BBC News
· collected 2026-08-20 · by Dingindaba Buyoya, Basillioh Rukanga
A former Zambian minister, Mutotwe Kafwaya, was killed in a security raid on an opposition leader's house in Lusaka on Friday, the authorities have confirmed. Eleven people were arrested during the operation, which officials claim was sparked by "militia activity" and "high-grade" weapons stored at the location linked to Brian Mundubile's party. According to official results, President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term with 60% of the vote, while Mundubile trailed behind with 38%. The police say Kafwaya was fatally wounded during an exchange of fire, but Mundubile claims he had no knowledge of his whereabouts after the incident.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Zambia, a presidential election was held, but it was marred by allegations of irregularities and violence. On Thursday night, 11 people, including 6 opposition figures from the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP), were arrested in a raid against "militia activity" at the home of NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile. The government claimed that those arrested had high-grade military weapons and ammunition, but Mundubile denied any involvement in militia activity and accused the authorities of an attack on his life. The opposition party also disputed the claims, calling them "spurious and entirely false." The election itself saw incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema win a second five-year term with 60% of the vote, while Mundubile trailed behind with 38%. However, Mundubile has since gone into hiding and plans to challenge the outcome in court after alleging that the tallying process had been tampered with. Tragically, Mutotwe Kafwaya, a former Zambian minister, was killed during the raid on Friday, which was described as an exchange of fire between law enforcement officers and unknown individuals.
Written for “Zambia Election Violence” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
The score and its own evidence disagree: every quote above points
one way and the number points the other. One of them is wrong.
The confidence has been set to low for that reason.
Leaning score -0.35 for article 1528 (low confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-21
- Published
A former Zambian minister was killed in last week's raid by security forces on a house linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile a day after the presidential election, the authorities have said.
asserted
authorities → publish → election
A police spokesman said Mutotwe Kafwaya was fatally wounded by law enforcement officers during what officials have described as an exchange of fire in a security operation in the capital, Lusaka, on Friday.
asserted
officials → say → Friday
Eleven people were arrested in the raid, with the authorities accusing Mundubile's party, the NRPUP, of being "involved in insurgency" and "militia activity" and storing "high-grade" weapons.
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authorities → arrest → weapons
Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, rejected the allegations as "total fabrications".
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who → go → fabrications
According to official results, incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won a second five-year term with a 60% share of the vote.
uncertain
Hichilema → accord → vote
Mundubile, who trailed behind with 38%, plans to challenge the outcome in court after alleging the tallying process had been tampered with.
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process → trail → court
Speaking about Kafwaya on Tuesday, the opposition leader said he had had no information of his whereabouts after he had been shot during the raid, which he said took place at his house.
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he → speak → house
The police confirmed Kafwaya's death late on Wednesday amid growing demands for information about him.
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police → confirm → 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".
"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.
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members → say → him
Kafwaya first become a lawmaker in 2016 and was appointed by then-President Edgar Lungu as the for minister for works in 2018 and moved to the transport ministry the following year.
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Kafwaya → become → ministry
He served there until 2021, when Lungu lost to Hichilema in the presidential election of that year.
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Lungu → serve → year
He continued serving as an opposition member of parliament.
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He → continue → 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.
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observers → describe → poll
The EU election observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition in the campaigning period may have contributed to an "uneven contest".
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restrictions → warn → contest
In its report on Wednesday, the observers said the results tabulation process "deteriorated significantly" once counting had resumed after a six-hour pause.
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counting → say → pause
The electoral commission halted the count citing violence against its staff and alleging ballot-box theft.
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commission → halt → theft
The EU mission said staff in many centres did not record results on tally sheets as soon as they were announced, and cited weak verification between digital entries and paper records.
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they → say → entries
It added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
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officers → add → headquarters
The observers described a heavy military presence as intimidating and said it had received reports of attacks on some tallying centres.
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it → describe → centres
It has called for "maximal transparency" over the poll outcome, noting that the electoral commission did not publish separate polling-station results.
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commission → call → results
The Human Rights Commission in Zambia has meanwhile called for accountability over people whose whereabouts remain unknown following arrests and security operations around the elections.
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whereabouts → call → elections
It has called for anyone being held beyond the legal period to be taken to court or released, and any alleged unlawful detentions or disappearances to be independently investigated.
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detentions → call → court
