Lusaka. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second term, but opposition leader Brian Mundubile put up an unexpectedly strong challenge, capitalising on public frustration over lingering economic hardships despite an improving economy.
Results released by the electoral commission in the early hours of Tuesday showed Hichilema received about 60 per cent of the valid votes, compared with 38 per cent for his main challenger, Mundubile.
It was Hichilema’s seventh presidential bid and he was widely expected to win because of the advantages of incumbency, while it was Mundubile’s first attempt to become head of state.
Hichilema, 64, campaigned on his economic record since taking office during a pandemic-era debt crisis in 2021. Mundubile, however, argued that improvements in macroeconomic indicators had made little difference to people’s daily lives.
Copper-rich Zambia has also become a focus of competition between China and the United States over critical minerals.
Chaotic election aftermath
After a relatively quiet run-up to the August 13 vote, tensions escalated quickly.
On election night, authorities arrested 11 people, including leading opposition figures, in a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire. Mundubile was present during the incident.
The following day, the electoral commission suspended vote-counting for several hours following reports of violence against polling staff and the theft of ballot papers.
Mundubile said he had received information about possible alterations to results forms from polling stations and called for an urgent independent investigation. Hichilema’s camp accused him of lying.
The opposition is not expected to accept the results and could lodge a legal challenge, although it is unlikely to succeed, said Greg Musiker, a Zambia analyst at advisory firm Signal Risk.
“While localised political violence is possible in the coming days, widespread unrest is not expected,” he said.
Video verified by Reuters showed people sheltering as gunfire rang out.
