Zambia's Hichilema wins second term with 60% as rival goes into hiding

Hakainde Hichilema has secured a second five-year term as Zambia's president, winning 60 percent of the vote in an election announced by the country's electoral commission. His nearest rival, Brian Mundubile of the NRPUP party, finished with 38 percent, while a dozen other candidates collected the remainder. The result was widely anticipated, but what followed was not: Mundubile, 55, has gone into hiding at a secure location under the protection of an international human rights body, citing threats to his safety. His party confirmed to the BBC that he and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, are sheltering at a UN agency in Lusaka.

The opposition leader's retreat came after a series of escalating confrontations. On Friday, authorities conducted raids that resulted in the arrest of several leading opposition figures, whom they accused of plotting an insurrection. Mundubile has flatly rejected this characterization as fabrication. More troubling still, he has described an armed assault on his own home in the capital, in which he says uniformed personnel used an armoured vehicle to breach his gate, broke windows and doors, and opened fire. During that raid, he claims, former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot in his presence. Kafwaya has not been seen since, and Mundubile has demanded answers about the man's whereabouts and condition.

Despite his seclusion, Mundubile has signaled his intention to challenge the election results through legal channels. He maintains that his party possesses evidence of voting irregularities—documented records collected as events unfolded—and intends to present this material to the courts within the prescribed timeframe. In a statement, he insisted the official results do not represent "a true reflection of what took place across this election." He has also been careful to urge his supporters to remain calm and to reject any impulse toward violence or retaliation, framing his campaign around the principles of hope and peace.

Hichilema, 64, accepted his victory with measured language. In a statement released after the results were declared, he said he was "truly humbled" by the trust placed in his hands and pledged to work for all Zambians, including those who voted for his opponents. He characterized the election as evidence of Zambia's commitment to peaceful democratic practice, noting that the country settles political differences at the ballot box rather than through other means. Hundreds of his supporters, dressed in the red colors of his United Party for National Development, flooded the streets of Lusaka to celebrate.

Zambia's track record on democratic transitions is generally solid. Since the return to multiparty democracy in 1991, power has changed hands through electoral processes. Yet this election has exposed fractures. International and regional observers, while describing election day itself as largely peaceful, raised significant concerns about the broader environment. The Southern African Development Community observer mission, led by Samuel Tembenu of Malawi, recorded—though could not verify—reports of intimidation, assault, abduction, and property damage across five provinces. The European Union observation mission warned that restrictions placed on the opposition during the campaign period may have created an "uneven contest."

The counting process itself was briefly suspended the day after polling, with election officials citing reports of violence against polling staff and the theft of marked ballots in some areas. The suspension was lifted the same day, but observers expressed concern that the interruption risked damaging the credibility of the process and public confidence in the results. Mulambo Haimbe, Hichilema's election agent and a senior party official, told the BBC that criminal charges are being prepared against those arrested in connection with the alleged insurrection plot, and that the courts will address any legal challenges the opposition may bring.

The immediate question now centers on whether Mundubile's legal challenge will proceed and what evidence he can present to support claims of irregularities. Equally pressing is the fate of Kafwaya and the circumstances surrounding his shooting. The government's account of events differs sharply from Mundubile's, with officials denying that high-grade military weapons were stored at the opposition leader's home or that any militia was present. As Mundubile remains in protective custody and the opposition prepares its court case, Zambia faces a test of whether its democratic institutions can absorb this strain and whether the country's tradition of peaceful transfers of power will hold.