A former Zambian minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya, has been killed during a security raid on a property linked to opposition leader, Brian Mundubile, with police confirming that he was fatally wounded in an exchange of fire.
According to the BBC on Thursday, the incident occurred in Lusaka on Friday, a day after Zambia’s presidential election, when a joint security task force raided the property and arrested 11 people.
Authorities alleged that Mundubile’s political alliance was involved in insurgency and militia activities, claiming that weapons were recovered during the operation.
Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, dismissed the allegations as “total fabrications” and said he had not been informed of Kafwaya’s whereabouts after the former minister was shot.
In a statement confirming Kafwaya’s death, police said security forces encountered “gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals”, prompting them to return fire.
Police said an unidentified man was fatally wounded and a firearm recovered before Kafwaya was later identified by his family.
The 49-year-old Kafwaya first became a lawmaker in 2016 and later served as Minister of Works and Supply before becoming Minister of Transport and Communications under former President Edgar Lungu.
He remained an opposition member of parliament after Lungu lost the 2021 election to President Hakainde Hichilema.
Hichilema was declared winner of the August 13 presidential election with about 60 per cent of the vote, while Mundubile secured about 38 per cent. Mundubile has vowed to challenge the result in court, alleging irregularities in the electoral process.
The election has been followed by heightened political tensions, including the arrest of opposition figures during the security raid. The United Nations human rights chief has expressed concern over the arrests and urged Zambian authorities to uphold the due-process rights of detainees.
The European Union election observation mission also raised concerns about the vote-counting process, citing delays, weak verification procedures and a heavy military presence at some tallying centres.
Kafwaya’s death is expected to come under further scrutiny amid growing calls for transparency over the security operation and the treatment of opposition figures following the election.
