Zambian voters are casting ballots in a presidential election in which almost 8.8 million registered voters will also choose members of parliament and local councillors. Incumbent Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is seeking a second term against Brian Mundubile, 55, leader of the Tonse Alliance of opposition parties, with disputes over the legacy and burial of former president Edgar Lungu running through the campaign.
Zambians vote in election shaped by feud over late former president Lungu
Zambian voters are casting ballots in a presidential election in which almost 8.8 million registered voters will also choose members of parliament and local councillors. Incumbent Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is seeking a second term against Brian Mundubile, 55, leader of the Tonse Alliance of opposition parties, with disputes over the legacy and burial of former president Edgar Lungu running through the campaign.
Hichilema defeated Lungu by a landslide in 2021. The two men were long-standing rivals, and their feud continued even after Lungu died in South Africa in June 2025. Zambia's government went to court to block the Lungu family from controlling burial arrangements, as the family did not want Hichilema presiding over a state funeral. South Africa's supreme court of appeal ruled in June in favour of the Lungu family, overturning an earlier high court decision that had sided with the government.
Mundubile was a government chief whip under Lungu. His running mate Makebi Zulu acted as the Lungu family's spokesperson during the burial dispute. On the campaign trail, both men have pledged to bring Lungu's body back to Zambia for what they describe as a dignified burial.
Christopher Vandome, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said the handling of death carries significant weight in Zambia. He said that even Hichilema's own supporters want to see due respect given to the deceased, and that when matters appear to become messy, it makes the incumbent look disrespectful.
The Tonse Alliance has also alleged that Hichilema deployed authoritarian tactics during the campaign, including raiding its offices and detaining 36 members of Mundubile's team. The ruling United Party for National Development denied those claims, pointing to what it described as far harsher conditions under Lungu: it said that during the 2021 campaign Hichilema had been arrested 15 times, that Prime TV and the Post newspaper had been shut down, and that internet access was cut on election day. The UPND spokesperson said that under the current government the opposition campaigns freely across all 10 provinces and no media house has been closed.
Transparency International Zambia monitors have recorded incidents of police interrupting opposition rallies. Tamika Halwiindi, a coordinator at the organisation, said disruptions citing safety concerns appeared more frequently directed at opposition and independent candidates than at the ruling party.
Activists have also reported that peaceful demonstrations were shut down during Hichilema's term. Mputa Ngalande of the Fight Inequality Alliance said he was among a group detained for more than 12 hours in July 2024 while protesting against the state power company during a period of 22-hour-a-day electricity blackouts.
Vandome said Hichilema's prospects of winning are very high, but added that the president's personal experience of past electoral difficulties in Zambia has created an insecurity that is working against him and denting his image in a way that is unnecessary.
Zambia's economy has stabilised since the country defaulted on its debts in 2020 under Lungu. Annual inflation is currently 6.5%, compared with 24.6% in July 2021. The government made primary and secondary education free in 2022, and the country has attracted increased international investment linked to its copper deposits, a key material in green technologies.
The average annual income rose from $1,127 to $1,318 between 2021 and 2025, according to World Bank data, but prices almost doubled over the same period. Early in the current month, Hichilema announced a 50% increase in university student accommodation allowances with immediate effect at a campaign event. Ngalande said people on the ground are asking why positive economic indicators are not translating into daily conditions, noting that accessing three meals a day remains difficult for many.
- No response from the Zambian government is included regarding the specific allegation that 36 members of Mundubile's team were detained.
- The article does not specify the exact date of the election.
- The article does not report the total number of candidates or parties on the ballot beyond the two main contenders.
- No independent economic analysis is cited to assess the government's claims about macroeconomic stabilisation.
- The article does not specify where or how Lungu's remains are currently held following the South African court ruling.
- The article does not state whether the 50% accommodation allowance increase has been formally enacted or remains a campaign promise.
Read the original at The Guardian