TONSE ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL: FOX NEWSPAPER’S PREDICTIONS COMING TO FRUITION?
The FOX Newspaper
Lusaka, April 23, 2025
In a development that echoes our earlier analysis, the Tonse Alliance is now grappling with internal discord, validating concerns about the coalition’s ideological coherence and leadership stability.
AUDIO LEAK EXPOSES INTERNAL STRIFE
A recently surfaced audio recording has unveiled a clandestine conversation allegedly among senior Socialist Party (SP) officials, including Ms. Akende M’membe, daughter of SP President Dr. Fred M’membe, and National Youth Chairman Mr. Kelvin Kaunda. The discussion reveals plans to usurp the current alliance leadership by removing Chairman Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who is presently undergoing medical examinations in Johannesburg. The conversation also includes derogatory remarks about Dr. Lungu’s health condition.
TONSE ALLIANCE RESPONDS WITH DISCIPLINARY ACTION
In response to the leak, the Tonse Alliance through its spokesperson Sean Tembo, has swiftly established an Ad hoc Disciplinary Committee, as per Article 23(i) of its constitution, to investigate the matter and recommend appropriate actions. The alliance has formally requested Dr. Fred M’membe to address the alleged coup plot and justify why the SP’s recent application to join the alliance should not be reconsidered.
Additionally, the committee has summoned PF Secretary General Hon. Raphael Nakachinda and Acting PF President Hon. Given Lubinda to explain unauthorized meetings with SP officials, which have been deemed clandestine due to the absence of alliance approval.
FOX NEWSPAPER’S ANALYSIS VINDICATED
This unfolding situation aligns with our previous editorial titled “The Red Joins the Green – What’s Brewing in Zambia’s Opposition Kitchen?” published on April 17, 2025. We highlighted potential pitfalls of the SP’s integration into the Tonse Alliance, emphasizing:
• Ideological Incompatibility: The merger of SP’s socialist principles with PF’s capitalist history raised questions about the alliance’s ideological consistency.
• Leadership Tensions: The potential for power struggles between Dr. Lungu and Dr. M’membe was a foreseeable risk, now materializing.
• Supporter Alienation: SP’s core supporters might perceive the alliance as a betrayal of socialist ideals, leading to internal dissent.
• UPND’s Strategic Advantage: The ruling party could exploit these fractures to question the opposition’s unity and reliability.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026 ELECTIONS
The Tonse Alliance’s internal conflicts may undermine its objective to present a unified front against the UPND in the upcoming 2026 general elections. The alliance’s credibility and cohesion are now under scrutiny, potentially affecting voter confidence.
CONCLUSION
The recent events within the Tonse Alliance underscore the complexities of political coalitions formed on expedient grounds rather than shared principles. As the alliance navigates this crisis, its ability to maintain unity and present a coherent alternative to the electorate remains uncertain.
For further details and updates, refer to our previous coverage and stay tuned for ongoing analysis.