Zambia Charges Opposition Leader Mundubile With Treason
ZAMBIA · POLITICS
Key Facts
—The charge: Zambian police have formally charged opposition leader Brian Mundubile with one count of treason, his lawyers announced on Saturday night. He is one of 18 people now charged in the case.
—Also charged: His presidential running mate Makebi Zulu, businessman Valden Findlay and Patrick Mwansa, the husband of Tasila Lungu, daughter of the late president Edgar Lungu.
—How we got here: Mundubile spent about two weeks in hiding, much of it under United Nations protection in Lusaka, after disputing the 13 August election. He surrendered to police on Thursday and was detained over treason allegations.
—What is not known: No date for a court appearance has been announced, and the authorities have not publicly detailed the allegations behind the charge.
This article updates our earlier report, “Mundubile Surrenders to Zambian Police After Two Weeks in Hiding”. Zambia’s main opposition presidential candidate, Brian Mundubile, has now been formally charged with treason, his lawyers said, escalating a crisis that began with a disputed election and a deadly security raid.
From detention to a formal treason charge
Mundubile was informed of the charge on Saturday evening, his lawyer Milner Katolo announced. “Police have formally charged” Mundubile, his running mate Makebi Zulu and 16 others with one count of treason, Katolo told MUVI TV in an interview monitored by the Zambian Eye. A second lawyer for the accused, Kambwa Aongola, separately confirmed the charge to the French news agency AFP.
The arrests and charges bring to 18 the total number of people accused of treason in the matter, Katolo said. Among them are businessman Valden Findlay and Patrick Mwansa, the husband of Tasila Lungu, daughter of the late former president Edgar Lungu.
Katolo said his clients remained in high spirits and were looking forward to answering the accusation in court. He did not provide details of the specific allegations forming the basis of the charge, and no date for a first court appearance has been announced. Treason is among the most serious offences under Zambian law and carries severe penalties on conviction.
The raid at the centre of the case
The authorities accuse Mundubile’s party, the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), of planning an armed insurgency — an allegation the party denies. The accusation stems from a raid by security forces on a property in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area the night after the 13 August election, in which former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead and 11 people were arrested. Police said military-style weapons were found; Mundubile called the raid an attempt on his life.
Mundubile went into hiding after the raid and, on 17 August, took refuge in a United Nations building in Lusaka. He surrendered to police on Thursday under terms brokered by the UN Secretary-General’s representative, with a state pledge of due process. Officers then recorded formal “warn and caution” statements from Mundubile and Zulu — the step that precedes charges under Zambian criminal procedure — and held them at Lusaka Central police station.
The disputed election behind it all
The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared President Hakainde Hichilema re-elected on 18 August with about 60 percent of the vote, against roughly 38 percent for Mundubile, who ran for the opposition Tonse Alliance on the NRPUP ticket. Mundubile rejects the result and alleges irregularities; Hichilema denies any fraud.
The opposition was unable to challenge the result in court after authorities sealed off the courts last Monday, the final day for filing an election petition, citing security reasons. Human Rights Watch called the closure a blow to due process, and the Constitutional Court later said it had received no petition, clearing the way for Hichilema’s inauguration for a second term, scheduled for Tuesday, 1 September.
Election observers described polling day as largely peaceful, but Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has called for accountability over people whose whereabouts remain unknown after election-linked arrests and security operations.
Reactions and what comes next
Opposition figures have questioned the basis of the charges. “We are not aware of what exactly transpired and what led to these allegations,” Wisdom Mulizwa, deputy legal chairperson of the Citizens First party, told Channel Africa, arguing that the case reflects wider fears about the state of democracy in Zambia.
The government has not commented in detail since the charge was announced. President Hichilema has previously insisted that Mundubile and Zulu must face the law, and police say their investigation continues. The next milestones are the inauguration on Tuesday and the first court appearance of the 18 accused, for which no date has been set.
Frequently asked questions
What is Brian Mundubile charged with?
One count of treason. His lawyers announced the charge on Saturday night. Seventeen others, including his running mate Makebi Zulu, face the same charge.
Why was Mundubile in hiding?
He went into hiding after a deadly security raid on a property linked to him the night after the 13 August election, saying he feared for his life. From 17 August he sheltered in a United Nations building in Lusaka until surrendering to police on 27 August.
Who won Zambia’s election?
The electoral commission declared President Hakainde Hichilema re-elected with about 60 percent of the vote, against roughly 38 percent for Mundubile. The opposition disputes the result but could not petition before the filing deadline, when the courts were sealed.
When will Mundubile appear in court?
No date has been announced. His lawyer says the accused look forward to answering the charge in court, but the specific allegations have not been made public.
What happens on 1 September?
Hichilema is scheduled to be sworn in for a second five-year term after the Constitutional Court confirmed it had received no petition against his re-election.
Sources: BBC News; Zambian Eye; AFP via France 24; Reuters via CNBC Africa; News Diggers; Lusaka Times; Channel Africa; TVC News.
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