Treason Case Against Mundubile Widens to 18, Including Husband of Former President Lungu's Daughter

LUSAKA, 31 August 2026. Among the 18 people now facing treason-related charges in connection with the August 14 security operation at Brian Mundubile's Kabulonga residence is Patrick Mwansa, husband of Tasila Lungu, daughter of Zambia's late sixth President, Edgar Lungu. Mwansa was one of 11 people arrested on election night in the raid that also left former Transport Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya dead. Police have described the group as connected to an alleged militia plot; the case has since expanded to 18 people, including former special forces operatives and a retired police officer, according to Lusaka Times. Mwansa's connection to Mundubile's campaign predates the raid. He appeared on the campaign trail in Northern Province in July, an appearance framed at the time as reinforcing Edgar Lungu's political legacy within the NRPUP-led opposition alliance and signalling a united front between Mundubile, Zulu and the family of the former president. Tasila Lungu herself had been the subject of speculation earlier in the year about a possible place on the opposition ticket. Reports in February suggested she was being considered for a running mate slot alongside Mundubile or Zulu, a move framed as an attempt to draw women and youth voters. She returned to Zambia quietly in May, ending an extended absence following her father's death in South Africa in 2025, the circumstances and aftermath of which, including a legal dispute over where he would be buried, remained unresolved for months. Zulu was ultimately named as Mundubile's running mate. On August 28, police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi said Mwansa was "fine" in custody and that his family was visiting him, disputing claims circulating online that he was unwell. Binwell Mpundu, the Tonse Alliance's Presidential Affairs Chairman, had alleged on Facebook that Mwansa was being neglected in detention, drawing a direct comparison to the Kafwaya case: "The same way they refused having killed ba Hon Kafwaya is the same way t