Ex-Zambian minister killed in security raid on opposition
A former Zambian government minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya, has been confirmed killed during a security force raid on a house linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile, carried out the day after last week's presidential election. Police say Kafwaya died in an exchange of gunfire during the operation, while authorities have accused Mundubile's party of insurgency and militia activity, allegations Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, has dismissed as fabrications. The killing has intensified scrutiny of a vote already under question, with the opposition planning to legally challenge the official result.
Police confirmed the 49-year-old's death on Wednesday, saying he was fatally shot amid "gunfire and resistance" during a joint security task force raid in Lusaka, one of eleven arrests made that day. Kafwaya, an MP since 2016 who served as works and then transport minister under former president Edgar Lungu, had continued as an opposition lawmaker after Lungu's 2021 defeat by Hakainde Hichilema, who has now won a second term with 60% of the vote against Mundubile's 38%. International observers, including an EU mission, raised concerns over campaign restrictions, a chaotic vote-tallying process and a heavy, intimidating military presence, while Zambia's Human Rights Commission has demanded accountability for those whose whereabouts remain unknown following election-related arrests.
- Ex-minister Mutotwe Kafwaya killed in security raid on Zambian opposition figure's house
- Police say he died in a shootout; opposition rejects "insurgency" claims
- President Hichilema won re-election with 60%; opposition to contest result in court
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Zambia’s president is elected by voters, with parliamentary elections also deciding who represents different areas. Hakainde Hichilema, who defeated Edgar Lungu in 2021, has won a second term; Brian Mundubile was his main challenger, and his party says it will contest the result in court.
Mutotwe Kafwaya was an MP and a former minister in Lungu’s government. After Lungu lost the presidency, Kafwaya remained in Parliament as an opposition lawmaker, while Mundubile became a prominent opposition figure.
The election has drawn scrutiny from international observers, who raised concerns about campaign restrictions, vote counting and the military presence. The raid and Kafwaya’s death have added to questions about the treatment of opposition figures; police and Mundubile’s party give sharply different accounts of the alleged armed activity.