Africa-Press – Zambia. Authorities have summoned opposition leader in Zambia, Brian Mundubile, and deputy Makibe Zulu, for questioning regarding allegations related to their connections with “serious threats to national security” including “terrorism crimes,” according to the police inspector general.
This comes after a former minister was killed during a security raid last week on a property linked to Mundubile, who finished second in the recent presidential elections, behind President Hakainde Hichilema, who won a second five-year term with 60% of the votes.
Mundubile received 38% and intends to contest the results in court, having accused authorities of manipulating the vote counting process.
The inspector general stated in a Thursday announcement that the police, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, have been conducting investigations “for several years regarding serious threats to national security.”
The statement indicated that the police have summoned Mundubile and Zulu for questioning regarding various crimes they have been linked to, and a formal summons has already been issued to their lawyer, with hopes they will respond by the specified date.
The police chief clarified that the interrogations aim to “establish the connection between Mundubile and Zulu on one hand, and the various concerning activities occurring in the country on the other, which may have the potential to threaten or undermine national security.”
Mousamba added that some of these activities “were carried out in premises owned by Mundubile or Zulu or managed by either of them.”
The inspector general revealed that the two men “have sought asylum under international law from a well-known international organization.” He stated that the government has already contacted the relevant organization.
Mousamba added, “The government has already reached out to the mentioned organization and provided assurances that the suspects will receive due legal process and their basic human rights, and that there is no intention to harm them in any way.”
The police indicated that more individuals may be summoned. The statement noted, “It is likely that the police will invite other members of the public who may have valuable information to assist in the ongoing investigations,” urging cooperation and assistance in the investigations whenever they are legally summoned.
Mousamba warned against non-compliance with summonses, stating, “If any person of interest in the ongoing investigations fails to appear before the police, or responds with threats or violence or an outright attack on law enforcement officers, appropriate actions and measures as prescribed by law will be taken.”
The police also announced a broader campaign, with Mousamba stating, “The police are also actively investigating terrorism crimes and terrorism financing, which pose a threat to national security,” warning the public against “harboring or cooperating with or assisting individuals known to be of interest or wanted by the police.”
He added, “Any person or organization involved in financing the activities of persons of interest and their associates will be considered an accomplice in the crime and will thus be subject to criminal penalties.”
The statement concluded with a call for calm, saying, “We would like to advise members of the public to refrain from engaging in criminal activities, to remain law-abiding citizens, and to maintain peace for the sake of the sovereign Republic of Zambia and its people.”
Authorities arrested 11 individuals during the raid in which the former minister was killed, and accused Mundubile’s party, the National Party for Reform, Unity, and Progress, of involvement in “insurrection activities” and “militia activity,” as well as storing weapons.
Mundubile, who has since disappeared, denied these accusations, describing them as “complete fabrications.”
Regional and international observers described the election day as largely calm, but raised concerns about delays in electoral reforms, media freedom, and access to it in the lead-up to the vote.
The European Union election observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition during the campaign period may have contributed to “uneven competition.”
Observers in their report released on Wednesday noted that the results aggregation process “deteriorated significantly” after the resumption of counting following a six-hour halt.
The electoral commission had suspended the counting process, citing violence targeting its staff, and accused parties of ballot box theft.
The European Union mission stated that staff at several polling stations did not record results on aggregation sheets immediately after they were announced, pointing to weak verification procedures between digital data and paper records.
It added that officials announcing the results repeatedly halted the process while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
