Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema addresses supporters during an election campaign event. Photo Credit: Reuters.

NNA News – Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has won a second five-year term with 61.4% of the vote, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) said on Tuesday. This victory extends his mandate in Africa’s second-largest copper producer. At a time of frustration over living costs and opposition claims of electoral irregularities.

The ECZ declared Hichilema, 64, president-elect early on Tuesday morning after he received approximately 2.97 million votes. His closest opponent, Brian Mundubile of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), took around 1.86 million votes. ECZ chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said Hichilema's margin meant outstanding results from five of the country's 226 constituencies. However, the result would not change the outcome. "I therefore declare Hichilema Hakainde S to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia this 18th day of August, 2026,” Zaloumis announced.

It was Hichilema’s seventh run for the presidency, and he received the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off. However, his win had been widely expected given the advantages of incumbency and a divided opposition. The result also shows the financial pressure facing many Zambians. While broader economic indicators have improved, Mundubile's stronger-than-expected result points to widespread anger over the cost of living. Hichilema also acknowledged the frustration expressed by voters in his first remarks after the election results.

In a message, he thanked the Zambian voters and reached out to the supporters of his opponents. “Thank you, Zambia. We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands to hold our nation's highest office and be your servant once more,” he wrote on Facebook. "We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands. To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you,” he added.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema casts his ballot during the 2026 general elections. Photo Credit: Reuters.

He also added that the results and turnout showed Zambia is "a democratic nation that settles its differences at the ballot box, and nowhere else.” The announcement was followed by celebrations in Lusaka. Where hundreds of supporters in the red colours of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) filled the streets. Singing, dancing and fireworks continued into the early hours.

At the University of Zambia, students also gathered to watch the announcement, with some joining the celebrations. "Mr President, please continue being the excellent leader that you are for this country. The people of Zambia have demonstrated once again their confidence and belief in your leadership," added Collins Maoma, national chairperson of the UPND. The celebrations contrasted with a tense count marred by allegations of intimidation and irregularities.

Mundubile alleged that results from some polling stations Mundubile specifically alleged that tampering may have occurred with results from some polling stations and called for an independent investigation. Following these allegations, he has not produced evidence to support the claims. On Monday, he again questioned the integrity of the count. “We wish to place on record our grave concern regarding the integrity of the ongoing presidential election process,” Mundubile stressed in a video posted on his social media.

He also claimed that officials in the Southern Province had been “pressured to modify figures". Following these allegations, the presidential spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka dismissed them outright. "It’s all lies. They have been crying about everything from the time campaigning started," Hamasaka told Reuters. The allegations came after the electoral commission briefly suspended counting ballots. The announcement follows reports of violence against polling staff and the theft of marked ballot papers. Several hours later, officials stated they had restored security, and counting resumed.

Speaking to local Zambian media, the European Union observer mission called the pause "disproportionate". The European Union observer mission went on to add that only a small fraction of polling stations had been affected. Violence during the election period claimed the life of a 57-year-old polling agent near Lusaka on election day. Police said they had arrested nine suspects. Security concerns deepened after an armed raid on premises linked to Mundubile. 

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema speaks during an official engagement. Photo Credit: Reuters.

In a statement, the country's national law enforcement authorities announced that Zambian police had conducted a joint operation to apprehend people suspected of militia activity. The operation led to the arrest of 11 people, including senior opposition figures. The government revealed that law enforcement authorities had found "high-grade military weapons, ammunition, and other materials for use in armed insurrection" among those arrested.

The accusation drew an immediate rejection from the NRPUP, which called the raid a fabrication. According to the party, armed personnel believed to be soldiers allegedly raided the home of opposition leader Mundubile. The party further claimed that the armed personnel fired live rounds of ammunition, wounding a member of parliament, and took several people away. “The party rejects with absolute disdain the spurious and entirely false claims made by the Zambian Government that the NRPUP, its leadership or its members have been involved in insurgency, militia activity or any related conduct whatsoever,” it detailed. As the election row continued, Mundubile urged his supporters not to retaliate. 

In a separate social media post, he told them that "there was no political language that could sanitise what had happened." His party also released a statement calling for regional and international engagement regarding the incident. However, they did not indicate whether they would formally challenge the result. Hichilema begins his second term as Zambia emerges from a protracted debt crisis.  Since taking office in 2021, his administration has overseen debt restructuring and sought to restore investor confidence, even as many Zambians continue to struggle with high living costs.

High copper prices are providing a boost. As Africa's second-largest copper producer, Zambia relies on the metal for more than 70% of export earnings. Hichilema's first term focused on restoring economic stability after the debt crisis, with the government trying to attract investment and expand production in key sectors. The recovery has not reached most people. More than 70% of Zambia's 22 million people still live on less than $3 a day, according to the World Bank. The vote also carries wider significance. Zambia has become a focal point in competition between China and the United States for access to critical minerals as global demand for copper and other resources rises.

Hichilema's administration plans to raise annual copper production to 3 million tonnes by 2031. The government wants to use the sector to drive investment and growth. The country also faces climate risks. El Niño weather has previously damaged harvests and strained Zambia's hydropower-dependent electricity supply, adding to pressure on food prices and growth. Those economic and climate pressures will define Hichilema's second term, alongside the political divisions exposed during the election.

Zambia's record of peaceful power transfers stands in contrast to the tensions around this year's vote. Since multiparty politics returned in 1991, presidents have changed hands through elections. Hichilema won his first term in 2021 with 59% of the vote. This time, turnout was about 57.2%, down from more than 70% five years ago, according to election data.