Mundubile elected Tonse Alliance president as PF remains under court block

Mundubile elected Tonse Alliance president as PF remains under court block

Hon. Brian Mundubile, the Mporokoso Member of Parliament and a constitutional lawyer, on Wednesday evening defeated Rev. Pastor Danny Pule to become president and presidential candidate of the opposition Tonse Alliance.

The election, held on 28 January 2026, saw Mundubile secure 129 votes against Pule’s 34, placing him at the centre of a reconfigured opposition ahead of Zambia’s 13 August 2026 general election, in which President Hakainde Hichilema is expected to seek another term.

The result positions Mundubile as Tonse’s top political figure, though Zambia’s electoral framework requires that a presidential candidate must be anchored in a registered political party. This means Mundubile will need to formally lead one of Tonse’s constituent member parties, such as the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), in order to legally qualify to file presidential nomination papers.

With the Patriotic Front still tied down by court injunctions and internal disputes, the Tonse pathway presents Mundubile with an alternative political vehicle at a time when PF’s organisational future remains uncertain. Political observers note that his move appears carefully timed, potentially allowing him to secure a legally compliant party platform if PF structures remain immobilised.

In brief remarks after his election, Mundubile acknowledged the mandate given to him by Tonse members.

“I stand before you as a deeply humbled man to accept the high privilege you bestowed upon me to lead this great, inimitable alliance as president,” he said.

His election comes against the backdrop of a High Court ruling that continues to restrict the operations of the Patriotic Front faction led by Hon. Given Lubinda. On 27 January 2026, the Kabwe High Court, presided over by Hon. Mr. Justice Kelvin Hancubwili Limbani, upheld an injunction restraining that PF faction from holding a General Conference, occupying the PF Secretariat, using party materials, or convening meetings in the name of the party pending a full trial.

The injunction was granted in favour of Morgan Ng’ona, who is suing as a member and Secretary General of the Patriotic Front. In his ruling, Justice Limbani stated that the plaintiff had demonstrated a clear right to the relief sought and that there was a serious question requiring determination at trial.

“Having found that the Plaintiff has a clear right to the relief sought and that there is a serious question to be tried, it follows that the balance of convenience tilts in favour of granting the injunction,” the judge ruled.

The court further restrained the defendant and associated agents from occupying PF premises, using party property, holding meetings in the party’s name, or purporting to conduct an elective convention until the legal dispute is resolved. The matter has been set down for full trial.

The case traces back to an earlier ex parte injunction granted in November 2025, which had already prevented the Lubinda and Miles Sampa aligned PF faction from holding a General Conference or exercising control over party infrastructure.

In the current proceedings, Morgan Ng’ona is listed as plaintiff, suing in his capacity as a PF member and Secretary General. The defendants include Brenda Nyirenda, who is sued as the purported Acting Secretary General of the PF. Legal representation includes Mr. P. Chiteta of Paul Chiteta and Company for the plaintiff, and Mr. B. C. Mutale S.C. of Ellis and Company together with Mr. J. Zimba of Makebi Zulu Advocates for the defendants.

The High Court ruling effectively freezes PF’s ability to regularise its leadership, hold an elective conference, or conclusively settle competing claims to authority within the party. This has created uncertainty over whether PF will be able to organise in time to mount a unified and legally secure presidential campaign.

Mundubile’s positioning within Tonse follows earlier public statements in which he said he recognised only the Tonse Alliance structure associated with former President Edgar Lungu and Dan Pule. He also indicated that he was prepared to face sanctions from PF for his continued involvement in Tonse, stating that he did not believe he was acting outside legitimate political structures.

He previously criticised delays in convening a PF convention, arguing that prolonged postponements had fuelled internal tension and weakened the party’s organisational coherence.

On Monday before the Tonse election, the Lubinda aligned Tonse faction held a meeting at which PF Deputy Secretary General for Administration Celestine Mukandila disclosed that one of the resolutions adopted was that any PF member associating with what was described as a breakaway illegal Tonse would be deemed to have exited the party.

So far, no formal expulsion of Mundubile from PF has been confirmed, leaving open the question of how the party will respond to his Tonse leadership role.

With PF still constrained by court action and Tonse now led by an elected presidential candidate, the opposition landscape has entered a new phase. Mundubile’s next move, particularly whether he secures leadership of a Tonse member party to meet legal nomination requirements, is expected to shape the direction of the opposition campaign in the run up to the August election.