Hichilema's police shot dead leading opposition figure

Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba has confirmed that Tonse Alliance member and former lawmaker Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead during a joint intelligence-led security operation in Lusaka's Kabulonga area last Friday, a day after Zambia's general election.

The confirmation came five days after questions emerged on social media over Kafwaya's whereabouts, with his wife publicly appealing to authorities to disclose his location.

In a detailed statement, Musamba said the incident occurred during an operation conducted by a joint task force comprising members of the Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOC), including officers from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).

According to the police chief, the operation was carried out at around 19:30 hours at a premises in Kabulonga, Lusaka.

He said the intelligence related to activities by individuals considered to be of national interest and suspected of posing a threat to national security.

Musamba said one unidentified man was fatally wounded during the exchange and was immediately taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

"Following social media reports about a missing person, efforts were made to ascertain whether the description of the body matched that of Mr Mutotwe Kafwaya," Musamba said.

He said Kafwaya's family was contacted on Wednesday evening and positively identified the deceased as the former lawmaker.

Kafwaya's death comes amid heightened political tensions following Zambia's general election, with the circumstances surrounding the operation and the identity of those involved likely to remain the subject of public scrutiny as investigations continue.