Tonse Alliance Split Deepens as Fraud Allegations Emerge

Cracks within the Tonse Alliance have widened, with Sean Tembo and Zuman Zimba facing a possible fraud case over a disputed leadership list.

The Given Lubinda and Raphael Nakachinda faction has dismissed the list released by the Sean Tembo faction, describing it as fraudulent.

Addressing the media this afternoon, Nakachinda said it was immoral and fraudulent for Sean Tembo and Zuman Zimba to purport that the late President Edgar Lungu had drafted the list.

According to the Nakachinda faction, the late President had appointed a team that was supposed to put together the list, contrary to claims made by the Tembo faction.

The faction has also announced dates and timelines to elect their leaders, setting up a parallel structure within the opposition alliance.

Meanwhile, the Tembo faction has proceeded with its own plans, having held the 15th Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders meeting on October 7, 2025, in Lusaka. The meeting was chaired by former Mfuwe Member of Parliament Maureen Mabonga after disruptions at a previous gathering at Palm Valley Resort on September 30, 2025.

The Tembo-led faction resolved to hold a General Congress on November 29, 2025, to elect the alliance chairman and 2026 presidential election candidate. Candidates wishing to contest must pay a non-refundable nomination fee of K300,000 and file nominations by November 7, 2025.

In an apparent attempt to resolve the dispute, the Council of Leaders has approached a Committee of Bishops to facilitate dialogue and mediation with senior Patriotic Front members including Lubinda and Nakachinda.

The mediation team representing the Council of Leaders includes Kelvin Bwalya Fube, Sean Tembo, Brian Mundubile, Maureen Mabonga, and Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba, who serves as National Coordinator.

However, the Tembo faction has made clear that all planned activities of the Tonse Alliance shall proceed unhindered while the proposed dialogue process continues.

The alliance's internal divisions threaten to undermine opposition unity ahead of the 2026 general elections.