President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second term after defeating opposition leader Brian Mundubile in Zambia’s presidential election, according to the final results announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), secured 2,965,326 votes, while Mundubile polled 1,856,217, giving the incumbent a winning margin of 1,109,109 votes.

Hichilema’s tally represents about 61.5% of the votes cast, compared with about 38.5% for Mundubile.

The election, held on Aug. 13, was closely watched as a referendum on Hichilema’s economic record since he took office in 2021 amid a severe debt crisis. His government has overseen debt restructuring and sought to attract investment into Zambia’s copper industry.

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The vote count was temporarily suspended after the ECZ reported violence against election officials and the theft of ballot papers, before counting resumed.

Mundubile had earlier raised concerns about the conduct of the election, while Hichilema urged his supporters and the wider public to remain peaceful and await the official results.

Hichilema’s victory gives him another five-year term at the helm of Africa’s second-largest copper producer.

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