Zambia: Hichilema's Victory Challenged As Doubts Grow Over Election

What the report says

Brian Mundubile, the main challenger to Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema in the 2026 election, has rejected the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s declaration that Hichilema won the vote held on August 13. According to the report carried by Agenzia Fides and distributed by AllAfrica, Mundubile said his party had recorded irregularities involving ballot security, transport and handling, and claimed there were mismatches between polling-station results and the figures later announced.

The article says Mundubile and his vice-presidential running mate, Makebi Zulu, were taking shelter at a United Nations agency compound in Lusaka because they feared arrest over an alleged insurrection plot. It also notes that the election took place after weeks of tension but was otherwise peaceful on polling day. The electoral commission then briefly suspended the count on August 14, citing theft of pre-marked ballot papers and violence against its staff, before resuming later that day after pressure from opposition parties and civil society.

The report adds that concerns about the process had already been raised by Catholic bishops, who issued a statement on August 15 highlighting arrests and people whose whereabouts were unknown. Separately, the Zambia Human Rights Commission asked police for information about former parliamentarian Mutotwe Kafwaya after reports that he was injured during a raid on Mundubile’s home. The developments matter because they point to growing disputes over the credibility of the election and the handling of post-vote security and detentions.