By a Correspondent
Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu have been formally charged with treason alongside 16 other people, deepening a political crisis that has followed the country’s disputed presidential election.
Mundubile, leader of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), and Zulu were transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Security Facility in Kabwe after being charged on Saturday, according to their lawyer Milner Katolo.
The pair were reportedly flown under armed guard to the prison aboard a Zambia Police Service helicopter in the early hours of Saturday.
Police say the 18 accused conspired to overthrow the government by unlawful means between 1 and 16 August in Lusaka, an offence being prosecuted under Section 43 of Zambia’s Penal Code.
The authorities have not publicly disclosed all the evidence underpinning the charges, but police have previously alleged that people linked to Mundubile were involved in plans for an armed insurrection.
Mundubile and Zulu have denied the allegations, with their lawyers maintaining that the charges are unfounded.
The treason case follows a deadly security operation at a property in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area linked to Mundubile, conducted shortly after the 13 August presidential election. Security forces said they recovered firearms, ammunition and tactical equipment during the operation. Several people were arrested, while former Cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was killed.
Mundubile subsequently went into hiding before seeking refuge with Zulu at a United Nations facility in Lusaka. They were later handed over to Zambian authorities and detained for questioning.
Police initially said the two had recorded “warn and caution” statements in connection with an alleged treason offence before formally charging them.
The development comes amid growing controversy over the election, in which incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner with about 60% of the vote, while Mundubile received about 38%. Mundubile rejected the result and said he intended to challenge it in court.
However, Zambia’s courts were closed on 24 August, the final day of the constitutional period for filing a presidential election petition. Authorities cited security concerns for the closure, preventing the opposition from pursuing its planned challenge through the normal court process.
The judiciary later said Chief Justice Mumba Malila had received a document challenging the election via his private email address, after an attempt to file it electronically reportedly failed. The Constitutional Court was left to determine whether the document constituted a valid petition.
The government has nevertheless maintained that no presidential petition was formally received within the prescribed period.
Hichilema is due to be sworn in for a second five-year term on Tuesday, 1 September, according to the Cabinet Office.
The arrests and treason charges have heightened concerns over political freedoms and the rule of law in Zambia, with opposition figures and rights groups questioning the government’s handling of dissent following the election.
