ع
Brian Mundubile, who heads the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity, was formally charged with one count of treason late on Saturday and remained in detention at Lusaka Central Police Station, according to his lawyer. The Zambia Police Service had taken Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu into custody on Thursday after they recorded warn and caution statements in connection with an alleged offence of treason. Police officials said the pair were linked to an investigation into activities that posed a threat to national security, a claim the opposition has rejected. The development brings to 18 the total number of people charged in the case, the lawyer added in remarks to local outlets including News Diggers.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Hichilema the winner of the August 13 vote with 60.5 percent of the ballots after all 226 constituencies reported, a tally that placed his challenger Mundubile at 37.9 percent. Mundubile disputed the outcome and alleged irregularities in the process, but the closure of the judiciary on the final day for filing a petition prevented any legal challenge, according to multiple reports including from Al Jazeera. A European Union Election Observation Mission assessment found the vote itself largely peaceful and transparent at polling stations yet highlighted an uneven playing field created by restrictions on fundamental freedoms and late electoral reforms. Turnout reached 57.2 percent among 8.8 million registered voters, the commission’s data showed.
Security forces raided a Lusaka property associated with Mundubile the day after the election, an operation that left former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya dead and led to the arrest of 11 people, an AP News dispatch reported. Authorities said the raid uncovered AK-47 rifles, ammunition and other military equipment connected to alleged plans for an armed insurgency involving foreign nationals, claims the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity denied outright. Government officials described the group as a militia posing a serious threat to state security, while Mundubile maintained the allegations were fabricated and that the raid amounted to an attempt on his life.
Mundubile and Zulu had sought refuge at a United Nations building in the capital citing safety concerns before they were handed over to police following pressure from the presidency, Reuters correspondents noted in their coverage. The pair later surrendered for questioning after a summons related to the national security probe, police statements confirmed. Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has called for accountability regarding individuals whose whereabouts remain unknown after the wave of arrests that followed the balloting.
International observers from the Southern African Development Community and African Union similarly described the election day as calm while voicing reservations over the broader environment, including reports of intimidation and unequal access to media. The European Union mission specifically cited misuse of state resources during the campaign and limited public information from electoral authorities on key procedures. These assessments come against a backdrop in which Hichilema first won office in 2021, ending years of rule by the previous administration amid promises of economic reform in Africa’s second-largest copper producer.
Treason carries severe penalties under Zambian law, including potential life imprisonment, a fact underlined in reporting by France 24 and other regional outlets. Mundubile had also raised separate accusations of Tanzanian interference in the vote, which Tanzanian officials rejected as unfounded and linked instead to the presence of invited SADC observers. The charges arrive as Hichilema prepares for inauguration on September 2, with authorities maintaining that all actions followed due process amid the post-election tensions.
