Ex-Zambian Minister Killed By Police In Security Raid On Opposition
According to authorities, a former Zambian minister was assassinated in a security raid on a property linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile last week, one day after the presidential election.
Mutotwe Kafwaya was fatally injured by law enforcement authorities after an exchange of fire in the capital, Lusaka, on Friday, according to a police spokesman.
The authorities arrested eleven persons during the operation, charging Mundubile’s party, the NRPUP, of being “involved in insurgency” and “militia activity” as well as keeping “high-grade” weaponry.
Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, dismissed the claims as “total fabrications”.
IN STATEMENT – GOVERNMENT ADMITS KAFWAYA AS MAN KILLED IN KABULONGA SECURITY OPERATION
The Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOC) has confirmed that the man killed during a joint security operation in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area has been identified as Mutotwe Kafwaya.
Inspector… pic.twitter.com/WD4gMngEVh— Zambian Whistleblower (@zambianwhistle) August 19, 2026
According to official results, incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won a second five-year term with a 60% share of the vote.
Mundubile, who trailed behind with 38%, plans to challenge the outcome in court after alleging the tallying process had been tampered with.
Speaking about Kafwaya on Tuesday, the opposition leader said he had had no information about his whereabouts after he had been shot during the raid, which he said took place at his house.
All for an election?
It is now being reported that #Zambia’s security forces shot and killed former Transport and Communications Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a shootout at the Lusaka residence of opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile on Friday.
Police did not… pic.twitter.com/3ydZqKRwzP— Kennedy Wandera (@KennedyWandera_) August 20, 2026
The police confirmed Kafwaya’s death late on Wednesday amid growing demands for information about him.
They said the 49-year-old was killed in a shootout during the raid by a joint security task force, adding that they encountered “gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals, resulting in [them] returning fire”.
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“In the process, one unidentified male person was fatally wounded, and the firearm was recovered,” the police said, adding that family members had subsequently identified him.
LAZ DEMANDS INDEPENDENT PROBE INTO KAFWAYA’S DEATH
By Edna Mwiimbi Tembo
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has called for an immediate and independent investigation into the death of former Lunte Member of Parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya, saying the circumstances surrounding the… pic.twitter.com/yFn2aBaCKS— Diamond Media (@diamondtvzambia) August 20, 2026
Kafwaya first became a lawmaker in 2016 and was appointed by then-President Edgar Lungu as the Minister for Works in 2018 and moved to the transport ministry the following year.
He served there until 2021, when Lungu lost to Hichilema in the presidential election that year.
He continued serving as an opposition member of parliament.
Regional and international observers described the election day as largely peaceful, but raised concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom and access to the media in the run-up to the poll.
The EU observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition in the campaigning period may have contributed to an “uneven contest”.
Ex-Zambian Minister Killed By Police In Security Raid On Opposition
