Zambia’s voters went to the polls on Thursday (13) to elect a president and members of parliament in elections marked by allegations of political intimidation, against a backdrop of economic hardship and a rising cost of living.
Fourteen candidates are contesting the presidential race, including incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND). His main challenger is lawyer Brian Mundubile, 55, a former government minister who has emerged as the figurehead of the Tonse Alliance opposition coalition.
Former Zambian foreign minister Harry Kalaba, running under the Citizens party banner, also garnered notable attention during the campaign.
Hichilema, 64, widely known by his initials ‘HH’, was elected in 2021 on his sixth attempt at the presidency. He is considered the frontrunner, and a victory would secure him a second term as head of state.
During his first term, Hichilema succeeded in negotiating a restructuring of the country’s external debt and relaunching the economy of Africa’s second-largest copper producer — though tangible results for ordinary Zambians remain limited.
Zambia is rich in copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, yet more than 70% of its approximately 22 million inhabitants live on less than three US dollars a day, according to the World Bank, battered by inflation driven largely by rising food prices and persistent unemployment.
A campaign punctuated by clashes saw the opposition seek to capitalise on public discontent, targeting the 8.7 million registered voters — nearly half of whom are between 18 and 35 years old.
‘The opposition alliance is energising its rallies and drawing in young people, women, and rural voters,’ said Joseph Siegle, research director at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
However, some analysts note that Mundubile’s late entry into the race and his association with the previous administration could prove an obstacle to victory.
According to a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), voters face a fundamental choice: whether continuity under Hichilema is the best path ‘to consolidate recent economic reforms, or whether change is necessary to address immediate economic pressures’.
The campaign was marred by violent clashes between rival party supporters, police use of tear gas, and opposition complaints over restrictions on the freedom to hold public gatherings.
Beyond the electoral outcome itself, Thursday’s vote tests Zambia’s reputation as one of Southern Africa’s most stable democracies, at a time when Hichilema’s critics and human rights organisations accuse him of having narrowed political space — an allegation his government denies.
Alongside the presidential contest, Zambians are electing members of the National Assembly, with the number of constituencies increased from 156 to 226. Results are expected to be announced by 17 August. Should no candidate secure more than 50% of votes cast, a run-off will be held between the two leading contenders.
A landlocked country in Southern Africa that gained independence in 1964, Zambia shares a long border with Mozambique and depends on Mozambican transport corridors and ports to move its exports to global markets.
The Zambian economy remains heavily reliant on copper, which accounts for approximately 70% of national export revenues.
The government’s ambition to triple copper output has attracted major international investors but has also deepened the influence of China, Zambia’s largest bilateral creditor, with roughly US$4.5 billion in outstanding debt.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/12/mundo/africa/zambia-eleitores-elegem-novo-presidente-e-parlamento-esta-quinta-feira/
