The Editor Zambia
Brian Mundubile’s declaration that “we started free education” may have revealed far more than he intended.
By claiming ownership of the policy on behalf of the Patriotic Front (PF), the National Rally for Progress and Unity Party (NRPUP) presidential candidate has effectively admitted what many Zambians have long argued—that the Tonse Alliance is, in essence, a reincarnation of the PF. 
It is a significant political admission because it strips away the alliance’s attempts to present itself as a broad coalition of diverse political forces.
If the alliance now claims credit for PF-era policies, then it is also accepting the PF’s political identity.
That admission has come at a time when Mundubile is already facing growing criticism over comments that appear to validate the achievements of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) rather than challenge them.
Politics often produces unexpected moments, but few are as revealing as when an opposition presidential candidate spends more time defending an incumbent government’s flagship programme than presenting a compelling alternative.
Not long ago, social media was awash with speculation that Mundubile was quietly working to benefit President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND.
Those allegations were widely dismissed as the usual conspiracy theories that accompany every election season. Yet his recent statements have breathed new life into those claims, with many questioning whether his campaign is inadvertently becoming one of the ruling party’s greatest assets.
Mundubile’s pledge that he would retain the free education policy if elected is itself a powerful acknowledgement of the programme’s popularity.
It demonstrates that abolishing the policy would be politically impossible because millions of Zambian families have experienced its benefits firsthand.
Opposition parties normally campaign by identifying policies they intend to replace or improve dramatically. Instead, Mundubile has accepted free education as a permanent feature of Zambia’s education system.
His attempt to argue that the PF introduced free education by reducing secondary school fees from K2,000 to K200 has, however, attracted widespread criticism.
Many Zambians see a clear distinction between reducing school fees and abolishing them altogether. Under the current policy, tuition fees, PTA charges and examination fees in public schools were removed, allowing learners from Grades 1 to 12 to attend school without the financial barriers that previously kept many children out of classrooms.
Trying to equate subsidised education with genuinely free education has not convinced many observers. Instead, it has shifted public attention back to one of the UPND government’s most celebrated achievements.
Ironically, Mundubile’s repeated references to free education have done more to reinforce President Hichilema’s campaign message than weaken it.
Rather than exposing weaknesses in government policy, he has reminded voters why the programme remains popular. Even his promise to improve free education through the provision of uniforms and textbooks amounts to an acceptance of the existing framework rather than a fundamentally different vision.
Political strategists generally advise opposition candidates to force elections onto issues where incumbents appear vulnerable.
Mundubile appears to be pursuing the opposite strategy. Instead of attacking the government’s strongest policy successes, he has embraced them, making it increasingly difficult for voters to distinguish his education agenda from that of the ruling party.
This explains why earlier speculation about his political intentions has resurfaced. Whether those allegations are true is almost beside the point.
Politics is driven as much by perception as by fact. Every time Mundubile praises, validates, or attempts to claim ownership of a successful government programme, he hands the UPND another campaign advantage.
His remarks have also exposed confusion within the opposition itself. While Mundubile insists the PF deserves credit for free education, others trace the evolution of education reforms to earlier governments under President Kenneth Kaunda and President Levy Mwanawasa. These conflicting narratives leave voters wondering whether the opposition has a coherent message at all.
Perhaps the individual who should be most concerned is Mundubile’s running mate, Makebi Zulu. Successful political partnerships require message discipline and strategic consistency.
When a presidential candidate repeatedly makes statements that strengthen the incumbent’s campaign rather than challenge it, questions naturally arise about the coherence and direction of the campaign.
As Zambia moves closer to election day, every statement carries political consequences. By claiming that “we started free education,” Brian Mundubile has not only reinforced the perception that the Tonse Alliance is essentially the PF under a different banner, but has also continued a pattern of validating President Hakainde Hichilema’s most popular achievements.
Whether intentional or not, his recent interventions have left many Zambians asking whether he is genuinely seeking to unseat the incumbent—or unintentionally serving as one of the UPND’s most effective campaigners.
