Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lusaka (Fides news Agency) – President Hakainde Hichilema has won the August 13 elections with more than 50% of the vote. This was stated by the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), which conducted a parallel vote count alongside the official tally carried out by the Electoral Commission of Zambia. The CCMG, however, recorded irregularities in 30 constituencies.
The CCMG is an independent, non-partisan Zambian civil society organization that monitors electoral processes with the aim of promoting transparency, accountability and credible democratic elections.
It is a consortium founded in 2014 by the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) and the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), through Caritas Zambia.
On election day, the CCMG deployed 1,500 stationary observers at a nationally representative sample of polling stations, covering every province, district and constituency.
In its report, the CCMG observed that, “although isolated problems occurred on polling day, the overall procedures for setup, voting and counting were followed and the process was transparent.”
According to the CCMG, voter turnout stood at 53.5%, a significant decline from the 70.6% recorded in 2021. President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) received approximately 56% of the vote (±1.7%), while the main opposition candidate, Brian Mundubile, secured approximately 42.3% (±1.7%).
The verification of electoral processes and results carried out by the CCMG to ensure transparency “clearly shows that President Hichilema received the highest number of presidential votes, surpassing the 50% threshold, but also demonstrates that, in 30 constituencies, votes were added, artificially increasing turnout and compromising the integrity of the process.”
“These observations deserve further analysis, particularly in light of the implications for the allocation of seats under the proportional system. It is important to emphasize, however, that the discrepancies identified do not alter the overall outcome of the presidential election,” said a statement by the organization backed by the country’s main Christian denominations. The CCMG concluded by calling for greater transparency from the Electoral Commission in the publication of election results.
Meanwhile, post-election tensions remain high. Mundubile, who has rejected President Hichilema’s victory, has been summoned by police for questioning, along with his vice-presidential candidate, Makebi Zulu.
The killing by security forces of former Transport Minister and prominent Lunde Party figure Mutotwe Kafwaya has also been reported. His fate had remained uncertain for several days (see Fides, 19/8/2026).
Kafwaya was killed on August 14 during a shootout at Mundubile’s residence in Lusaka. Police only announced his death on the evening of August 19, after Kafwaya’s wife had filed a report with the authorities seeking information about her husband’s whereabouts.
(L.M.) (Fides News Agency, 21/8/2026)
