Tonse Legitimacy Row Puts PF Leaders at Risk of Expulsion

Tonse Legitimacy Row Puts PF Leaders at Risk of Expulsion

A dispute over the legitimacy of competing Tonse Alliance groupings has intensified internal strain within the Patriotic Front, raising the prospect of disciplinary action against senior party members following the Chawama and Kasama by-elections.
The disagreement centres on the existence of two Tonse Alliance formations: one created under the late former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu and another reportedly established under the current PF leadership. Sections of the party and external political actors have labelled one or both alliances illegal, prompting warnings that PF members who associate with the disputed grouping could face sanctions, including expulsion.
The dispute has heightened uncertainty across the party, as social media claims and internal messaging circulate threats of disciplinary measures against members engaged with the contested Tonse Alliance.
Concerns have grown that enforcing such sanctions would affect a substantial portion of PF’s leadership, given the visible involvement of senior figures in Tonse-linked campaign activities during the recent by-elections.
In Chawama, PF leaders including Hon. Given Lubinda, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, Hon. Miles Sampa, counsel Mukandila, and other prominent party members were seen engaging in activities associated with the Tonse Alliance faction described by some as illegal.
In Kasama, PF figures including Hon. Chisanga, Hon. Brian Mundubile, Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, and other senior members, including the author of the original statement, participated in events linked to the same Tonse grouping.
Both Peter Yuda Chikweti and Bright Nundwe received support from PF leaders during the by-election campaigns. Bright Nundwe, identified as the FDD and Tonse Alliance winning candidate in Chawama, was seen on Sunday, January 25, 2026, attending thanksgiving church activities alongside PF leaders led by Hon. Given Lubinda. At the same time, Peter Yuda Chikweti, described as an FDD and Tonse Alliance candidate in Kasama, was seen associating with PF leaders led by Hon. Chisanga.
The situation has triggered internal debate within the PF over whether the party can credibly impose sanctions on a wide range of senior leaders without destabilising its own structure. Questions have been raised about the party’s future should expulsions extend across multiple levels of leadership.
The Tonse Alliance dispute has also fuelled concerns that internal divisions may be exploited to weaken the PF and the broader opposition. Claims have circulated that coordinated political efforts are underway to undermine opposition unity.
Amid the growing rift, calls have been made to preserve the Tonse Alliance in the form established under Edgar Chagwa Lungu, with appeals to respect his political legacy and the intentions associated with its formation.