Zambia has a new president, perennial opponent Hakainde Hichilema, who was overwhelmingly elected with a lead of nearly one million votes and a high turnout, with his predecessor promising a “peaceful transition of power.
Mr. Hichilema, a tireless 59-year-old businessman who was running for the sixth time in the presidential election, hailed “a historic moment that millions of Zambians have been waiting for.
Nicknamed “HH” but also “Bally,” a term of endearment for a father or elder, the politician addressed the nation live from his home in a residential area of the capital, Lusaka.
Hakainde Hichilema is set to be sworn in as president later on Tuesday, raising the hopes of his counterparts in other African states that they too can overcome state repression and one day rise to power.
During a long political career that saw him fail in five previous bids to become president, Mr Hichilema was brutalised, tear-gassed and even detained for a traffic offence in 2017 that was deemed treasonous after his convoy failed to give way to the motorcade of outgoing President Edgar Lungu.
“It’s massively inspirational,” said Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot 16 times by people he believes were state agents.
“Zambians have showed us it can be done, no matter what they put us through, no matter the odds,” he added.
Mr Lissu lost last year’s election to the late President John Magufuli, which he alleges was rigged.
He later fled the country as security officers planned to arrest him.
