Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term, securing 60% of the vote, according to the electoral commission. His closest challenger, Brian Mundubile of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), trailed with 38%, while the remaining 12 candidates fell far behind.
The win was widely expected, as reported by Graphic Online. However, the result came after a contested process. Mundubile, 55, had earlier claimed victory and alleged voting irregularities without providing evidence at the time, Graphic Online reported.
Before the vote, tensions had been high, though observers described the election day itself as largely peaceful, according to Graphic Online. The following day, August 14, the Independent Electoral Commission temporarily suspended the count, citing the theft of already-marked ballot papers and acts of violence against its officials. The suspension was lifted later the same day following protests by the opposition and civil society, but confidence in the process had been undermined, a source text noted.
Dispute Over Results
Mundubile rejected the electoral commission's declaration of Hichilema's victory in a statement on August 18, as reported by AllAfrica. His party said it had "documented irregularities relating to the security, transportation and handling of ballot papers, as well as alleged discrepancies between votes recorded at polling stations and figures subsequently announced," the outlet quoted.
The Africa Report, an international publication, has identified a further concern: figures had cast in several constituencies significantly more votes in the presidential election than in the parliamentary election, even though both votes took place at exactly the same time. In the most extreme cases, the discrepancy is substantial.
"This matters because such discrepancies are a well-known red flag for electoral manipulation. Our preliminary analysis suggests that hundreds of thousands of votes attributed to President Hakainde Hichilema require explanation," the publication said, as carried by AllAfrica.
Opposition in Hiding
Mundubile and his vice-presidential candidate, Makebi Zulu, have taken refuge at the headquarters of a United Nations agency in Lusaka, fearing arrest on allegations of involvement in an insurrection plot, AllAfrica reported. Local media reported the two had gone into "self-imposed exile" at the UN agency, according to Graphic Online.
The development came after leading opposition figures were arrested in a raid accused by the authorities of plotting an insurrection, Graphic Online reported. Mundubile described the raid on his home on Friday, saying armed personnel knocked down his gate with an armoured vehicle, broke doors and windows, and opened fire. He denied allegations that high-grade military weapons were being stored at his home, or that he had a militia, and called the insurrection accusation a fabrication, the outlet reported.
Mulambo Haimbe, Hichilema's election agent, said Mundubile's remarks regarding the raid were "not correct" and that criminal charges were being put forward against those arrested, according to Graphic Online.
The President's Response
In his victory speech, Hichilema said: "We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands."
He added that the vote showed Zambia was a place of peace, law and order, and a "democratic nation that settles our differences at the ballot box, and nowhere else." He also addressed those who did not vote for him: "To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you."
Hundreds of supporters, dressed in the red colors of Hichilema's United Party for National Development (UPND), flooded the streets of Lusaka to celebrate after the results declaration, Graphic Online reported.
Church Concern
The Catholic bishops, in a statement on August 15, emphasized that confidence in the electoral process had been undermined, as reported by AllAfrica. The statement did not cite specific events, but came amid the suspension of the count and the ongoing dispute.
A Question of Missing Persons
AllAfrica reported that former parliamentarian Mutotwe Kafwaya's whereabouts are unknown, and the Zambia Human Rights Commission appealed to police for information about his location. Kafwaya was reportedly injured during a raid on Mundubile's Kabulonga residence on August 14, according to the outlet.