Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance’s Reported Military Training Raise Serious Questions Ahead of Polls
Tonse-Pamodzi Pamodzi Alliance’s admission that it is recruiting former members of the security services and facilitating overseas training have ignited fresh debate over national security and political conduct ahead of Zambia’s August 13 general election.
The admission from the Alliance member, Binwell Mpundu widely circulating on social media, have intensified calls for transparency regarding the nature, purpose, and legality of any such training. 
Political parties are expected to conduct their activities within the confines of the law and should avoid any actions capable of creating public anxiety or undermining confidence in the country’s democratic processes.
The concerns come at a time when President Hakainde Hichilema has repeatedly appealed for peaceful campaigns and tolerance among political players.
Since taking office in 2021, the President has consistently urged political parties and their supporters to reject violence and allow Zambians to exercise their democratic rights in an atmosphere free from intimidation.
Against this backdrop, Tonse- Pamodzi Alliance admission that former police officers and military personnel are being recruited for unspecified overseas training inevitably raise legitimate questions that deserve clarification.
The alliance has reportedly indicated that some individuals were sent for training related to VIP protection.
It is clear to anyone who understands the desperation of the Alliance to regain power that the objectives of the programme are malicious if not treasonous.
Peace-loving Zambians should understand that any organised training involving individuals with specialised military or policing expertise should be transparent and consistent with the country’s legal framework.
Matters touching on national security require openness and accountability because it should be cause for fear among citizens.
Political analysts have long warned that elections are most successful when all contestants inspire confidence through peaceful engagement like the UPND is doing rather than militarisation of politics.
Zambia has earned an international reputation for holding generally peaceful elections despite intense political competition.
That reputation has been built over decades through restraint by political leaders, professional conduct by security agencies, and the commitment of ordinary citizens to resolving differences through the ballot box rather than violence.
The country’s democratic gains, which President Hakainde Hichilema is promoting, should not be taken for granted.
The Patriotic Front (PF), from which several senior Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance figures previously emerged, frequently faced criticism during its years in government over incidents of political violence involving rival party supporters especially the UPND which was the main opposition then.
Under the PF, successive election periods were often characterised by violent clashes that many civil society organisations urged political leaders to prevent.
It is against that historical background that any reports of organised security-related training linked to political actors from PF who are now politically born again as Tonse Pamodzi Alliance should heighten public scrutiny.
As campaigning enters its final stretch, political parties bear a responsibility to lower tensions rather than inflame them.
What Binwell Mpundu and his allies are doing is treasonous and should be curbed before it reaches a full-fledged anarchy.
Zambia’s democracy depends not only on competitive elections but also on public confidence that all contestants respect constitutional order and reject violence as a means of attaining political power.
President Hichilema’s repeated calls for peace remain particularly relevant during this period because the country’s progress in economic recovery, governance reforms and democratic consolidation ultimately depends on maintaining a stable environment in which elections are decided by voters and not by intimidation or fear.
With polling day drawing closer, Zambians will expect every political party to demonstrate its commitment to peace through both words and actions like President Hichilema is doing, while allowing the country’s institutions to investigate any admission of promoting violence.
