THE OBSESSION WITH REMOVING HICHILEMA BLINDS ZAMBIA TO THE TRAGIC INSTABILITY OF THE TONSE ALLIANCE

THE OBSESSION WITH REMOVING HICHILEMA BLINDS ZAMBIA TO THE TRAGIC INSTABILITY OF THE TONSE ALLIANCE

Zambia’s political horizon ahead of the August 2026 general election is being dominated by a dangerous form of political desperation. More than 20 political factions have ganged up under the Tonse Alliance banner, creating a textbook “negative coalition” bound together exclusively by the mutual desire to unseat incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema.

By focusing entirely on what they oppose rather than what they proactively support, both the alliance leaders and the voting public are completely ignoring the tragic instability of this union.

The “Viza Resolva” Trap

In Zambia, this short-sighted approach is famously termed “Viza resolva”—literally translating to “we will cross the bridge when we get there.” Relying on a reckless viza resolva mindset is a grave leadership mistake. Running a country cannot be left to an afterthought; attempting to figure out governance after seizing power is a recipe for state paralysis. We are already seeing this manifest through a distinct lack of substantive campaign messages, uncoordinated priorities, and emotional outbursts completely detached from economic realities

The Wisdom of Harry Kalaba

The inherent dangers of this arrangement were recently exposed by Citizens First (CF) leader Harry Kalaba during a radio interview. Kalaba explained that while Tonse presidential candidate Brian Mundubile might mean well as an individual, the alliance has become a sanctuary for problematic, recycled political cartels. Kalaba explicitly noted:
“Brian Mundubile could be a good person, but I have seen some bad people from the PF government who have regrouped around him. Those people haven’t changed, and so I can’t join that group.”

The Golden Calf & State Capture

This mirrors the biblical tale of the Israelites who grew impatient with Moses and built a “user-friendly” Golden Calf to take them to the Promised Land. It required no visionary discipline and was easy to manipulate—but it was the culmination of corrupted minds seeking an easy way out, bringing immediate chaos.

History reveals these loose alliances are engineered by political cartels to achieve state capture by holding a cooperative leader hostage. We saw this when a corrupt clique manufactured Edgar Lungu’s presidency to orchestrate their comeback, nearly leaving Zambia a failed state. Now, the same actors have found a new vehicle. The warning signs are glaring: Mundubile is already failing to manage the insatiable ambitions around him. He cannot control Chishimba Kambwili, who has become a massive liability, while his running mate Makebi Zulu quietly plays kingmaker to plot his own internal coup. Mundubile knows this, but blindly relies on viza resolva.

A Nation Fully Awake

The biggest strategic blunder committed by this opportunistic clique is underestimating President Hakainde Hichilema. As an astute strategist, Hichilema has consistently dismantled the opposition’s fragile approach, exposing their lack of developmental substance.

If this desperate group thinks they can replicate the deceptive playbooks of the past, they are in for a rude awakening. From the Copperbelt to the Southern Province, and across all ten provinces of this great nation, noble Zambians are fully awake, vigilant, and politically conscious. They remember the economic devastation of the past, recognize the self-serving elements driving this alliance, and will resolutely refuse to bow to a political golden calf.

This time, the opportunistic march to state capture will not pass!

Guest Article
(c) Shipungu July 14, 2016