Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema was sworn in for a second five-year term on Tuesday.
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Hichilema → swear → Tuesday
For decades, Zambia has worn its peaceful transfers of power almost like a badge of honor in a region where elections have too often ended in disputed results, violence or leaders refusing to leave.
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elections → wear → results
Hichilema's own victory in 2021 appeared to strengthen that reputation.
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victory → appear → reputation
Hichilema begins his second term after a disputed election, with his main challenger facing treason charges, opposition supporters questioning the credibility of the vote and controversy surrounding the closure of courts during the crucial window for election petitions.
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supporters → begin → petitions
Hichilema has promised reconciliation.
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Hichilema → promise → reconciliation
But for a president who once sat on the other side of power as an opposition leader and treason suspect himself, the test now is whether those words will be matched by the political space he gives his opponents.
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he → sit → opponents
Ngobola Cengelo Muyembe, a political, business and social analyst, told DW that reconciliation must begin by recognizing that a significant part of the electorate backed someone else.
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part → tell → someone
"You have to remember that in every 10 people that voted, four people voted for the other side," Muyembe said, noting that during the president's inaugural address, he spoke about reconciliation and uniting people.
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he → have → people
"But that message can only resonate if what is on the ground reflects what is being spoken about."
Can Hichilema reunite a divided country?
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Hichilema → resonate → country
Raymond, a self-employed Zambian who asked that his full name not be used, told DW that Hichilema should look beyond who supported him at the ballot box and govern across Zambia's political and ethnic divisions.
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who → employ → divisions
Don't think about people who voted for you, didn't vote for you.
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who → think → you
One Zambia, one nation, one city," Raymond said.
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Raymond → say → ?
The mines want us Zambians to be benefiting.
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us → want → ?
Artist Mazuba Nzabuka told DW he also wants Hichilema to govern those who supported him and those who did not, while giving young people a greater voice.
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who → tell → voice
"Going forward, he is going to do the promises left behind.
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he → go → promises
He is a president for all people," said Nzabuka.
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Nzabuka → say → people
"Those who did not vote for him, those who voted for him.
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who → vote → him
The five years going forward, our voices can be heard.
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voices → go → ?
"
But reconciliation will have to contend with the political fallout from the election.
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reconciliation → have → election
Zambia returned to multiparty democracy in 1991 and has since witnessed several changes of governing parties through elections.
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Zambia → return → elections
Hichilema himself benefited from that tradition when he defeated incumbent President Edgar Lungu in 2021.
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he → benefit → 2021
The latest election prompted debate about whether that image remains intact.
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image → prompt → debate
Democracy faces a new test
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Democracy → face → test
The independence of Zambia's institutions may feature prominently during Hichilema's second term.
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independence → feature → term
Critics said their concerns intensified after courts were closed on the final day available for presidential election petitions.
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courts → say → petitions
Interruptions during the announcement of election results prompted some opposition supporters to question the process.
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Interruptions → prompt → process
Analyst Muyembe said that protecting political speech and allowing opponents to openly challenge the government will be crucial to rebuilding confidence.
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opponents → say → confidence
"If you really respect the people that voted against you, allow them to speak, engage them in a debate, not where you just have to bring in only the people that agree with you and the ones that are talking to themselves on TV, and encourage this national dialogue," Muyembe told DW.
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Muyembe → respect → DW
"Allow the opposition who lost to complain about it the way they want, and then from there you can chart a way forward.
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you → allow → way
But to stifle debate and fudge facts, this is not really helping our democracy."
The arrest of Hichilema's main challenger, Brian Mundubile, and his running mate on treason charges linked to allegations of plotting an armed uprising has become another point of political controversy.
Authorities maintain that the case concerns national security, while opposition supporters have questioned the timing of the arrests.
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supporters → stifle → arrests
The situation has drawn attention because Hichilema himself once faced a treason charge while in opposition.
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Hichilema → draw → opposition
The question of whether the institutions that once wielded enormous power over him can operate independently when dealing with his own political opponents is likely to remain part of the debate surrounding his second term.
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that → wield → term
Hichilema enters his second term pointing to progress in stabilizing Zambia's economy, including lower inflation and the restructuring of the country's external debt.
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Hichilema → enter → debt
But many Zambians are waiting for those gains to reach their homes.
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gains → wait → homes
Mutinta Mushabati, who attended the inauguration at Heroes Stadium in the capital Lusaka, told DW that she was encouraged by what she heard from Hichilema.
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she → attend → Hichilema
"That he is going to increase everything, new allowances for school-going children, social cash transfer, CDF," she said, refering to Zambia's expanded Constituency Development Fund, which allocates public money directly to each of the country's constituencies to finance community-driven local development projects and infrastructure.
"
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which → go → projects
I don't even know what I can say.
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I → know → what
Muyembe told DW that the gap between positive national economic indicators and the experience of ordinary households represents a key challenge for Hichilema's second term.
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gap → tell → term
He compared the economy to a reservoir that may be full while the pipes carrying water to individual homes remain blocked.
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pipes → compare → homes
"Imagine that you got a giant command reservoir that distributes water to houses in the village," the analyst said.
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analyst → imagine → village
…and 18 more, not listed.
