EDITORIAL | Why Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile Cannot Walk the Same Political Path<\/p>\n
The opposition conversation keeps returning to the same question: why can\u2019t Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile work together?<\/p>\n
On paper, the answer should be simple. Both men come from the Patriotic Front. Both invoke the legacy of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Both speak about opposition unity. In theory, they should be natural allies.<\/p>\n
In practice, they are moving in completely different political directions.<\/p>\n
Makebi Zulu\u2019s political language has been clear and consistent. His message is not merely about contesting the 2026 election. His campaign posture is anchored on something symbolic and emotional: restoring the dignity of Edgar Lungu\u2019s legacy. Zulu has repeatedly framed his political engagement as a fight for justice, for the PF\u2019s political survival, and for what he calls the need to give Lungu a dignified burial in the nation\u2019s political memory. In his messaging, the election is part of that mission.<\/p>\n
This framing attracts a particular type of support base.<\/p>\n
Within PF circles, especially among those who see the legal and political battles around Lungu as unfinished business, Zulu appears as a combatant. A man prepared to confront the system, rebuild the party and contest power aggressively. His rhetoric signals resistance. It signals unfinished political war.<\/p>\n
Mundubile operates in a different register.<\/p>\n
Mundubile has built his position through the Tonse Alliance, a structure that seeks to gather multiple opposition forces under one umbrella. His political tone has been less confrontational and more strategic. He speaks about alliances, cooperation and coalition arithmetic. While he references Lungu\u2019s name, his political messaging rarely centres on the burial narrative or the emotional symbolism attached to Lungu\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
For many PF loyalists, that difference is not small. It is fundamental.<\/p>\n
Within the opposition ecosystem, the ECL movement, those who still organize politically around Edgar Lungu\u2019s legacy, have largely gravitated toward the Tonse Alliance under Mundubile. This alignment gives Mundubile access to symbolic capital. But critics within PF argue that invoking Lungu\u2019s name is not the same as carrying his political cause.<\/p>\n
This is where the tension emerges.<\/p>\n
Makebi Zulu presents himself as the defender of the PF house. Mundubile presents himself as the architect of a broader opposition house. One wants people to return to the PF. The other wants them to reorganize beyond it.<\/p>\n
That difference explains the \u201cprodigal son\u201d remark.<\/p>\n
Zulu\u2019s message is simple: those who left the PF must come back. Unity means returning to the original structure. Mundubile\u2019s approach implies something else: that opposition politics may need new formations and alliances to defeat the ruling UPND.<\/p>\n
These two philosophies cannot easily coexist. One is restorative politics. The other is coalition politics.<\/p>\n
Timing also matters. With the August 2026 elections approaching, opposition actors are racing against the clock to consolidate influence. Every leader wants to be the centre of gravity. Every alliance discussion carries the silent question of who leads and who follows.<\/p>\n
Zulu\u2019s remark captured that tension bluntly:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t get away, have yourself crowned king and say come and be my deputy.\u201d<\/p>\n
This sentence explains the entire conflict.<\/p>\n
Leadership in opposition politics is rarely negotiated quietly. It is contested in public language, in symbolic gestures, and in control of political structures. Mundubile\u2019s Tonse platform offers one pathway to power. Zulu\u2019s PF-centred approach offers another.<\/p>\n
Both men claim loyalty to Lungu\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n
But they are interpreting that legacy differently.<\/p>\n
One sees it as a banner for rebuilding the Patriotic Front and fighting the next election head-on. The other sees it as a rallying symbol around which a broader opposition coalition can organize.<\/p>\n
Until those interpretations align, the two men will continue speaking about unity while walking separate roads. The real question is no longer whether Zulu and Mundubile can work together.<\/p>\n
The real question is which political path PF supporters believe will actually defeat the ruling party in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 The People\u2019s Brief | The Editor-in-Chief<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
EDITORIAL | Why Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile Cannot Walk the Same Political Path The opposition conversation keeps returning to the same question: why can\u2019t Makebi Zulu and Brian Mundubile work together? On paper, the answer should be simple. Both men come from the Patriotic Front. Both invoke the legacy of former President Edgar Chagwa […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":81401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy"],"yoast_head":"\n