Lusaka — Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term in the elections held on August 13 (see Fides, 13/8/2026).
Hichilema won with 2,965,326 votes, representing 60.49% of the 4,902,050 valid votes cast. His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, received approximately 1,856,217 votes, equal to 37.87% of the total. Mundubile was forced into exile after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to stage an armed insurrection.
At least ten prominent figures associated with Mundubile’s political camp have been arrested, including his spokesperson, George Chisanga, and Patrick Mwansa, the husband of former President Edgar Lungu’s daughter. The government claims that those arrested were conspiring with foreign nationals to establish illegal military training camps.
On August 15, Mundubile said that “heavily armed personnel from the Zambia National Army” had gone to his residence. According to the politician, the soldiers allegedly fired shots after breaking into the house, terrorizing his family members. Mundubile described the raid as an attempt on his life.
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A few hours later, the Electoral Commission suspended the vote count, citing the theft of pre-marked ballot papers and acts of violence against its officials, without providing further details. Opposition figures interpreted the sudden suspension and the subsequent swift resumption of the count as a move intended to influence the outcome of the presidential election.
In a statement, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) said it had “followed with deep concern the conduct of the general elections of 13 August 2026 and the events that have followed”.
“We, pastors of the Catholic Church in Zambia and moral voices in the life of this nation, cannot remain silent while the integrity of a process so fundamental to the well-being and future of the Zambian people risks being called into question,” the statement sent to Fides continues.
The Bishops stressed that they were “speaking not in the interest of any political party or candidate, but in defence of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the sacred right of every Zambian to have their vote counted and respected”.
The Bishops focused in particular on the suspension of the vote count ordered on August 14 by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). “While recognizing that the Commission subsequently indicated that the counting had resumed under heightened security measures, the very fact that such a suspension was ordered the day after Zambians went to the polls is an issue that should concern every citizen of good will,” the Bishops said.
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The ZCCB also expressed concern over “disturbing reports regarding the treatment of members and officials of opposition political parties, including allegations of harassment by armed officers, while there are cases of people who have been arrested whose whereabouts are unknown”.
The Bishops acknowledged that not all reports of abuses “have been verified by independent sources”, but precisely for this reason called for “the utmost transparency: every person detained by state agencies must be immediately identified, granted access to a lawyer and family members, and either brought before the courts in accordance with the law or released”.
The statement concludes with an “appeal for calm, patience and prayer”. “We pray that peace may prevail in our land as well as wisdom and integrity among those entrusted with counting and announcing the results.”
