Official results from the 13 August vote gave Hichilema 60% and Mundubile 38%. Mundubile has accused officials of tampering with the count, and his camp was unable to lodge a court challenge because the courts were closed on the final day for filing challenges.
International monitors said voting day was largely calm, but they flagged problems during the tallying stage. European Union observers reported that many tallying centre staff did not write results on paper sheets as soon as they were announced, verification between digital entries and paper records was weak, and returning officers often paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
The day after the election security forces raided a Lusaka property linked to Mundubile. That operation resulted in the death of a former cabinet minister and several opposition figures being arrested. Authorities accused the opposition of planning an armed insurrection, an allegation the opposition has denied. Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, went into hiding, and were detained last week and charged at the weekend.
Hichilema, 64, first won the presidency in 2021. He took office amid a sovereign debt default and annual inflation above 24%. "We inherited a broken-down country… the economy was declining," he said. During his first term he negotiated a restructuring of Zambia's debt and rebuilt ties with foreign creditors. Inflation has fallen, but prices remain elevated and many households continue to struggle.
Hichilema says he intends to build on what he describes as the foundations laid over the past five years. His second-term inauguration is scheduled for Tuesday at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, and several African leaders are expected to attend, including presidents from Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tanzania.
Hichilema will be sworn in alongside his running mate, Mutale Nalumango. The combination of contested vote counts, observer concerns about tally procedures, and the criminal charges against the main opposition figure sets up a fraught start to the new term, with political and legal questions likely to dominate the weeks ahead.
