12 Reasons Why I Didn’t Comment on My Suspension as Tonse SG and Still Believe Peace & Reconciliation With HH is the Best Option For BM Than Anything By Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba 1. When I openly withdrew from any association with regards to the Presidential petition in August 2026 as Tonse alliance founder and […]

12 Reasons Why I Didn’t Comment on My Suspension as Tonse SG and Still Believe Peace & Reconciliation With HH is the Best Option For BM Than Anything

By Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba

1. When I openly withdrew from any association with regards to the Presidential petition in August 2026 as Tonse alliance founder and SG, I was speaking the official position of the alliance. SC Chifumu Banda as First Vice President had earlier chaired a virtual Council of Leaders meeting where we resolved via a resolution that BM and MZ were free to petition the results if they wanted in their individual capacity and not to involve Tonse alliance. Tonse Alliance resolved not to petition the results because the tensions and political fire was too much. Hence, I was simply speaking the official alliance position that was not made public in honest terms and I have never regretted it.

2. As someone who once worked at State House as Political Advisor to a Sitting President and author of several books on how “How Presidential Systems Work Versus Parliamentary Systems”, I knew exactly what was happening and what was good for BM, MZ and all Zambians immediately ECZ declared HH as the winner and the tensions that followed thereof. As long as HH and BM are still facing each other as hostile rivals and confrontational enemies in whichever way, Zambia will not heal politically and many people will be affected negatively and dangerously. Political ceasefire, dialogue and reconciliation was and is the best option especially for BM than anything else. Hence, I still firmly believe that my position is safer and better under such complex and divisive post election circumstances.

3. For the past 22 years, I have studied many post election cases and fully understand the complexity, fragility and implications of such cases if they are handled with either casualty or radical rigidity. Currently, there are more than 15 Republican presidents globally whose elections have been criticized, disputed or challenged but have remained in power as proud heads of government and state of their respective countries. The moment ECZ declared HH as the winner regardless of how he won, everything became academic for anyone who opposed or disputed that election. Hence,  I instantly called for dialogue, reconciliation and peace between HH and BM at that moment than vainly push for a petition and face another confrontational and hostile defeat. So, I don’t regret my decision and position.

4. Consequently and few days later,  I received a dramatic letter of suspension via social media as Secretary General allegedly signed by Tonse Alliance President, BM himself because I was calling for dialogue, recognition of President HH as the winner and a political deal for reconciliation. Many media outlets engaged me for my response to the suspension but I declined to comment. Even within Tonse Alliance, l have declined to comment on my suspension to this time. It was a deliberate decision I made for multiple reasons. Here, I take the pleasure to itemize and explain them.

5. Firstly, I didn’t want to say anything own my own but first seek God’s guidance and wisdom. In Proverbs 3: 5-6, the Bible says: ”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”.  As leaders of the alliance that was engulfed in complex political battles and emerged from emotionally disputed elections, there was no wisdom in starting to exchange words in the media or in public about my suspension unless we first sought God’s guidance and wisdom.

6. Secondly, as someone who was in prison in 2023 for political reasons, I feel and understand the physical and emotional pain BM is going through right now in that Maximum Prison. Physical confinement in a state prison is emotionally, physically, psychologically and spiritually stressful for everyone. Therefore, based on my own past experiences in 2023, I told myself that I cannot fight or exchange media battles with my leader and comrade who is in prison. To me, that felt like serious moral transgression against my conscience, spirit and soul. Hence, I totally refused to comment on my suspension.

7. Thirdly, BM cannot fight me politically at any point or doubt my support for him. When PF humiliated him and his supporters were being suspended and expelled, I was the only one who gave him a solid political platform in Tonse alliance. When he was politically down and disgraced, I gave him Tonse alliance that elevated him into a true national leader. When they denounced him as “a UPND project”, I stood with him and put him on the ballot. BM only contested 2026 presidential elections because I personally made way for him using my Tonse alliance. All doors were violently and maliciously closed on him until we made it possible under Tonse alliance and using my strategies and efforts. So, l could not respond to my suspension especially that they flagged it in the name of BM himself. A wise king like BM can never fight one of his true and key makers.

8. Fourthly, BM is the legal Tonse Alliance President and I respect him as such. At the January 2026 Tonse General Congress, only four people were elected: BM as President, SC Chifumu Banda as First Vice President, Ms. Exilder Mwenya as Second Vice President and Dr. Chris ZUMANI Zimba as Secretary General. As someone who engineered and coordinated this Congress, l believe that I must be the first one to respect him as our overall leader. Hence, I cannot exchange views with him via the media or in public.

9. Fifthly, my suspension was baked in a fake pot and unfounded claims; that I issued statements without consulting the alliance or the President. From the day we created Tonse Alliance in 2024, I have written multiple statements on my Facebook page about Tonse Alliance without consulting anyone. I have been on multiple radio and TV programs discussing the alliance without consulting anyone. The Tonse alliance Spokesperson, Deputy Spokesperson, Presidential Affairs Chairman, etc issue media statements in the name of the alliance every week without consulting anyone. Why are they not suspended? Why did things suddenly change in August 2026 against me? Moreover, all the statements were written on my Facebook, in my name and personal capacity and not the alliance. Hence, when I saw that suspension letter, I saw nothing to scare or worry me except desperate folks within the alliance who were abusing BM’s situation.

10. Sixthly, I know that BM is not my enemy in any way nor does he take me for an enemy. When I saw the suspension letter, I was fully aware that I was being fought by invading political forces and desperate ghost politicians in the alliance who want to take over top positions from us the true owners now that BM is detained. In that suspension letter, I knew that BM was politically innocent and was only made to sign what they maliciously cooked up and wrote against me. So, I could not say anything about it because I understood everything.

11. Seventhly, the game being played on BM is one that I watched during the days of ECL. When the Con-court eligibility case was running for ECL, clever and power hungry politicians in PF, UKA and Tonse alliance staged false support for ECL in order to win political proximity and possible consideration for a successor. They also wanted to capture ECL, speak ill against possible ECL successors including BM himself and try to publicly express solidarity and love for ECL. Fortunately, ECL knew them and used to covertly tell us these schemes. It’s the strategy of “divide and rule” at its best. And we know saw it after the death of ECL in terms of what happened both in PF and Tonse alliance.

12. Today, I see the same scheme being used by some forces in WOZA, PF Pamodzi and Tonse alliance itself for BM. Some of these forces who are staging false support for BM covertly want him legally fixed overnight so that they can take over Tonse alliance from us. This is what was happening to ECL. We have watched this movie before! Hence, a person like me who is politically too tall in the alliance as its founder is seen as their political threat and true hindrance to their agenda. Thus, I saw the suspension letter as crude behavior by desperate cowards in the alliance who exploited BM’s support and signature especially that he is in a difficult situation.

In conclusion, I want to drink from the Bible once more. In Hebrews 12:14, apostle Paul instructed the church that “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”. At personal, communal and political levels, l respect and apply this doctrine passionately and religiously. In Mathew 5:9, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ proclaimed that, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”. As a Christian, I take this gospel both instructive and binding because I want to remain a child of the Most High God eternally.

Dr Chris ZUMANI Zimba is an accomplished Political Scientist, Pan Africanist, Author and Lead Consultant at Centre for Leadership, Afro-democracy and Good Governance (CLAGGO) in Zambia. He is specialized in Comparative Democratic Governance and Public Policy Analysis. Dr. Zimba holds a PhD, MA, BA and Cert in Political Science. You Can email him on chriszumaniZimba.cz@gmail.com