The death of former Zambian cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya has sparked growing outrage after his family spent days searching for him, only to discover that he died during a security operation in Lusaka.
Police confirmed that officers fatally shot Kafwaya during a raid on a property linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile in Kabulonga.
However, the circumstances surrounding his death have raised urgent questions. The Law Association of Zambia has now demanded an independent investigation, while international observers have expressed concern about the arrests that followed.
For Kafwaya’s family, the confirmation brought a devastating end to days of uncertainty.
His wife, Dinis Ng’andu, had even approached the Lusaka High Court while trying to establish her husband’s whereabouts. She believed authorities might have detained him following the operation.
Instead, police later called relatives to identify his body.
What happened during the Kabulonga raid?
Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba said a joint security task force entered the Kabulonga property at approximately 19:30 on August 14.
The operation involved personnel working under the Central Joint Operations Committee, including officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission.
According to Musamba, investigators acted on intelligence connected to activities they considered a threat to national security.
He also linked the operation to information gathered after authorities recovered K7.3 million during an earlier security operation in Lusaka.
Police said officers encountered gunfire and resistance when they arrived at the property. Security personnel returned fire, and one man suffered fatal injuries.
Authorities initially described that person as unidentified.
Musamba said officers took the wounded man to hospital, where medical personnel declared him dead.
However, investigators only publicly identified him as Kafwaya after relatives confirmed his identity several days later.
His wife searched for him as questions mounted
Before police announced his death, Kafwaya’s wife had asked the Lusaka High Court to hear an urgent application concerning his disappearance.
Ng’andu said police officers and soldiers had raided the Kabulonga residence and apprehended several people.
She believed her husband might have remained in state custody.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Human Rights Commission also expressed concern after it could not establish Kafwaya’s whereabouts.
The eventual confirmation raised uncomfortable questions about why authorities took several days to identify the former minister.
For his family, those unanswered questions have compounded an already devastating loss.
Lawyers demand independent investigation
The Law Association of Zambia has called for an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the Mutotwe Kafwaya death.
LAZ president Arnold Kaluba said the organisation had noted concerning inconsistencies in information provided by government officials.
He also questioned the delay in confirming what happened to Kafwaya.
According to the association, investigators must establish whether security officers acted lawfully when they used deadly force.
Kaluba stressed that Zambia’s Constitution protects the right to life. He said authorities must objectively determine whether the circumstances justified the shooting.
LAZ also called on security agencies to account for everyone arrested, injured or detained during the operation.
The association wants detainees to have access to lawyers and to appear before a court without unnecessary delays.
It further warned that national security concerns cannot excuse excessive force or the denial of constitutional rights.
Police arrested 11 people
Security officers arrested 11 people during the Kabulonga raid.
Authorities said the group included three former commandos and two retired police officers.
Police also said investigators recovered firearms, ammunition and tactical equipment from the property.
According to the Central Joint Operations Committee, the items included AK-47 rifles, Uzi-type firearms, a pistol and a bulletproof vest.
Investigators said they would examine the weapons and electronic devices to establish their ownership and intended use.
However, Reuters reported that the government had not publicly produced evidence supporting claims of an armed insurrection.
Mundubile has rejected the accusations and disputed the official account of the raid.
Mundubile and Makebi summoned
The latest development came on August 21, when police summoned Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu.
Investigators want to question both men about activities they say could threaten national security.
Police said the opposition figures had sought protection from an international organisation.
Authorities assured the organisation that they would follow due process and would not harm the two men.
The summons comes as Mundubile prepares to challenge Zambia’s presidential election results.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared President Hakainde Hichilema the winner with approximately 60% of the vote. Mundubile received around 38%.
However, the opposition leader has rejected the outcome and raised concerns about irregularities.
UN raises alarm over opposition arrests
The United Nations human rights chief has also expressed concern about the arrests surrounding Zambia’s election.
The UN urged authorities to respect legal protections and ensure detainees appear before a court promptly.
Mundubile has maintained that those at the property did not pose the threat described by authorities.
Consequently, the dispute over what happened inside the Kabulonga residence continues to deepen.
For Kafwaya’s grieving relatives, however, the central question remains painfully simple: how did a former cabinet minister end up dead during a security operation, and why did his family wait days for answers?
