Mutotwe Kafwaya, a former Zambian minister, was killed during a security raid on a house associated with opposition leader Brian Mundubile, authorities confirmed late Wednesday. Police stated that Kafwaya was fatally wounded by law enforcement officers in the capital, Lusaka, on Friday during what they described as an exchange of fire.
Officials said the operation, conducted by a joint security task force, encountered "gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals, resulting in [them] returning fire." A firearm was recovered at the scene. The 49-year-old was identified by family members after the incident.
Eleven people were arrested during the raid. Authorities accused Mundubile's party, the NRPUP, of being "involved in insurgency" and "militia activity," alleging the storage of "high-grade" weapons. Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, has rejected these accusations as "total fabrications" and stated he has no information about Kafwaya's whereabouts after he was shot during the raid at his house.
Kafwaya first entered parliament in 2016 and served as minister for works and then transport under former President Edgar Lungu from 2018 until 2021. He continued to serve as an opposition member of parliament after President Hakainde Hichilema won the 2021 election.
President Hichilema secured a second five-year term in the recent presidential election, with official results showing he garnered 60% of the vote. Mundubile trailed with 38% and has announced plans to challenge the election outcome in court, alleging irregularities in the tallying process.
Regional and international observers largely described election day as peaceful but raised concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom, and access to media during the campaign period. The EU election observation mission noted that restrictions on the opposition may have contributed to an "uneven contest."
In a report released Wednesday, EU observers stated that the results tabulation process "deteriorated significantly" after a six-hour pause. The Electoral Commission had halted the count citing violence against its staff and alleged ballot-box theft. The EU mission also pointed to inconsistencies in tally sheets and weak verification between digital and paper records, with returning officers frequently pausing proceedings for instructions from headquarters. They described a heavy military presence as intimidating and reported attacks on some tallying centers, calling for "maximal transparency" over the results. The Human Rights Commission in Zambia has also called for accountability regarding individuals whose whereabouts are unknown following arrests and security operations around the elections, urging that anyone held beyond legal limits be presented in court or released, and that alleged unlawful detentions or disappearances be independently investigated.