Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile has been summoned by police for questioning over an alleged national security threat, days after a disputed presidential election that was followed by a crackdown on opposition figures.
Mundubile, who finished second in the August 13 presidential election won by President Hakainde Hichilema, has rejected the results and vowed to challenge the outcome in court.
Police said a joint investigative team had been probing what it described as “serious national security threats” and wanted to question Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu.
The police statement did not provide details of the alleged threats but said “alarming activities” with the potential to undermine national security had taken place at premises linked to the two opposition figures.
Mundubile and Zulu have denied allegations that their political alliance was involved in insurgency or militia-related activities.
Mundubile went into hiding last week under the protection of an international human rights organisation after police raided his home in Lusaka, the capital.
The raid came during an operation on August 14 in which 11 people, including prominent opposition figures, were arrested over alleged offences linked to treason. Former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot and killed during the operation.
Zambian immigration officials also announced on Thursday the arrest of the secretary general of the opposition alliance.
Police said the government had assured the organisation sheltering Mundubile and Zulu that “there is no harm intended to be done on them in any way.”
Although the August 13 election was largely peaceful, international observers reported concerns over alleged intimidation, arrests, abductions and violence targeting opposition supporters.
Amnesty International on Thursday warned of what it described as a growing crackdown on peaceful dissent and urged Zambian authorities to end the arbitrary arrest and detention of opposition members.
“The reported killing of Mutotwe Kafwaya is deeply alarming,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for east and southern Africa.
The rights group also called on authorities to ensure that all detainees have immediate access to lawyers, their families and necessary medical care.
Zambia, a major copper producer, has long been regarded as one of Africa’s more stable democracies. Since the return to multiparty politics in 1991, every change of president has taken place through the ballot box.
However, that democratic reputation has come under increasing pressure since Hichilema took office in 2021, with opposition groups and rights organisations accusing the government of narrowing the space for dissent and intensifying pressure on political opponents.
