Zambia: Authorities Must Investigate Fatal Shooting of Former Minister and End Post-Election Crackdown

What the report says

Amnesty International has urged Zambian authorities to investigate the reported fatal shooting of opposition figure and former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security operation in Kabulonga, Lusaka, on 14 August 2026. The appeal came in a statement carried by AllAfrica and dated 20 August 2026, after reports that at least three other opposition members were arrested in the same operation.

According to the published report, Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa said the circumstances of Kafwaya’s death remain unclear and that the case should be examined promptly, independently and transparently. The organization also said any criminal responsibility should be pursued through fair trials, and that Kafwaya’s family should be given full information and access to remedies.

The statement added that the detainees should have immediate access to lawyers, family contact and medical care, and should be brought before an independent court without delay. It also called for anyone held without sufficient evidence of a recognizable offense to be released. Amnesty linked the incident to broader concerns about arrests and detentions of opposition members around Zambia’s 2026 election period.

Background included in the article says authorities alleged the Kabulonga raid involved an insurrection plot and that military-grade weapons were recovered. Those claims, Amnesty said, also require thorough and transparent investigation. More broadly, the case highlights tensions over policing, opposition activity and post-election rights protections in Zambia.