Hakainde Hichilema has warned that the pursuit of political power must never come at the expense of peace, security, and stability
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in for a second term following a disputed election marked by the arrest of his main challenger and the fatal shooting of a former minister.
Hichilema took the oath at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on Tuesday before thousands of supporters and African leaders, including the presidents of Kenya, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
The Electoral Commission declared Hichilema the winner of the southern African nation’s August 13 election with about 60% of the vote, compared with around 38% for opposition candidate Brian Mundubile.
Mundubile rejected the result, alleging irregularities in the counting, transmission, and declaration of votes. He said he intended to challenge the outcome in court. However, court buildings were closed and cordoned off by police on August 24, the constitutional deadline for filing an election petition. The authorities described the closure as an “intelligence-led and preventive measure,” while Human Rights Watch said it had effectively prevented legal challenges.
Mundubile went into hiding after security forces raided his residence on August 14. Former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was fatally shot and 11 people were arrested during the operation. Police said officers encountered gunfire while targeting a suspected militia and recovered military-grade weapons. Mundubile denied that his supporters were armed and described the raid as an attempt on his life.
Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, later sought refuge at a UN building before surrendering to police. They have since been charged with treason, which they deny, and transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison. Addressing the election violence in his inauguration speech, Hichilema said political differences were inevitable in a democracy but warned that “the pursuit of political power must never come at the expense of peace, security and stability in our country.”
The president pledged that his administration would be “tripling” Zambia’s economy over the next five years by expanding mining, agriculture, tourism and energy, after a first term focused on restoring economic stability. In May, the International Monetary Fund said the country had made “substantial progress in restoring macroeconomic stability,” with inflation falling to 6.8%, reserves rising to $6.4 billion, and restructuring agreements covering about 94% of eligible debt.
Zambia has held largely peaceful elections and transfers of power since restoring multiparty politics in 1991, although previous votes have also been marred by violence. Hichilema himself was detained on a treason charge in 2017 while serving as opposition leader and spent four months in a maximum-security prison before the state withdrew the charge and released him. Four years later, he defeated then-President Edgar Lungu and was sworn into office on August 2021.
