( 3 minutes read)
· Southern Africa’s regional bloc-SADC- praised Zambia for overseeing a peaceful transition of power
· A veteran opposition politician – Hakainde Hichilema won a landslide victory at the ballot box defeating Edgar Lungu, who had been in power for six years
· This phenomenon is unique in a continent where incumbent leaders hold on to power in perpetuity.
Southern Africa’s regional bloc-SADC- praised Zambia for overseeing a peaceful transition of power. A veteran opposition politician – Hakainde Hichilema won a landslide victory at the ballot box defeating Edgar Lungu, who had been in power for six years.
It is the third time that power has changed hands to the opposition in Zambia since 1991. This phenomenon is unique in a continent where incumbent leaders hold on to power in perpetuity. The SADC members felt that the pattern of peaceful transitions of power in Zambia was praiseworthy and hoped that it was emulated in other countries also to ensure strengthening of the democratic institutions.
Lungu had claimed the election was not free or fair, while votes were being counted at the weekend and complained of tampering. Later, after the result was declared, Lungu conceded defeat and promised to peacefully hand over power. He also met Hichilema in the presence of former leaders — Zambia’s Rupiah Banda, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete and Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma.
