Zambia's president to be sworn in for second term while opponent detained

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema is set to be sworn in for a second five‑year term on Tuesday, following a disputed election and the arrest of his main opponent on treason charges. Hichilema, who is credited with stabilising the economy, won the 13 August poll with 60 % of the vote according to official results. Runner‑up Brian Mundubile, who secured 38 %, alleged that the outcome had been tampered with. He said he was unable to lodge a legal challenge because the courts were sealed off the last day a lawsuit could be filed. Election observers described polling day as largely peaceful, though some raised concerns about the ballot‑tallying process. European Union monitors noted that units in many tallying centres failed to record results on tally sheets as soon as they were announced, citing weak verification between digital entries and paper records. They added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters. The day after the vote, security forces raided a location in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former furniture minister and arresting several opposition politicians. The government accused the opposition of planning an armed insurrection, a claim the opposition denied. Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, went into hiding. They were detained by police the past week and charged at the weekend. When Hichilema, 64, took office in 2021 after a landslide victory, Zambia had recently defaulted on its external debt and was facing an annual inflation rate above 24 %. "We inherited a broken-down country… the system was declining," Hichilema told the BBC in Lusaka earlier the election. The former businessman negotiated a debt restructuring and rebuilt ties with overseas creditors. Inflation has since eased, but prices remain high and many citizens continue to struggle with the cost of living. Hichilema said he intends to build on the foundations he claimed to have laid over the past five years. Botswana President Duma Boko and Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan are among the African leaders expected to attend the inauguration ceremony at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Hichilema will be sworn in alongside his running mate, Mutale Nalumango.