Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, have been taken into police custody over alleged treason and other offences linked to national security, days after disputing the outcome of the country’s presidential election.
The Zambia Police Service said the two had recorded “warned and cautioned” statements in connection with an alleged offence of treason. Police spokesman Godfrey Chilabi told state broadcaster ZNBC that Mundubile and Zulu were being interviewed by law enforcement officers in the presence of their lawyers.
“A statement will be issued once the interview process is concluded,” Chilabi said.
Mundubile, leader of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity, finished second to incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema in the August 13 election. Official results gave Hichilema about 60 percent of the vote against Mundubile’s 38 percent, although the opposition leader rejected the result and maintained that the election had been rigged.
Mundubile had promised to challenge the result in court, but Zambia’s judiciary was closed on August 17, the final day for filing a presidential election petition. Authorities cited security concerns for the closure, effectively preventing the opposition from mounting a legal challenge.
The detention follows a security operation the day after the election at a property in Lusaka linked to Mundubile. The operation resulted in the arrest of several opposition figures and the death of former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during an exchange of gunfire.
After the raid, Mundubile went into hiding, with his party saying he had moved to a “secure location under the protection of an international human rights body due to threats made against him”. ZNBC reported that Mundubile and Zulu had subsequently been under the protection of the United Nations in Lusaka before surrendering to police.
Authorities have accused opposition figures of involvement in activities capable of threatening national security, while Mundubile has dismissed the allegations as fabricated and politically motivated.
The developments have heightened tensions in Zambia following the disputed election and raised concerns over the country’s democratic record. Hichilema, who has denied allegations surrounding the election, is due to be sworn in for a second term on September 1.
