The Editor Zambia
The unveiling of the Tonse Alliance manifesto and endorsement of Brian Mundubile as its 2026 presidential candidate may have been staged as a grand political rebirth, but Zambians should not be deceived by new slogans wrapped around an old and discredited project.
In reality, Tonse Alliance is nothing more than the Patriotic Front (PF) in new clothes, attempting to escape the burden of its own record through cosmetic political packaging. 
The same individuals who presided over years of national decline are now presenting themselves as champions of unity, constitutional reform, and good governance.
But Zambia’s memory is still fresh. Citizens remember exactly why the PF was removed from power in 2021. It was not because of bad luck.
It was because of arrogance, corruption allegations, shrinking democratic space, economic mismanagement, and deepening division.
For Tonse Alliance to now claim, it has discovered the language of reform is an insult to the intelligence of the Zambian people.
Where was this passion for constitutional reform when PF had full control of government and parliament? They had ten years in office to modernise governance systems, strengthen institutions, and build national consensus.
Instead, the country witnessed endless political tension, selective application of the law, and attempts to manipulate constitutional processes for partisan advantage.
Today, they speak of reform only because they are outside power.
Where was this concern for good governance when debt ballooned to unsustainable levels, public finances came under pressure, and basic confidence in state institutions weakened?
Where was this compassion for ordinary citizens when the cost of living rose sharply under their watch? A manifesto cannot erase history. It cannot wipe away the lived experiences of millions of Zambians who endured hardship during PF rule.
Even more questionable is Tonse Alliance’s sudden claim to be a vehicle for national unity.
Unity is not declared at a press conference but built through conduct, inclusion, and national balance.
PF politics became associated with regional mobilisation, confrontational rhetoric, and the perception that power was concentrated within a narrow political circle heavily rooted in the Chambeshi and Luangwa regions. That legacy can not simply be wished away by changing the party label.
How can a movement still dominated by the same faces, same networks, and same regional power brokers now lecture the nation about inclusion?
Zambians are asking legitimate questions: If unity was truly a priority, why was it absent when they governed? Why did national cohesion deteriorate during their tenure? Why should voters trust promises now that were ignored when they had the authority to act?
The endorsement of Brian Mundubile also raises questions about whether Tonse represents renewal or merely internal succession planning within PF structures.
If the candidate emerges from the same political machinery that failed the country, then what exactly has changed?
A new candidate does not automatically mean new values, new ideas, or new discipline.
Manifestos matter only when backed by credibility. Without trust, they become campaign pamphlets with little value.
Zambians have matured politically and know the difference between genuine transformation and political recycling.
They understand that those who failed to govern responsibly yesterday cannot easily claim they alone possess the answers for tomorrow.
The 2026 election should be about substance, consistency, and proven commitment to national development. Those seeking power must explain not only what they promise now but why they failed to deliver when they had the chance.
Tonse Alliance has every democratic right to contest elections, but it has no right to pretend history began yesterday because Zambia remembers the PF era.
Zambia remembers the divisions, the economic distress, and the governance failures. Rebranding those failures under a new banner does not make them disappear.
The Zambian people removed PF from the office for a reason.
Until Tonse Alliance honestly confronts that past instead of disguising it, its promises of unity and reform will ring hollow.
