Accounts given by Secretary to Cabinet & Police IG on Kafwaya’s death have been inconsistent with one another – Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) […]

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has raised concerns over what it describes as inconsistencies in official accounts surrounding the death of former Lunte Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya.

In a joint statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, the Advocates for Democratic Governance Foundation (ADEG), ActionAid Zambia, Alliance for Community Action, LCK Freedom Foundation, Caritas Zambia, Chapter One Foundation, Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, PANOS Zambia, Transparency International Zambia, NGOCC and Zambia Free Press Initiative (FPI) called for an independent investigation and questioned why authorities took several days to confirm the identity of the deceased.

According to a statement issued by Inspector General of Police, Graphael Musamba on behalf of the Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOC), Kafwaya was fatally shot during a reported security operation at a residence in Kabulonga on August 14, 2026 and his identity was confirmed on August 19, 2026.

“The circumstances surrounding the operation require clarity, particularly regarding who authorised it, the rules of engagement used and what happened at the residence that night,” said CSOs.

The organisations specifically pointed to statements attributed to Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa and Inspector-General of Police Graphel Musamba, arguing that the two accounts do not present a consistent picture of the events.

“We note with concern that the accounts given by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr Patrick Kangwa, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Graphel Musamba, have been inconsistent with one another,” said CSOs.

The organisations further argued that some aspects of the official communication were difficult to reconcile with what they described as a measured and professional security operation.

“The shifting nature of the explanations is particularly concerning because Kafwaya was a former Cabinet Minister and opposition-aligned political figure who died during an active electoral period,” they said.

The CSOs therefore added that they want the Zambia Police Service and Central Joint Operations Committee to disclose the chain of command, rules of engagement and decision-making process behind the Kabulonga operation.

“We are calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions and other oversight institutions to pursue criminal or disciplinary accountability if wrongdoing is established, regardless of the rank of those implicated,” they said.

Meanwhile, the organisations said allegations of insurrection, militia activity and unlawful weapons storage made against opposition figures must also be subjected to due process rather than being treated as established facts.

The CSOs indicated that only a thorough, independent and transparent investigation can reconcile the competing accounts and establish exactly what happened to Kafwaya on the night of August 14.

Article by Philip Sinkala, Philip is a Journalist & news analyst at the Zambian Business Times – ZBT