Brian Mundubile Breaks Silence on Mutotwe Kafwaya Shooting, Demands Independent Probe

Zambian Security Crisis

Mundubile Rejects Militia Claims, Demands Independent Probe into Kafwaya Shooting

Author: Sona Headlines News Desk  
  Focus: Politics, Justice & Security  
  Published: August 2026

Editorial Overview: Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leader Brian Mundubile has vehemently rejected the government’s narrative regarding the death of former Transport Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya. Dismissing claims of an armed militia operating from his Kabulonga residence, Mundubile insists Kafwaya was shot inside his bedroom right next to him, and is now demanding a rigorous, independent investigation into the fatal August 14 raid.

Brian Mundubile has rejected the government’s account of how Mutotwe Kafwaya died, describing allegations of a militia operating from his Kabulonga residence as entirely false and asserting that the former Cabinet Minister was gunned down inside Mundubile's own bedroom.

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY: Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leader Brian Mundubile is calling for a transparent investigation, refuting the state's narrative of a shootout with an alleged militia group following Zambia's general elections.

In a powerful statement issued on Wednesday, Mundubile stated he witnessed the fatal shooting first-hand. “I was there. Mutotwe was shot inside my bedroom, right next to me,” he said, adding that his wife and other witnesses were present in the room and stand ready to corroborate the harrowing account.

Raid & Delay Allegations Missing Evidence Legal Fallout Verdict

The Raid and the Five-Day Silence

Mutotwe Kafwaya, who served as MP for Lunte from 2016 to 2021 and held dual Cabinet posts, died during a joint security operation on August 14—just one day after Zambia’s general election. What followed was a prolonged period of silence from state authorities.

Police reported that a Joint Task Force team—including officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission—came under fire and retaliated, fatally wounding an unidentified man later confirmed to be Kafwaya. Eleven people were arrested at the scene. However, confirmation of his death was deliberately delayed.

Mounting Pressure Forces Confirmation Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba only confirmed Kafwaya’s death five days after the raid, bowing to mounting pressure from his family, lawyers, and the public. Initially, the Ministry of Defence had outright denied Kafwaya had been shot, dismissing early reports as fabrication.

Searching for the Dead Mundubile condemned the five-day delay as a serious denial of basic human dignity. "Kafwaya’s family approached the courts believing he was being detained, while authorities already knew he was dead," he noted, adding that any official account materially contradicting the eyewitnesses in the bedroom must face rigorous scrutiny.

A NATION ON EDGE: Mutotwe Kafwaya, seen here amid a heavy military presence and delayed vote tabulations, is central to the crisis following a deadly raid on the opposition leadership.

"There Is No Militia"

The government's claim that they engaged an insurgent militia group has been fiercely contested by the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leader.

Authorities have attempted to paint the operation as a takedown of a highly trained militant outfit. Mundubile was direct in his rejection of this framing.

Rejecting the Political Narrative “There was no militia. There is no militia,” Mundubile declared. He argued that close protection personnel undergo professional training, which does not magically transform them into an insurgent group. He insisted that legitimate security work cannot be relabelled as an insurgency merely to fit a convenient political narrative.

Lawful Firearms vs. Assertions Addressing the issue of firearms, Mundubile stated that any weapons held by protection personnel must comply with Zambian law. He warned that the truth cannot be "rewritten after the fact because it is inconvenient."

Missing Evidence and Unanswered Questions

Beyond the shootout, the justification for the raid—including claims of long-term surveillance and recovered funds—remains highly disputed.

Authorities claimed the raid followed intelligence gathered after an earlier operation recovered K7.3 million, adding that three of those arrested were former commandos with sniper and special-forces training. They also alleged Mundubile's property had been under observation since November for suspected weapons.

The Surveillance Discrepancy Mundubile hit back, noting that no actual evidence of this months-long surveillance has ever been produced. He argued that weapons publicly described by authorities—but not actually present at his property—cannot be legally placed there after the fact by "assertion alone."

Demanding Specific Answers Mundubile issued a direct challenge to the state, pressing them to answer core questions: What exactly is the alleged militia said to have done? Where were its operations? Where was its command structure? And crucially, where is the supporting evidence?

The Human Trauma and Legal Battle

The aftermath of the raid has left a grieving family fighting for answers, and detained individuals caught in what Mundubile calls an "extraordinary narrative."

Mundubile highlighted the sheer absence of basic acknowledgment from authorities that a Zambian MP, husband, and father lost his life during an operation involving state security personnel.

The Trauma of the Survivors Those who witnessed the shooting are now carrying the profound trauma of watching a friend and colleague killed in front of them. Meanwhile, others swept up in the raid remain in detention as the state constructs its narrative around them.

Wife Seeks Court Intervention Taking matters to the courts, Kafwaya’s wife, Dinis Ng’andu Kafwaya, has separately sought High Court leave to pursue habeas corpus proceedings on behalf of relatives she says are still unlawfully lingering in custody following the deadly raid.

CALL TO ACTION

The Demand for True Accountability

The death of Mutotwe Kafwaya inside a political ally’s bedroom raises grave questions about the conduct and transparency of state security operations in post-election Zambia. Mundubile’s insistence that anyone accused of an offense should be charged lawfully—with evidence brought before a competent court rather than held without due process—strikes at the heart of the rule of law.

In calling for an independent, transparent, and credible investigation, the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance has laid out a clear mandate: every witness must be heard, every firearm accounted for, and every forensic record preserved.

Promising to pursue truth and accountability through both local and international institutions, Mundubile reiterated that his movement will not be silenced or intimidated. “We will proceed peacefully and to the letter of the law,” he affirmed, extending deep condolences to Kafwaya’s wife, children, and wider family. The nation now watches closely to see if the authorities will allow an independent probe to uncover what truly happened on August 14.

@ Sona Headlines News Desk | Political & Security Affairs

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