Zambia’s Hichilema begins second term amid disputed vote and arrests

What the report says

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has started his second and final term after an election that official results say he won, but that opposition figures and election observers say was marred by irregularities. Al Jazeera reports that Hichilema was inaugurated in Lusaka on Tuesday, following the August 13 vote, with the Electoral Commission of Zambia declaring him the winner over challenger Brian Mundubile. Mundubile rejected the outcome and accused the process of being unfair.

The election has also been overshadowed by arrests tied to the dispute. According to the report, Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, were charged with treason after seeking refuge at a UN facility before surrendering to police. The article also says a raid on a property linked to Mundubile after the vote ended in the shooting death of former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya and the arrest of 11 others. Authorities said security forces acted in self-defence, while Mundubile disputed that account.

Beyond the political tension, Hichilema is trying to frame his new term around economic recovery. Al Jazeera notes that his administration has overseen debt restructuring and worked with the IMF, helping restore investor confidence in a major copper-producing country. Still, many Zambians continue to face high food and energy costs, and the cost of living was a central issue in the campaign.

The report says the European Union’s observation mission raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the count, including a temporary suspension of tabulation and a heavy security presence. The dispute matters because Zambia has long been viewed as one of southern Africa’s more stable multiparty democracies, and the current tensions are testing that reputation.