LUSAKA — Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu have formally merged their presidential efforts days before nominations open, creating the biggest opposition realignment since Zambia’s 2021 election and forcing rival opposition figures to quickly declare where they stand ahead of the August 13 general election.
The alliance immediately altered the political landscape heading into nominations on May 18 and 19. While the merger was framed by its architects as an attempt to consolidate anti-UPND votes, it also exposed sharp fractures inside opposition ranks, particularly within the faction of the Miles Sampa-led Patriotic Front. Party officials congratulated the new alliance while simultaneously warning that the coalition could face legal action for using PF symbols, regalia and references linked to former presidents Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu without authorisation.
PF deputy secretary general Edwin Lifwekelo urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia to intervene, while in the same statement congratulating the alliance. The twin messages exposed how fragmented PF structures have become as senior figures and sitting lawmakers increasingly align themselves with competing political centres ahead of nominations.
Nason Msoni strongly backed the alliance and urged remaining opposition leaders to abandon individual ambitions. He said opposition fragmentation could hand President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling Hakainde Hichilema another victory in August if rival candidates continue splitting votes. Msoni described the merger as a major political breakthrough and argued that opposition leaders now face pressure to choose between coalition politics and isolated campaigns.
Harry Kalaba took a different route. He welcomed the merger but declined to join it, saying his party had its own industrialisation agenda centred on Zambia’s natural resources. Kalaba said he had not been presented with the coalition’s governing framework and insisted Citizens First would continue operating independently. He also criticised the ruling party over legislation he said restricts civil liberties and pledged to reverse such measures if elected.
The most direct internal clash came from Bright Nundwe, who publicly dismissed Sampa after being accused of betrayal. Nundwe confirmed he had aligned himself with the new alliance and had already applied to contest Chawama under that arrangement. He said preparations were already underway to transport supporters for the ECZ pre-processing exercise and rejected suggestions that he intended to join UPND.
The ruling UPND responded with visible confidence. Party media director Mark Simuuwe said the new alliance offered nothing new to voters and described it as a regrouping of politicians already rejected in 2021. Alliance spokesperson Leslie Chikuse similarly dismissed the merger as cosmetic. The response signalled UPND’s early campaign strategy of portraying the coalition as recycled PF politics rather than a fresh electoral threat.
The broader opposition picture remains unsettled. Harry Kalaba remains outside the coalition, while smaller parties continue fielding candidates. Given Katuta, Xavier Chungu, Brian Mushimba and Willah Mudolo all continued processing nomination requirements across multiple provinces.
That means the core problem the opposition is trying to solve remains unresolved. The Mundubile-Makebi alliance has created momentum, but it has not fully unified the anti-UPND vote. With nominations opening in days, parties now face a shrinking window to either consolidate further or risk entering August divided.
Editors Note: Parliamentary and presidential nominations open on May 18 and 19. The final alliances registered before that deadline are likely to define Zambia’s electoral map heading into the August 13 general election.
Both ruling and opposition Presidenrial candidates lack the capacity. You can clearly see the incompetency in all candidates with no exception, after a bumpy ride from 2021 expect worse if the current President continues. Unfortunately we dont seem to have a clear challenger with a sound economic plan, other wise we would have seen the plan by now. The manifestos are just poems
When you are economically illiterate you expect overnight prosperity after years of mismanagement by your brothers .Zambia has spent the last four years crawling out of a fiscal crater.You know very well who put us in this terrible situation.They borrowed money and defaulted paying back.The treasury was depleted, leading the country to a state of bankruptcy/ICU.HH has managed to stabilize the economy.He is busy laying down a solid foundation. Fitch Ratings has officially upgraded Zambia’s sovereign credit rating from restricted default to B–, and this is not a mere coincidence.Go to school and do Basic Economics. Any student of Politics and Economics understands how this works. Stop misleading yourself when you know nothing unaware of the facts
Guys, let us stop this this year, we cant continue having our people living in squalor, yes our people must strive and work hard but they were some promises made like end loadshedding which we had for 4 years and only stopped by pending elections,mealie meal, fuel and fertiliser prices. The man is just blowing hot air
Ignorance is the problem.You expect christmas in just 4yrs when the country was in ICU?The country is servicing a huge debt that was gotten in the pretext of improving the very facilities that generate power and even alternative sources.Where did this money go?Your brothers under pf shared this money through fake contracts.Insufficient rainfall has resulted in higher prices for mealie and has hindered electricity generation. I assume you do not keep up with the news.
It is important to note that Zambia does not produce fuel, and globally, fuel prices have risen significantly. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Europe, particularly between Russia and Ukraine, has exacerbated fuel costs. Additionally, there is now a conflict between Iran and the USA. It is unrealistic to expect low fuel prices under these circumstances.Go to school you people
And the Kwacha appreciation after swearing in???
HH is the best for a long time ..
Prosperity is coming .. don’t stop the train of it
So is the end of the world eventually coming
Came as a hero leaving eventually as a villian
Isnt that the trend ??
Do not concern yourself with these individuals inclined towards tribalism who engage in theft. .Pf was just a grouping of criminals. The individuals causing a disturbance here were dispatched by pf abroad to serve in embassies without contributing any value. Their assignments concluded in 2021, and some chose not to return. Life is challenging for them in that environment.
Those 2 are the same PF failures who submitted Zambians to 10 years of tribal politics, cader brutality and industrial scale corruption………
One was in the thick of it , while the other happily protected and catalogued the looting and violence…….he was the gate keeper………and stood as doorman while the country was being rap.ed……..
Zambians will reject any attempts to reintroduce the dark PF years or the main players back into GRZ…………
We are here
FWD2041
IHow dare you talk of tribal we are a more devided nation now than before
It is you lot that has brought the slogan One Zambia Two nations
Thats the vibes i’m getting
Tikki
That’s a tribal supremacist mind at work wanting to sow discord ……..
Instead of looking at the bigger picture
We are here
FWD2041
Mundubile and Makebi may have other failures in their humanity but don’t throw them in the tribal bin that we all know Spaka comes from.
These guys never indulge in tribal talk
Dream on. August 13, 14 and 15th will awaken you
Yes we are here
This is laughable (thankfully not sad). 1. Who is the presidential candidate? With 90 days remaining you cannot leave it as a secret who it is that you want to be elected as the President of the Republic of Zambia. 2. How will the ballot papers be made if there’s no known name for President? Unless just a frog. 3. Don’t you need to name and register the new body
Nothing to panic about, they are on course. We sold ECL in 3 months only in 2014, so there is still plenty of time for Makebi and Mundubile, what with the obvious failure of the incumbent
@Jailo ECL was named as the presidential candidate. Are these jokers ever going to decide who the candidate is
When two thieves merge they still remain thieves they do not turn to angels.
If some took off their rose coloured glassed and see the facts
Someone mentioned an economy cant be fixed in 4 years he should note not 4 years more like 64 years of the same story and our chap is no different
fuel is a problem everywhere the fact we battle is because no storage
But as usual whatever happens in a ngative way here its always the fault of others
Once again I say find a credible challenger who doesnt put the cart before the horse
Let’s leave tribal out of it for now
Keep on lamenting.The economy is in good hands.IMF has approved..
.Fitch ratings approves this fact.Not just someone without proper data coming here lying to people ,ikona man.Your pf is dead,they were just a grouping of criminals.Guess not eating anymore?Mukose bakawalala no more tantameni