HOW KK RETURNED TO ZAMBIA TO BE ARRESTED FOR TREASON ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN 1997
An excerpt from the newly released book: Conversations with Memorable Personalities, Part 2 (2026) by Amos Malupenga.
Muhabi Lungu: “And to cut a long story short, when we flew from London to Harare, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda [KK] had instructed me, Rabbison Chongo and Tilyenji to draft a press statement which was going to be released upon our return home to retire [from active politics].
Tilyenji and I even started drafting the statement at Tilyenji’s house in Harare. But before we returned to Zambia, four people came to Zimbabwe—Sebastian Zulu, the late Simon Mwewa, Mwangala Zaloumis and General Malimba Masheke, who were all members of the Central Committee.
They were sent to communicate the view of the Central Committee, which was that the old man should not come back because he was going to be arrested or killed. But they did not agree with this position
Me, ba [Rabbison] Chongo and Wezi also disagreed, saying the old man could not stay in Zimbabwe or anywhere else because he had not done anything wrong. And for how long would he have to stay away?
I was one of the strongest in that argument, until the old man agreed with us that he could not run away when he had not done anything wrong.
Then we agreed that the first group would return to Zambia to check on the information, and the next group to come back was me, Stanley Muntanga and Chongo. And when we were here, we made a decision that the old man should just come back home.
Then we phoned him to come back—but unfortunately, that is the trip he came to be arrested.”
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Picture caption: KK with an overgrown beard which he kept to protest his implication in the Captain Solo treason case. He refused to shave from the day he was imprisoned on 25th December 1997 until almost six months later in early June 1998 when he was discharged.
KK was arrested at his home in Kalundu, Lusaka, and initially held at Kamwala Prison before being moved to Mukobeko Maximum Prison.