Commonwealth demands end to arbitrary arrests as it condemns Kabulonga killing
The Commonwealth has spoken out strongly about what is happening in Zambia since the election, calling on government to stop arresting people arbitrarily and to release anyone being held simply because of their political views.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said the organisation was deeply concerned about the security operation that took place in Kabulonga, where a police officer was injured and former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya lost his life. She has asked for a proper, transparent investigation and has called on everyone, both government and opposition, to remain calm and choose dialogue over confrontation.
For those who may not know the full story: the operation happened at the home of opposition leader Brian Mundubile on the night after the vote. Government says its officers found a suspected militia group there and were shot at first. Mundubile’s own account is completely different. He says he saw Kafwaya shot right in front of him, and he believes the whole thing was designed to weaken him before he could challenge the election results.
President Hichilema, on the other side, has accused Mundubile of being behind a militia that included a retired bishop, a respected lawyer, Kafwaya, and a local businessman. Mundubile says this is not true and that it is simply a way of trying to distract Zambians from questions about how the election was conducted.
Eleven people who were found at the house that night are now facing treason charges, which under our law cannot be granted bail. Mundubile himself has not been charged, but police have called him and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, in for questioning. Instead of going home, the two have been staying at a United Nations building in Lusaka.
What is significant about the Commonwealth’s statement is that it is not just one human rights organisation speaking. This is a body representing 56 countries, including many that Zambia has long-standing relationships with, and the Secretary-General specifically referred to the Commonwealth’s own charter of values. That tells us this matter is now being looked at closely by the international community, not just locally.
Government has not yet given a full response to what the Commonwealth has said. In the past, officials have defended the arrests as lawful investigations rather than political persecution, pointing to claims of weapons and threats made against the President.
Mundubile is expected to take his election challenge to the Constitutional Court before the week is out. But for many ordinary Zambians, and especially for the Kafwaya family, the bigger question is not about courts or statements from London. It is simply about knowing the truth of what happened that night in Kabulonga, and making sure that whoever is responsible is held accountable.