Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema Secures Decisive Presidential Re-Election Victory
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Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has secured a decisive victory in the presidential election, winning re-election with 2,965,326 votes, representing 60.49 per cent.
Brian Mundubile finished second with 1,856,217 votes, accounting for 37.87 per cent of the total valid votes.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 18, Hichilema thanked Zambians for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the country again, while describing the election as a demonstration of Zambia’s commitment to peace, democracy and the rule of law.
"We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands, to hold our nation's highest office and to be your servant, once more.
"This election showed the world who we are: a nation of peace, a nation of law and order, a democratic nation that settles our differences at the ballot box, and nowhere else," he wrote.
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Hichilema said his campaign had taken him across all 116 districts, giving him an opportunity to interact directly with citizens in cities, compounds, villages and farms and understand the challenges they face.
"Over these months we have travelled to all 116 districts, to our nation's cities, our compounds, our villages, and our farms. We saw first-hand the challenges that our people are facing, and we resolved to work with you to solve these challenges, together," he added.
Hichilema also acknowledged voters who supported his opponents, assuring them that his administration would continue working to ensure that development reaches every Zambian regardless of their political preference.
"To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you to ensure that every Zambian benefits from the development we are delivering," he further said.
Hichilema further reflected on the children he encountered during the campaign, saying their experiences had strengthened his commitment to building a better future for the next generation of Zambians.
"As we return to work as your servant, we carry with us the memories of the children we met throughout the campaign, and we commit to building a better Zambia for all of you to inherit," he stated.
Hichilema said his administration would now intensify its efforts to deliver meaningful development across the country, while emphasizing that the concerns of citizens had been clearly communicated through the election.
"Fellow citizens, we love you, we care for you, and we have heard you clearly. Now we must work harder than ever before to deliver meaningful development for every single Zambian, in every corner of our country," he added.
Hichilema called for unity and cooperation as Zambia moves beyond the election, pledging to dedicate his administration’s efforts to development, progress, peace and prosperity.
"Indeed, we will devote all our energies to development and progress, strengthened by unity, cooperation and our shared purpose as one nation. After a hard-fought campaign, the people have spoken and we now turn our focus to building even greater peace and prosperity, and we remain One Zambia, One Nation, One people," he concluded.
Hichilema entered presidential politics in 2006, after taking over leadership of the United Party for National Development (UPND) following the death of the party's founder, Anderson Mazoka.
He contested the 2006 presidential election but finished third. He also contested the 2008 election following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa, again finishing third.
His strongest early challenges came in 2015 and 2016, when he emerged as the main opposition challenger to Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front.
In the January 2015 presidential election, held to replace Michael Sata following his death, Hichilema narrowly lost to Lungu who received 807,925 votes (48.84%), while Hichilema obtained 780,168 votes (47.16%).
Hichilema challenged Lungu again in the 2016 presidential election; the Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Lungu the winner with 1,860,877 votes, or 49.21%, while Hichilema received 1,760,347 votes, or 46.55%.
He finally broke through in the August 12, 2021 presidential election where he defeated Lungu.
Hichilema won with roughly 59% of the vote, receiving more than 2.8 million votes, while Lungu received about 1.8 million votes.
He was inaugurated as Zambia's seventh president on August 24, 2021, succeeding Lungu.
Reporting originally appeared via Nairobi Leo. Read the full source for additional context.