edgar Lungu’s unresolved final chapter.

© The People’s Brief | Chileshe Sengwe