Zambia elections haunted by ghost of incumbent president’s arch-rival
Hakainde Hichilema is bidding for second term, but feud between him and family of Edgar Lungu, who died in 2025, continues As Zambians go to the polls, the ghost of the current president’s predecessor hangs over the elections. Hakainde Hichilema, 64, is bidding for a second term leading the southern African country after defeating his arch-rival Edgar Lungu by a landslide in 2021. Continue…
Zambia's upcoming elections are overshadowed by the legacy of its previous president, Edgar Lungu, whose arch-rival Hakainde Hichilema seeks re-election. The feud between the two men and their families has been a dominant political force in Zambia, even after Lungu's death in South Africa in June 2025. Hichilema's opposition, the Tonse Alliance, led by Brian Mundubile, is promising to return Lungu's body for a dignified burial, a promise the Lungu family's spokesperson in South Africa has upheld, overturning a court ruling that initially blocked the burial.
Hichilema faces allegations of authoritarian tactics during the election campaign from the Tonse Alliance, including raiding their offices and detaining 36 of their team members. The ruling party denies these claims, citing Lungu's past actions against Hichilema in the 2021 elections. Despite Hichilema's high prospects of winning, Transparency International Zambia notes that police have been more biased against the opposition than the ruling party, leading to disruptions during opposition rallies.
Hichilema has promised to raise the accommodation allowance for university students by 50%, but the cost of living has nearly doubled, with income increases failing to reflect on the ground for the average citizen.
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