ZAMBIA’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in for a second five-year term following a disputed election and the arrest of his main opponent on treason charges.
Hichilema – credited with stabilising the economy – swept to victory on 13 August with 60% of the vote, according to official results. Runner-up Brian Mundubile, who received 38%, alleged that the outcome had been tampered with.
He was unable to mount a legal challenge to the result as the courts were sealed off last week on the final day a case could be filed.
Election observers said that while polling day was largely peaceful, some have raised questions about the vote tallying process.
European Union observers said staff in many tallying centres did not record results on tally sheets as soon as they were announced and cited weak verification between digital entries and paper records.
It added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
The day after the poll, security forces raided a property in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting a number of opposition politicians.
The authorities accused the opposition of planning an armed insurrection, which they denied.
Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, had gone into hiding. They were detained by police last week and charged at the weekend.
During his inauguration speech on Tuesday, Hichilema did not comment on his opponent’s detention but said that the “pursuit of political power must never come at the expense of peace, security and stability in our country”.
“Democracy does not require us to agree on everything. It requires us to respect one another even when we disagree,” Hichilema added.
He also invited the opposition to work with his government for the good of the country: “When you have a good idea, we will listen to you.”
He was sworn into office amid jubilant scenes, as thousands of supporters gathered to celebrate the inauguration. His running mate Mutale Nalumango was also sworn in as vice-president.
Presidents from Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tanzania were among several African leaders attending the inauguration ceremony at the National Heroes Stadium in the capital.
When Hichilema, 64, came into office in 2021 after a landslide victory, the copper-rich nation had recently defaulted on its international debt and had an annual inflation rate of more than 24%.
“We inherited a broken-down country… the economy was declining,” Hichilema told the BBC in Lusaka before the election.