Hichilema urges peace as Zambia election campaigns begin

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns ahead of the general election in August, as he seeks a second term against opposition leader Brian Mundubile.

Hichilema made the remarks at a rally in Lusangazi district, in Eastern Province, on Friday.

The vote is shaping up as a referendum on Hichilema’s economic record since he took office in 2021, inheriting a country reeling from a sovereign debt default. Africa’s second-largest copper producer has enjoyed an economic rebound supported by high copper prices after restructuring its debt, but many people still feel squeezed by the cost of living.

Annual inflation slowed to 6.5% in June, its lowest level in more than eight years. “A lot of our families still need support beyond what we are delivering today, but I want you to know we hear you,” Hichilema told supporters at his campaign launch in the capital Lusaka.

Mundubile, a 55-year-old lawyer and member of parliament, has never run for president before. He emerged as a late contender after a fractured opposition rallied behind him. The opposition has accused Hichilema of restricting its ability to campaign, charges he denies.

The International Monetary Fund projects Zambia’s economy to grow 4.3% this year. But Mundubile says the government’s economic achievements have done little to improve the lives of ordinary Zambians. “How can you boast that you have built $6.5 billion in foreign reserves when your people are going hungry?” he said at a rally last month.

SOURCE: Reuters