Politics
Zambia’s Hichilema wins second term amid opposition claims of
ZAMBIA’S President, Hakainde Hichilema, has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing about 61 per cent of the votes in the country’s August 13 presidential election.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECN) announced the result in the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, declaring Hichilema, 64, the winner ahead of his closest challenger, Brian Mundubile, who polled about 38 per cent.
The electoral commission chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, declared Hichilema president-elect after the commission completed the bulk of the collation of results after four days of vote counting.
Although five of Zambia’s 226 constituencies were yet to be tallied at the time of the declaration, Zaloumis said the outstanding results were not expected to materially change the overall outcome.
Hichilema, who contested under the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND), was widely expected to retain the presidency, having campaigned largely on his administration’s economic record since taking office in 2021.
His victory marks the seventh time he has contested for the presidency. He lost five previous attempts before defeating then-President Edgar Lungu in 2021.
Mundubile, a former provincial minister and first-time presidential candidate, mounted a campaign centred on public frustration over the cost of living and economic hardship, arguing that improvements in Zambia’s macroeconomic indicators had not translated into better living conditions for many citizens.
Opposition raises concerns
However, the election outcome followed a tense counting process, with the opposition raising allegations of irregularities and possible manipulation of results.
Mundubile alleged discrepancies between results recorded at polling stations and figures subsequently announced during the collation process.
He also called for an independent investigation into reports of possible alterations to result forms.
Hichilema’s camp rejected the allegations, accusing the opposition candidate of making false claims.
The tension intensified after the election commission temporarily suspended the counting and announcement of results following reports of violence against election officials and the theft of marked ballot papers.
The commission later resumed the process.
The opposition also accused authorities of using security agencies to intimidate opponents.
On the night of the election, authorities arrested 11 people, including prominent opposition figures, during a raid at a location where Mundubile was present.
Although government officials said the operation was targeted at alleged militia activity and claimed those arrested were in possession of military-grade weapons intended for an armed insurrection, Mundubile rejected the government’s account.
He said armed personnel raided his home, using an armoured vehicle to break through the gate and opening fire during the operation.
The government and the opposition have offered conflicting accounts of the incident.
Economic record
Hichilema’s re-election was anchored largely on his administration’s handling of Zambia’s economic crisis.
He came to power in 2021 after the country defaulted on its debt amid one of its worst economic crises in decades. His government subsequently secured major debt restructuring agreements with international creditors and restored relations with global financial institutions.
His administration also sought to attract investment into the copper sector, which remains central to Zambia’s economy.
The government points to improvements in economic management, free secondary education, expanded social protection programmes and increased investment in community projects as achievements of Hichilema’s first term.
France 24 reported that the free secondary education policy brought an estimated 2.3 million children back into classrooms, while social cash transfers and funding for community projects were also increased.
However, the economic recovery has not eliminated widespread hardship.
Rising living costs and food prices remained major concerns among voters during the election campaign, providing the opposition with a major line of attack against Hichilema.
Zambia, a country of about 22 million people, is also Africa’s second-largest copper producer and has become increasingly important in competition between China and the United States over critical minerals.
Hichilema appeals for unity
Following the declaration of the results, Hichilema thanked voters for giving him another mandate and appealed for national unity.
He also acknowledged voters who supported the opposition, saying his government would continue to work for them.
Mundubile had yet to announce whether he would formally challenge the result.
