Zambia police officer's death sparks calls for independent probe

Questions have been raised regarding the death of Assistant Superintendent Daniel Banda, a 53-year-old officer in the Zambia Police Service Ballistics Unit. While police officials state that Banda died by suicide after a standoff in his office at the Lusaka headquarters on September 14, critics are calling for an independent investigation.

Emmanuel Mwamba, spokesperson for the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance and former Zambian High Commissioner to South Africa, has disputed the police account. Mwamba alleges that Banda may have been murdered while being questioned by senior officers. He suggests the death is being presented as a suicide to cover up foul play.

Banda was reportedly a key investigator in the probe into the death of former Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya, who was killed during a military raid on August 14. Former Botswana President Ian Khama has also shared statements supporting the call for an inquiry, linking the suspicious circumstances of Banda’s death to the sensitive investigations he was conducting.