AN OPEN APPEAL TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA: THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD

AN OPEN APPEAL TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA: THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD

Mr President,

Today, I write with a deeply troubled and broken heart following the reported death of Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya.

I left active politics a long time ago and deliberately chose not to contest these elections. I presently belong to no political camp. I am writing as a Zambian citizen who believes that every life matters and that no government should be afraid to tell its citizens the truth.

When President Brian Mundubile alleged that Hon. Kafwaya had been shot, many people mocked and dismissed him. Senior government officials went to Maina Soko Medical Centre and publicly described the story as false and fabricated.

Now, following reports that his family has confirmed his death, the nation is left with painful and disturbing questions.

Who conducted the operation?

Was it the Zambia Army, the police or a joint security operation?

Who authorised it, and who was commanding the officers on the ground?

We were told that gunfire was exchanged at the scene. Who was firing at the officers? Did the officers identify and engage those individuals? Was Hon. Kafwaya carrying or firing a weapon? If not, how was he shot? Was he deliberately targeted, accidentally hit or struck by a stray bullet?

President Mundubile says he witnessed officers shoot at Hon. Kafwaya twice. Has that eyewitness account been officially recorded and independently investigated?

These are not reckless accusations. They are legitimate questions arising from the reported death of a Zambian citizen during a security operation.

Mr President, it cannot take six days for the country to learn whether people were injured or killed during an operation involving state security personnel. A human life cannot disappear into official silence. A family cannot be left searching for answers while public officials exchange denials and accusations.

At first, I did not believe President Mundubile’s account. But now that what was publicly dismissed is being reported as true, I am left asking: whom should the citizens believe?

Trust is not demanded through authority. Trust is earned through honesty, accountability and transparency. When official statements contradict what later emerges, public confidence is destroyed.

Some operational information may be classified, but the death of a citizen cannot simply be buried beneath the label of national security. The family deserves to know what happened. The public deserves to know who authorised the operation, what force was used, who fired the fatal shots and whether the law was followed.

Mr President, I respectfully but firmly demand an independent and transparent investigation. The investigation must examine the command structure, operational records, weapons used, ballistic evidence, medical findings and eyewitness accounts. Its credible findings must be made public.

If any officer acted unlawfully, that person must be held accountable, regardless of rank or institution. If officials misled the nation, they must explain why. If President Mundubile’s account is disputed, let an independent investigation establish the truth.

This is not about UPND, NRPUP or any other political party. It is about the value of a Zambian life and the constitutional responsibility of the State to protect every citizen including those who oppose the government.

Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya was not merely a politician. He was a husband, father, relative, colleague and fellow citizen. Somewhere today, a family is grieving while still searching for answers.

Mr President, Zambia needs the truth not another denial, not political mockery and not silence.

The truth must be told.

Trust must be earned.

Justice must be seen to be done.

May the soul of Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya rest in eternal peace

By Boston Seba