Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing 61.4% of the vote in Thursday’s presidential election.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced the result in the early hours of Tuesday, confirming Hichilema as the outright winner without the need for a run-off.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) leader received 2,965,326 votes, while his main challenger, Brian Mundubile, secured 1,856,217 votes, or about 38%, according to the official results.
The result gives Mr Hichilema another five years in office after his first term, during which his government focused heavily on restoring Zambia’s finances following the country’s 2020 debt default.
His re-election is also being viewed by investors as a vote for economic continuity. Reuters reports that his administration now faces pressure to turn economic stabilisation into stronger growth, increase investment and create more jobs.
Copper is expected to remain central to the government’s economic plans. Zambia, one of Africa’s major copper producers, has set an ambition of significantly increasing production as global demand for the metal grows.
But the president begins his second term with significant challenges. High living costs, poverty, power shortages and concerns over whether the benefits of economic reforms have reached ordinary Zambians remain major issues.
The election itself was not without controversy. Vote counting was temporarily suspended after attacks on electoral officials and the reported theft of ballot papers. Opposition figures also raised concerns about the conduct of the election, while international observers criticised restrictions on political freedoms and what they described as an uneven campaign environment.
Mr Hichilema, who first came to power in 2021 after defeating then-President Edgar Lungu, has now secured a second mandate from voters.
His immediate task will be to turn the economic gains of his first term into improvements that are felt more directly by households, while maintaining investor confidence and addressing concerns about the cost of living.
For Zambia, the election has delivered continuity at State House but the pressure on Mr Hichilema to deliver broader prosperity is likely to be greater during his second term.
Share this content:
About The Author
