Zambia elections: Hakainde Hichilema re-elected president as main rival goes into hiding over alleged threats - BBC News

Hakainde Hichilema says he was “truly humbled” by the victory and promised to work for all Zambians.

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Hakainde Hichilema was first elected in 2021 after five previously failed runs for the presidency

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing a 60% share of the vote, the electoral commission has announced.

Hichilema's win was widely expected, with his closest challenger Brian Mundubile getting 38% of the votes cast. The remaining 12 candidates trailed far behind.

The result came after a contested process, with 55-year-old Mundubile earlier claiming victory and alleging, without providing evidence, that there had been voting irregularities.

His party, the NRPUP, told the BBC that Mundubile was in a "secure location under the protection of an international human rights body due to threats made against him".