Hichilema controversially wins second term as Zambia opposition face arrests, death in raid

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema controversially secured a second five-year term amid growing controversy over the election, including the arrest of opposition officials and the killing of a former minister during a security raid linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile.

Official results gave Hichilema about 60 per cent of the vote, while Mundubile, the main opposition challenger, received roughly 38 per cent.

Mundubile has rejected the outcome, alleging irregularities in the tallying process, and said his opposition alliance will challenge the results in court.

The disputed election has been followed by a security crackdown targeting members of Mundubile’s party, the NRPUP.

Authorities said 11 opposition officials were arrested after security forces raided a property in Lusaka where Mundubile was reportedly present.

Police allege the party was involved in insurgency and militia activities and was storing high-grade military weapons.

Mundubile has dismissed the claims as fabrications, insisting that those at the property were unarmed and had been targeted by security forces.

Police later confirmed that former Minister and lawmaker Mutotwe Kafwaya, 49, died during the raid after being fatally wounded in what authorities described as an exchange of gunfire.

They said officers encountered resistance and returned fire, while a firearm was recovered from the scene. Kafwaya’s identity was subsequently confirmed by his family.

Mundubile said he had been unable to establish Kafwaya’s whereabouts after the shooting and alleged that another opposition figure was also shot and remains missing.

The arrests have drawn international concern. UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged Zambia’s authorities to end arbitrary arrests and ensure that detainees are promptly brought before a court or released.

Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has similarly called for investigations into alleged unlawful detention and the whereabouts of missing people.

The election itself has also come under scrutiny. Counting was suspended for several hours after electoral authorities reported violence against officials and the theft of ballot papers.

EU observers said the tallying process deteriorated after counting resumed, citing inadequate verification of results, interruptions and a lack of publicly released polling-station results.

The mission also raised concerns over restrictions on the opposition and described the contest as uneven.

Despite the concerns, Hichilema has been declared the winner. The opposition’s planned legal challenge and the arrests of its officials now threaten to prolong political tensions in the copper-rich southern African nation.