Zambians won’t forget that Kafwaya died in defence of democracy. - Inonge Wina

Former Vice President Inonge Wina has paid tribute to the late Mutotwe Kafwaya, telling mourners at his funeral service that Zambians should not forget that he died defending the country’s democracy, good governance, justice and fairness.

Speaking at Kafwaya’s funeral service at the Tabernacle of David Assembly-City Mission Church in Lusaka on Friday, 29 August, Wina described the former Lunte MP as a diligent public servant, an accomplished debater and a firm believer in the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Zambian Constitution.

Wina, who said she worked closely with Kafwaya during his time in Parliament and government, recalled how he entered the National Assembly as a young representative of Lunte before rising to become a Cabinet minister in his second term, distinguishing himself through his intellectual ability, leadership qualities and courage in articulating issues.

“He died in defence of our democracy, and this, Zambians should not forget,” Wina said.

“He died in defence of good governance, justice and fairness for all Zambians.”

She said Kafwaya’s commitment to constitutional freedoms reflected the principles held by Zambia’s founding generation, an especially weighted comparison coming from Wina, who was herself among Zambia’s independence-era activists.

She also offered condolences to Kafwaya’s widow, Dinis, urging her to remain strong for their children.

Wina’s remarks joined a wave of tributes at Kafwaya’s funeral, held at 49 years old, that MUVI has followed as part of its coverage of the Kabulonga case and its aftermath.

Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance member Davis Mwila described Kafwaya as a freedom fighter who died pursuing what Mwila called Zambia’s “second Independence,” recalling his role negotiating the coming together of the Tonse and Pamodzi alliances.

Bishop Harrison Sakala delivered an emotional rejection of what he called a damaging label attached to Kafwaya in the final days of his life, insisting his life “could not be reduced to the circumstances surrounding his final moments.”

Former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo broke down while speaking, mourners describing him in that moment less as a former minister than simply a brother burying a brother.

Brian Mundubile, at whose Kabulonga residence Kafwaya was fatally wounded on 14 August, sent a tribute of his own from confinement with running mate Makebi Zulu, describing Kafwaya as “a soldier of hope, a lover of peace, a gallant man and friend,” and saying his death was “not in vain.”

MUVI has reported separately that Mundubile and Zulu were subsequently handed over by church leaders to their legal representatives and are now in police custody after warn and caution statements were recorded against them over treason.

Wina’s tribute, and the funeral more broadly, mark a rare moment in an otherwise deeply contested case, government’s own account of Kafwaya’s death and the “militia” framing attached to the Kabulonga operation remain disputed by his family, his political allies and figures like Bishop Sakala, where mourners across Zambia’s political divide gathered around agreement on one thing - the loss of a man many described, in the words used again and again at his funeral, as a friend, a brother and, to Wina personally, someone who called her mother rather than Vice President.