Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term as the country votes, with the political feud between him and his late predecessor Edgar Lungu continuing to influence the election. Hichilema defeated Lungu by a landslide in 2021, but the dispute between the two men’s families and supporters has persisted since Lungu died in South Africa in June 2025.
The conflict intensified over Lungu’s burial. Zambia’s government went to court to stop his family from arranging the burial without Hichilema presiding over a state funeral. South Africa’s supreme court of appeal ruled in June in favour of Lungu’s family, overturning an earlier high court decision that had backed the government.
The opposition is campaigning on Lungu’s return
Hichilema is facing the Tonse Alliance, an opposition coalition led by Brian Mundubile, 55, who served as government chief whip under Lungu. Mundubile’s running mate, Makebi Zulu, was the Lungu family’s spokesperson during the burial dispute.
The two opposition leaders have promised on the campaign trail to bring Lungu’s body back to Zambia for a dignified burial. Christopher Vandome, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said the treatment of the dead carries significant importance in Zambia and that a disorderly dispute could make the incumbent appear disrespectful.
Related coverage: Zambians weigh Hichilema’s reforms in August 13 election.
Campaign allegations revive arguments over repression
The Tonse Alliance has accused Hichilema’s government of using authoritarian tactics during the campaign, including raiding its offices and detaining 36 members of Mundubile’s team. Hichilema’s team denied the allegations and contrasted the current campaign with what it described as Lungu’s treatment of Hichilema before the 2021 election.
A spokesperson for Hichilema’s United Party for National Development said Hichilema had been arrested 15 times in 2021, while Prime TV and the Post had been shut down and the internet switched off on election day. The spokesperson said the opposition now campaigns across all 10 provinces, no media house has been closed and the airwaves remain open.
Transparency International Zambia coordinator Tamika Halwiindi said monitors had recorded police interruptions of opposition rallies, with safety concerns cited more often against opposition and independent candidates than against the ruling party. Activists have also reported peaceful demonstrations being shut down. Mputa Ngalande of the Fight Inequality Alliance said he was detained for more than 12 hours in July 2024 during a protest over the state power company and prolonged blackouts.
Economic gains may not settle the cost-of-living question
Hichilema’s prospects of winning are very high, according to Vandome, but he said the president’s experience of difficult elections had contributed to insecurity that was damaging his image. The election will also determine members of parliament and local councillors, with almost 8.8 million registered voters taking part.
Zambia’s economy has stabilised since the debt crisis that followed its 2020 default under Lungu. Annual inflation is 6.5%, down from 24.6% in July 2021, and the government made primary and secondary education free in 2022. Zambia has also attracted more international investment linked to its copper deposits.
The gains have not removed pressure on household budgets. Average annual income increased from $1,127 to $1,318 between 2021 and 2025, according to World Bank data, while prices almost doubled over the same period. Hichilema has also announced an immediate 50% increase in university students’ accommodation allowance, but Ngalande said many people still struggle to afford three meals a day.
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