Ex-Zambian minister killed in security raid on opposition

What the report says

Police in Zambia have confirmed the death of former minister and opposition MP Mutotwe Kafwaya following a security raid in Lusaka last week, a development reported by BBC Africa. The incident took place a day after the country’s presidential election and involved a house linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile, who said he had no information about Kafwaya’s whereabouts after the shooting.

According to the police account, Kafwaya was fatally wounded during what they described as a joint security operation that turned into an exchange of fire. Authorities said officers encountered resistance and returned fire, and that a firearm was recovered at the scene. Eleven people were arrested in the raid. Officials have accused Mundubile’s party, the NRPUP, of insurgency-related activity and of storing weapons, allegations Mundubile has rejected as false.

BBC Africa reported that Kafwaya, aged 49, first entered parliament in 2016 and later served in ministerial posts under former president Edgar Lungu before continuing as an opposition legislator after the 2021 election. The case comes amid a tense political backdrop: incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner with 60% of the vote, while Mundubile, who trailed on 38%, has said he intends to challenge the result in court.

The death has drawn attention because it raises concerns about security operations, political tensions and the fairness of the post-election environment. Regional and international observers had earlier said the election was mostly peaceful, but pointed to concerns about campaign conditions, media access and restrictions on the opposition.