A former minister was shot during a midnight raid linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile, escalating Cairo‑scale tensions in Zambia after the presidential election.
Police officials said Mutotwe Kafwaya, 49, was killed in the exchange of gunfire in the capital, Lusaka, on Friday night. A joint security task force returned fire when they encountered “gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals,” according to the statement. The force also recovered a firearm and arrested eleven people, alleging the house was linked to insurgent activity and possession of high‑grade weapons.
Mundubile, who fled into hiding after his 38% finish in the election, rejects the allegations as “total fabrications.” He is scheduled to contest the results in court, arguing that the process was tampered with.
Following the incident, the National Assembly confirmed Kafwaya’s death a day later, and family members have identified the body. The event comes amid international observers’ concerns about the integrity of Zambia’s electoral process and the heavy military presence during the count.
Officials noted that the election day was largely peaceful, yet critics cited late reforms, restricted media access and uneven campaigning as factors that may have impacted the fairness of the vote. The EU mission filed a report citing “uneven contest” and advocating maximal transparency in the result tabulation.
Human Rights Commission officials have called for transparent investigations into the whereabouts of detainees and for those held beyond the legal period to be taken to court or released. They also urged independent investigations into suspected unlawful detentions or disappearances.
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