⬆️ EXCLUSIVE: Tonse Alliance Fall Apart As Sean Tembo And Nakacinda Hold Parallel Meetings
What was once a coalition built on unity has now descended into open rebellion. The Tonse Alliance, Zambia’s largest opposition bloc, today reached a full-scale rupture, with two rival camps each claiming to be the legitimate leadership, one led by Sean Tembo and Zumani Zimba, the other by Raphael Nakacinda, Given Lubinda and Danny Pule.
The morning began with the Tembo-led faction releasing detailed resolutions from its 15th Council of Leaders meeting, announcing plans for a national congress on November 29 to elect a chairperson and a presidential candidate for the 2026 general election. But even before the ink on that statement dried, Nakacinda’s group held a counter-meeting at the PF Secretariat, declaring Tembo’s gathering and all its resolutions “illegal, false and fake.”
Two Alliances, One Name
At the PF Secretariat, PF Acting President Given Lubinda, PF Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda, and Tonse Alliance Deputy Chairperson Danny Pule told reporters that the “so-called council meeting chaired by Sean Tembo” was never sanctioned and violated the alliance’s constitution. They insisted that the authentic Tonse Alliance leadership remains under Nakacinda, who they say was appointed Secretary General of the Council of Leaders by the late Edgar Lungu.
Nakacinda dismissed Tembo’s resolutions as “a desperate power grab” aimed at destabilising the Patriotic Front and eroding the alliance’s credibility.
“There is only one Tonse Alliance, and it is not operating from hotel rooms or WhatsApp groups. It operates from the PF Secretariat, as directed by our late Chairman,” Nakacinda said, addressing party structures in Lusaka.
Lubinda echoed those sentiments, warning that “imposters” were exploiting the alliance’s name for personal ambition. He said no legitimate meeting was held under Tonse’s constitutional procedures and that the alliance had not mandated any general congress.
Sean Tembo Strikes Back
In response, Sean Tembo doubled down, accusing Lubinda and Nakacinda of trying to silence legitimate reform. He maintained that his faction’s meeting in Lusaka was valid, constitutionally convened, and chaired by former Mfuwe MP Maureen Mabonga in accordance with Article 14(i) of the Tonse constitution.
Tembo also announced a media ban, prohibiting Kalemba, ZNBC, and News Diggers from covering Tonse press briefings, accusing the outlets of “unethical reporting” over their coverage of former President Edgar Lungu’s death.
“We will not allow compromised media to misrepresent us,” Tembo said in a statement. “Until further notice, these outlets are banned from attending Tonse Alliance events.”
The move drew swift criticism from media rights defenders, who described the ban as an assault on press freedom.
The Struggle for Legitimacy
The events of the day exposed what insiders have long feared: that the Tonse Alliance has split beyond repair. Both sides now claim the blessing of the late Edgar Lungu, both claim the right to use the Tonse name, and both accuse the other of working against the alliance’s founding vision.
The Tembo-Zimba camp insists it holds the legitimate structures of the alliance, with nominations for leadership positions set for November 7 and a General Congress on November 29. The Nakacinda-Lubinda camp, on the other hand, has refused to recognise that process, branding it a “parallel circus.”
Political observers say the feud reflects a deeper struggle for control of the Patriotic Front’s post-Lungu identity. Without a central authority figure, each faction is attempting to position itself as the true heir to Lungu’s legacy, one through procedural legitimacy, the other through institutional dominance.
The Church Steps In
Sources close to the Tembo camp confirmed that a committee of bishops has agreed to mediate between the two groups in a last-ditch attempt to restore unity. The mediation panel, to be led by senior clergy from the Council of Churches in Zambia and the infamous Lusaka Pope, Archbishop Alick Banda, will include representatives from both factions, though confidence in reconciliation is low.
Political analyst Dr. Lombe Mwale described the split as “a defining moment for Zambia’s opposition politics.”
“The Tonse Alliance is now a cautionary tale of what happens when political convenience replaces shared vision. Whoever emerges from this will have to rebuild trust from the ground up,” he said.
A Movement in Collapse
For ordinary supporters, the Tonse Alliance’s message of collective change now feels distant. The alliance that once promised to unite opposition voices against the ruling party has turned into a battlefield of personalities.
As it stands tonight, Zambia has two Tonse Alliances, two councils of leaders, and no clear candidate for 2026. What remains is confusion — and a growing sense that the opposition’s greatest enemy may not be the government, but itself.
The People’s Brief will continue to monitor the unfolding Tonse crisis, as both factions dig in for what looks like a long political war.
© The People’s Brief | Exclusive