Mundubile: ‘It will end with us’ — Tonse Pamodzi Alliance rules out political vengeance in office
In one of the clearest attempts yet to lower the political temperature ahead of next month’s elections, Brian Mundubile has pledged that a Tonse Pamodzi Alliance government would reject retaliation against political opponents, promising instead to govern through reconciliation, tolerance and respect for democratic freedoms.
Speaking on Hot FM’s Red Hot Breakfast programme alongside his running mate, Makebi Zulu, the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance presidential candidate said Zambia had reached a point where the cycle of political reprisals had to come to an end. He said leadership should not be about settling old scores but about healing divisions and rebuilding confidence in democratic institutions.
Addressing concerns that have repeatedly surfaced during the campaign over whether an incoming administration would pursue those currently in government, Mundubile offered what he described as an unequivocal assurance.
“There’ll be no vengeance. It has to stop somewhere. It will end with us,” he said.
His remarks formed one of the alliance’s strongest messages yet on national reconciliation, presenting a vision of political competition in which parties remain rivals at the ballot box without becoming enemies once the election is over.
According to Mundubile, democracy flourishes when those who lose elections retain the freedom to organise, criticise government and prepare for the next contest without intimidation or unnecessary restrictions. He said that under a Tonse Pamodzi Alliance administration, opposition parties would be free to hold public meetings and rallies immediately after an election, including during the very first week of a new government’s tenure.
“They should be sure that, even in opposition, they will be free to hold rallies and begin campaigning from day one,” he said.
Rather than viewing criticism as a threat, Mundubile argued that governments become stronger when policies are subjected to public scrutiny. He said opposition voices should never be silenced because constructive criticism often helps governments identify weaknesses before they become national crises.
“If a policy is good, the best way to test it is to throw it to the opposition. Let them comment on it. Let them say what they have to say,” he said.
He maintained that suppressing dissent ultimately harms those in power more than their political opponents because governments lose an important source of honest feedback capable of exposing shortcomings before they escalate.
“The moment you kill a dissenting voice, it actually affects you more, the one in government,” he said.
Mundubile further said his administration would foster an environment where ordinary citizens could openly express dissatisfaction with government performance without fearing arrest or intimidation. Using a hypothetical example of a government programme falling short of its target, he said citizens should be able to publicly criticise the President or government without attracting police action simply for voicing disappointment.
The Tonse Pamodzi Alliance leader added that this commitment would extend to ending what the alliance describes as politically motivated treatment in public institutions. He cited markets, bus stations and sections of the civil service as areas where public services should be delivered fairly and professionally, regardless of an individual’s political affiliation.
For his running mate, Makebi Zulu, the ultimate judgment in a democracy belongs not to politicians but to the people.
Responding to questions over whether a Tonse Pamodzi Alliance government would “go after” the current administration if elected, Zulu said any political verdict would come through the ballot box rather than through revenge or persecution.
“The people who are going after the UPND are the Zambians, and the legitimate way of doing that is by voting on the 13th of August,” he said.
He stressed that removing a governing party from office should never mean eliminating it from the country’s political landscape. Instead, he said Zambia benefits when competing political parties continue to exist, offering alternative ideas and holding those in government to account.
“We are not going to destroy the UPND. They should continue to exist because people must always have a choice,” Zulu said.
He said a healthy democracy depends on strong institutions, protected freedoms of expression and a vibrant opposition capable of scrutinising those in power. Allowing political competitors to continue operating freely, he argued, creates the checks and balances necessary for better governance.
Zulu also called for a national approach that promotes unity across every region of the country, saying messages of national cohesion should be consistent wherever leaders campaign. He said the principle of One Zambia, One Nation must be upheld equally across the country if Zambia is to move beyond division and strengthen national unity.
Linking the alliance’s position to its broader constitutional reform agenda, Zulu said the protection of civil liberties, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression would remain central pillars of a Tonse Pamodzi Alliance government.
Taken together, the remarks by Mundubile and Zulu amounted to one of the alliance’s clearest efforts to present the August election as more than a contest for political office. Instead, they portrayed it as an opportunity to restore political tolerance, strengthen democratic institutions and reaffirm that political competition should never come at the expense of national unity.
With campaigns entering their final stretch, the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance leaders said the true test of democracy would not simply be who wins power, but how that power is exercised, ensuring every Zambian, regardless of political affiliation, remains free to speak, organise and participate fully in the nation’s democratic life.
