Mpundu Accuses Tembo Of Betrayal As NRPUP Alliance Cracks

Binwell Mpundu, chairman of the Tonse Alliance, has accused Ezra Tembo of betraying the people who built his political career, in a lengthy public statement describing recent developments within the coalition as painful and difficult to accept. Mr Mpundu said he had spent a…

Binwell Mpundu, chairman of the Tonse Alliance, has accused Ezra Tembo of betraying the people who built his political career, in a lengthy public statement describing recent developments within the coalition as painful and difficult to accept.

Mr Mpundu said he had spent a sleepless night trying to understand how someone could turn against people who stood by him when he had almost nothing.

“How can someone betray the very people who stood by them when they had almost nothing,” he asked. “People who picked you up when you were down, clothed you, supported you, gave you a platform, believed in you, and helped you rise to the position you occupy today.”

He said the National Restoration Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) rose quickly on Zambia’s political scene, gaining serious traction within a short period and eventually forming part of the alliance that went on to win the general election. He said that momentum has since been undone by internal disagreements that had already begun to surface within the coalition.

Mr Mpundu said his frustration was personal rather than political, describing the sacrifices he made through the ICHABAICE campaign, an initiative he had invested years building before setting it aside to support Mr Tembo’s bid in the Nyali constituency.

“I made sacrifices. I put aside my own political pursuits through ICHABAICE, something I had invested in for years. We gave our best to support the Nyali ticket,” he said. “We sacrificed time, resources, relationships and opportunities because we believed in what we were building.”

He said he personally looked for money, however little, to support Mr Tembo’s campaign. He also said he worked to convince Christopher Kangombe Junior, who had already carried out significant groundwork under ICHABAICE in Dag Constituency, to step aside and support Mr Tembo instead.

“When you remember those things and then find yourself on the receiving end of what feels like betrayal, it becomes difficult to process,” he said.

Mr Mpundu compared the experience to an earlier episode in the Patriotic Front (PF) involving Chabinga and Miles Sampa, saying this one felt different because it had touched him directly.

“I thought the Chabinga and Miles Sampa episode in PF was painful, but this one feels different because this time, it has touched me directly,” he said.

He posed a direct question to himself and, by extension, to Mr Tembo. “Without the people who stood by me, supported me, sacrificed for me and opened doors for me, would I have reached where I am today? And if the answer is no, then another question follows: why would I turn around and hurt the very people who helped me get there?”

Mr Mpundu said he needed time to process the situation, but maintained that outcomes in politics eventually reveal themselves.

“As I always say, time settles all matters,” he said. “Maybe this is simply the nature of Zambian politics. Maybe political survival comes with difficult decisions, shifting alliances and painful separations. But regardless of politics, I believe we should never forget the people who stood with us when the journey was difficult.”

He closed his statement with a direct message to Mr Tembo and a second figure he named only as Nonde.

“May you never lack in your lives. May you be blessed with abundance, and may you live long enough to see the full consequences, good or bad, of every decision made along this journey,” he said. “As for me, I will continue to believe that time settles all matters.”

Neither Mr Tembo nor NRPUP had responded to Mr Mpundu’s statement.