A former Zambian minister was killed during last week's security raid on a house linked to opposition leader Brian Mundubile, authorities have said.
Police spokesman Rae Hamoonga said Mutotwe Kafwaya was fatally wounded by law enforcement officers during what officials described as an exchange of fire in a security operation in the capital, Lusaka, on Friday.
Eleven people were arrested in the raid, with authorities accusing Mundubile's party, the NRPUP, of being "involved in insurgency" and "militia activity" and of storing "high-grade" weapons.
Mundubile, who has since gone into hiding, rejected the allegations as "total fabrications".
According to official results, incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won a second five-year term with 60% of the vote. Mundubile, who came second with 38%, plans to challenge the result in court, alleging that the tallying process was tampered with.
Speaking about Kafwaya on Tuesday, the opposition leader said he had received no information about his whereabouts after he was shot during the raid, which he said took place at his house.
Police confirmed Kafwaya's death late on Wednesday, amid growing demands for information about his fate.
They said the 49-year-old was killed in a shootout during the raid by a joint security task force, which encountered "gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals", prompting officers to return fire.
"In the process one unidentified male person was fatally wounded, and the firearm was recovered," police said, adding that family members later identified him.
Kafwaya first became a lawmaker in 2016 and was appointed by then-President Edgar Lungu as minister of works in 2018. He moved to the transport ministry the following year and served there until 2021, when Lungu lost the presidential election to Hichilema.
Kafwaya continued to serve as an opposition member of parliament.
Regional and international observers described election day as largely peaceful but raised concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom and access to the media during the campaign.
The EU election observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition during the campaign may have contributed to an "uneven contest".
In its report on Wednesday, the mission said the results tabulation process "deteriorated significantly" after counting resumed following a six-hour pause. The electoral commission halted the count, citing violence against its staff and alleging ballot-box theft.
The EU mission said staff at many centres did not record results on tally sheets immediately after they were announced and cited weak verification between digital entries and paper records. It added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
