Urgent Call for Safety of former Zambia’s Ambassador to Switzerland
…family writes to Inspector General of Police seeking immediate release of Amb. Martha as
ATTENTION: Mr. Graphel Musamba
Dear Sir,
RE: URGENT NOTICE OF ABDUCTION AND MISSING PERSONS: AMBASSADOR
MARTHA LUNGU MWITUMWA AND MS. HANEL KATONTOKA VEHICLE
REGISTRATION: NISSAN JUKE- BCH 639)
I am writing to your esteemed office with extreme urgency to formally report the abduction and diseppearance of my wife, Ambassador Martha Lungu M witumwa and her companion, Ms. Hanel Katontoka, which occurred on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
My wife and Ms. Hanel Katontoka departed our residence in PHI, Lusaka, at approximately 07:00 hours yesterday morning, traveling in my wife’s vehicle a Nissan Juke, Registration Number BCH 639 en route to a church service in Libala.
Between 07:40 hours and 07:50 hours, my wife made an urgent distress call stating that their vehicle was actively being trailed around
the InterContinental Hotel and Indian High Commission area by three unmarked white vehicles specifically a Toyota Hilux, an Isuzu pickup, and a Ford Ranger. During this distress call,gunshots were fired at or around their vehicle, forcing them to come to a complete stop.
Since that time, all communication with both individuals has ceased and their whereabouts along wíth the vehicle remain entirely unknown.
Assuming that they might have been detained by law enforcement agencies, our family
conducted extensive checks across all major police stations within Lusaka District throughout yesterday afternoon and evening.
However, police officers at all stations confirmed that neither Ambassador Martha Lungu Mwitumwa nor Ms. Hanel Katontoka were in police custody, nor was there any official record of their arrest or vehicle impoundment.
It is critical to bring to your attention that both my wife and her colleague are active members of the opposition National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) campaign team.
Given their active political roles and the current political climate, we strongly suspect that political players may be involved in this targeted abduction.
Given the gravity of this situation involving gun violence, forcible abduction and political
interference, I appeal to your office to urgently mob ilize specialized investigative units to locate my wife and her colleague.
Specifically, we request that your officers immediately retrieve security camera footage from private and institutional systems around the Inter-Continental Hotel and Indian High Commission area where the distress call and gunshots occurred.
Furthermore, we request that Lusaka’s smart city traffic camera network be utilized to track the movements of the Nissan Juke ( BCH 639) and the three white vehicles (Toyota Hilux, Isuzu, and Ford Ranger) to trace their direction of travel post-abduction
This matter requires immediate emergency response from the Zambia Police Service. I remain available around the clock to assist your officers with any further details required for this investigation.
Thank you for your swift attention and intervention
