Trending 
A former Zambian cabinet minister has been killed during a security operation at the home of opposition leader Brian Mundubile, days after President Hakainde Hichilema secured a second term in office.
Police confirmed Wednesday that parliamentarian Mutotwe Kafwaya, 49, died during a joint task force raid conducted after the August 13 presidential election. The operation followed claims by authorities that they were targeting a suspected militia group considered a “serious threat to State security.”
The raid took place at Mundubile’s residence, according to the opposition leader, who finished second in the election. Mundubile said Kafwaya was among those affected by gunfire during the operation and that he had been unable to establish his whereabouts after the incident.
In a statement, police said security forces encountered “gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals,” leading officers to return fire.
“In the process one unidentified male person was fatally wounded, and the firearm was recovered,” police said.
Authorities said 11 people were arrested during the operation, including three former commandos with “extensive military experience.” Mundubile rejected allegations that his NRPUP alliance had any connection to insurgency or militia activities, describing the claims as false.
Kafwaya previously served as a minister under Zambia’s former ruling Patriotic Front government between 2016 and 2021. He later became an opposition lawmaker during Hichilema’s first term, which ran from 2021 to 2026.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Hichilema the winner with about 60 per cent of the vote, while Mundubile received about 38 per cent. Mundubile has since said his campaign recorded “serious irregularities” and plans to challenge the result in court.
International observers have reported opposition allegations of intimidation, arrests, abductions and violence during the electoral period.
United Nations rights chief Volker Turk has called on Zambian authorities to stop what he described as arbitrary arrests and ensure that the rights of detained individuals are respected through due process.
