How the re-elected government uses its new dominance will influence Zambian politics well beyond this election.
Articles on Hakainde Hichilema
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The country is likely to have a much stronger opposition to contend with after the 2026 polls.
President Hichilema’s self-styled ‘chief marketing officer’ approach has unlocked new investments from a diverse mix of partners.
Tazara upgrade requires huge capital but new tracks could be incompatible with the existing Southern Africa rails.
Zambia’s new president will have to balance austerity and the high expectations of the many unemployed young people and struggling people who voted for him.
Whoever wins the elections will face two key challenges: reviving the country’s democratic credentials and stimulating the economy.
Frustration is growing among opposition supporters who believe the last election was stolen.
Distrust of the electoral commission runs deep in the opposition, which may well lead to increased tensions ahead of and following the polls.
The IMF’s decision to go ahead with a bailout package for Zambia, despite the government’s democratic failings, could embolden the president to pursue an authoritarian strategy.
The world’s media, which has in the past found Zambia uninteresting, are suddenly paying more attention to the impoverished nation, for all the wrong reasons.
Zambia’s Edgar Lungu shouldn’t consider his presidential victory to mean business as usual in the management of the economy; nor an opportunity to waste and plunder.
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Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand
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Director & SARChI Research Chair: Political Economy of Migration in the SADC Region, University of Pretoria
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Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham
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Senior Research Fellow, Chatham House and PhD candidate, International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University