Zambians went to the polls Thursday with President Hakainde Hichilema seeking a second term, five years after he defeated rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide. Lungu died in South Africa in June 2025, and the feud outlived him: Zambia's government tried to block his burial, only for South Africa's supreme court of appeal to rule in the family's favor.
Hichilema faces the Tonse Alliance, led by Brian Mundubile, a former Lungu-era chief whip, whose running mate served as the Lungu family's spokesperson during the burial dispute; the alliance has promised to bring Lungu's body back to Zambia. The opposition also alleges Hichilema has used authoritarian tactics during the campaign, including raids and detaining 36 opposition members, which the ruling party denies, pointing to the crackdowns it says it faced under Lungu.
Zambia's economy has stabilized since a 2020 debt default, with inflation down to 6.5% from 24.6% in 2021, and free primary and secondary education introduced in 2022. But prices have nearly doubled since 2021 even as average income rose more modestly, leaving many voters unconvinced the recovery has reached them.
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