THERE IS NOTHING SINISTER ABOUT USING ECL’S IMAGE- TONSE ALLIANCE
“ECL Was the Founding Chairman of Tonse Alliance”
The Tonse Alliance Vice National Chairperson for Students Affairs and Presidential-Youth Campaign Team member, Mr. Gregory Chisha, says, Students and youths have rejected criticism by New Nation Party President Dr. Nevers Mumba over the use of the image of the late Sixth Republican President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, in political activities, describing the practice as normal in democratic politics.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Tonse official, said Dr. Mumba’s position “does not reflect established democratic and political practices either in Zambia or across the globe.
“There is nothing sinister about using President ECL’s image,” the statement read.
“ECL was the Founding Chairman of the Tonse Alliance,political movements have historically identified themselves with the values, ideals and legacies of the leaders who inspired them this is neither unusual nor inappropriate.”
Mr. Chisha, who is also Tonse Alliance Vice Chairperson for the Presidential-Youth Campaign Team argued that the test should not be whether a leader’s image is used, but the purpose for which it is used.
“What truly matters is whether the image is being used to communicate a political philosophy, vision or legacy that continues to resonate with citizens,” the group stated.
Drawing on Zambia’s political history, the Tonse Alliance Youth and Students noted that references to deceased leaders remain common.
“In Zambia, when the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa passed on, parties and individuals continued to reference his integrity and ‘Zero Tolerance to Corruption’ legacy in campaigns.
No one called it sinister,rather it was recognition of ideas that outlived the man,” the statement said.
The group maintained that referencing Dr. Lungu’s image is about preserving the principles he stood for, including national unity, infrastructure development, and youth empowerment, as the Alliance prepares for the 13 August 2026 general elections.
They stated that ECL represents a chapter of Zambian history that many citizens still identify with therefore Silencing that is not democracy, it’s erasure,” the statement concluded.
The development comes as political parties intensify mobilisation and branding ahead of next year’s polls.