Hakainde Hichilema sworn in for second Zambia term as rival remains jailed

Hakainde Hichilema returned to Zambia’s presidency under circumstances that made the inauguration as contentious as it was triumphant. He took the oath at Lusaka’s National Heroes Stadium on Tuesday, while his main electoral rival, Brian Mundubile, remained in detention on treason charges and the country’s courts had been abruptly closed.

Foreign leaders and dignitaries, including representatives from the United States and China, attended the ceremony. Hichilema pledged to govern with equality and addressed voters who had backed other parties. “We receive your support with humility and with a clear understanding of the responsibility it places upon our shoulders. To those who chose other candidates or other parties, we say with equal sincerity: We have heard you,” he said.

The election’s aftermath has brought a series of arrests. Police raided Mundubile’s home the day after the August 13 vote, during an operation in which a former cabinet member was shot and killed. Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, were arrested on Thursday after spending two weeks seeking refuge with an international human rights organization. Police have not disclosed details supporting the treason allegations, and both men deny wrongdoing. About a dozen other opposition figures who questioned the result have also been arrested.

Hichilema won 60% of the vote, compared with 38% for Mundubile, who alleges the election was rigged. Human Rights Watch criticized the closure of the courts, saying it prevented the opposition from bringing legal challenges. At the inauguration, Hichilema told thousands of cheering supporters that he would continue improving the economy. During his first term, his government restructured Zambia’s debt, attracted international investment and reduced inflation. Vice President Mutale Nalumango was sworn in alongside him. Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, as well as the presidents of Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, attended and congratulated him.

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We receive your support with humility and with a clear understanding of the responsibility it places upon our shoulders. To those who chose other candidates or other parties, we say with equal sincerity: We have heard you.