Politics · 60% victoryZambia's President Takes 60% Second Term as Rival Sheltered and Count HaltedAired August 19, 2026 at 7:38 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema0:02has secured a second 5-year term with0:04around 60% of valid votes to challenger0:06Brian Mundubile's around 38% resetting0:09the country's governing mandate while0:11leaving the process under acute strain.0:13The confirmed split puts the incumbent0:15well clear of the challenger, [music]0:16but the next step is procedural.0:18Ratification by the Zambia Electoral0:20Commission would [music] trigger a0:21swearing in in about 2 weeks. That0:23margin around 60% to around 38% gives0:26Hichilema a decisive mandate [music] and0:28defines the challenge for the opposition0:30to contest. International observers0:32described the vote as largely peaceful,0:34but also cited intimidation and0:35restrictions on the opposition. A0:37contradiction echoed on the ground where0:38voting was orderly, but serious0:40irregularities were reported. The count0:42itself was interrupted by a 6-hour0:44suspension of counting and announcement,0:46and even with results announced, the0:47clock to inauguration only starts after0:50Electoral Commission ratification about0:512 weeks later. That pause followed0:54reports of missing marked ballots0:55[music] and ballots found thrown in0:57drainages alongside violence while0:59security deployments were noted around1:00the process.1:02Several opposition figures [music]1:03arrested last week remain in custody,1:06and Mundubile's party says he is in a1:07secure location under protection of an1:10international [music]1:10human rights organization due to1:12threats. This account draws on a single1:14dispatch from Lusaka, and what remains1:16is whether the Electoral Commission1:18ratifies the result,1:19>> [music]1:19>> how the detentions are resolved, and1:21whether observer concerns about1:23intimidation, ballot irregularities, and1:25the challenger's safety prompt a formal1:27review before inauguration.1:29Like and follow for more stories that1:31matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗