Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema is due to be sworn in on Tuesday for a second five-year term, following a disputed 13 August election and the arrest of his main rival, Brian Mundubile, on treason charges. Hichilema, credited with stabilising the economy after inheriting a debt default and soaring inflation in 2021, won 60% of the vote according to official results, but Mundubile alleges the count was tampered with and was unable to mount a legal challenge because the courts were sealed on the final filing day. The situation matters because it raises questions about the credibility of the vote and the treatment of opposition figures in a country previously seen as a democratic success story in the region.

Mundubile, who took 38% of the vote, went into hiding with his running mate Makebi Zulu after a security raid on a Lusaka property linked to him left a former cabinet minister dead and several opposition figures arrested; both men were detained and charged with treason at the weekend. EU election observers reported weaknesses in the tallying process, including delays in recording results and poor verification between digital and paper records, though polling day itself was largely peaceful. Hichilema, 64, will be sworn in alongside running mate Mutale Nalumango at Lusaka's National Heroes Stadium, with African leaders including Botswana's Duma Boko and Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan expected to attend.