On August 16th, 2021, former Zambian President Edgar Lungu conceded the election to the leader of the opposition, Hakainde Hichilema (known affectionately as HH.) Lungu’s tenure as President of Zambia was fraught with controversies including extreme corruption, human rights violations, general ineptitude, and abuses of power such as those inflicted on Hichilema. In 2017, Hichilema was arrested under treason charges and spent months in prison before international condemnation from the United States and others, finally resulted in his release. This was only one of the fifteen different times Hichilema has been arrested under various pretenses; demonstrating his unwavering desire to see a better Zambia. This is Hichilema’s fifth election and only concrete victory, although previous elections have been marred by allegations of corruption and vote rigging. In 2016, Hichilema officially lost to Lungu by a very small fraction of the votes, however Hichilema's opposition party along with international voting rights organizations have disputed these results due to various inconsistencies. In 2021 however, the results were so overwhelmingly in favor of Hichilema (he won by over a million votes) thanks to approximately four million young voters, that Lungu had no other option but to concede.
Internationally as well as domestically, his victory has been very well received due to his commitment to pay back Zambia’s debts, rid the government of institutionalized corruption, and fix the economy through environmentally friendly initiatives. On September 23rd, 2021, Hichilema visited the White House and met with Vice-President Kamala Harris, a feat which has not occurred since 1992. VP Harris embraced Hichilema’s victory, calling it “democracy in action,” and hoping for his success in facing the many problems currently plaguing Zambia. During his visit to the United States, he also met with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in order to begin negotiations on a financial bailout. Zambia, the first African country to default on its debt during the pandemic, is facing a major financial crisis that has yet to improve. Despite Zambia’s many challenges, Hichilema has an unwavering desire to turn his country into a “beacon of hope for democracy in Africa,” and he has already begun. When travelling to the United States, he flew on a commercial aircraft with only two ministers instead of a private jet and massive entourage like his predecessor, marking a sharp contrast in how he plans to govern.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/25/africa/zambia-president-hichilema-unga-intl/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/africa/zambia-election-president-hichilema/index.html
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