The Litunga, Lubosi Imwiko II, and Senior Chief Mweemba of Sinazongwe have congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election, with the Barotse Royal Establishment listing palaces, boarding schools and tertiary education among the region’s expectations for the second term.
By The Zambian Economist Analyst
Key Takeaways
- The Litunga, Lubosi Imwiko II, has congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election and says he looks forward to continued cooperation with the administration.
- The message was conveyed through the Barotse Royal Establishment, whose Ngambela, Mukela Manyando, told ZNBC News the region expects progress on chiefs’ palaces, boarding schools and tertiary education opportunities.
- Senior Chief Mweemba of Sinazongwe District also congratulated the President and urged him to keep promoting peace and respect for the rule of law.
- Traditional leaders join foreign governments, the opposition and unions in the run of congratulations that has followed the 13 August election.
Two of Zambia’s most recognisable traditional authorities have added their voices to the congratulations greeting President Hichilema’s second term. The Litunga’s message was delivered through the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE), the traditional governance structure of the Lozi people, in a statement issued to ZNBC News through Ngambela Mukela Manyando. Senior Chief Mweemba of Sinazongwe District in Southern Province spoke to the same broadcaster in a separate interview.
President Hichilema won re-election in the 13 August general election, and the messages have come in steadily since the result was declared, from four opposition candidates who conceded to foreign governments.
What the Litunga’s message says
The Litunga expressed delight at the outcome and looks forward to continued cooperation with the administration, according to the message conveyed by the BRE. The relationship is not new. The BRE passed on similar congratulations after Hichilema’s first win in 2021, and the President has made courtesy calls at the Lealui and Limulunga palaces during his first term.
The statement, delivered by Ngambela Manyando, set out where the region wants attention in the second term: construction of chiefs’ palaces, greater emphasis on boarding schools, and wider access to tertiary education opportunities for students from the region.
Senior Chief Mweemba’s appeal
Senior Chief Mweemba congratulated the President on a second term and urged him to continue promoting peace and respect for the rule of law across the country. He said his chiefdom appreciates the President’s commitment to national unity.
The chief also addressed citizens directly. He called on Zambians to work together as one people, saying the country’s development depends on it, and argued that living out the values behind the national motto of “One Zambia, One Nation” would strengthen the spirit of togetherness.
Why these voices carry weight in a second term
Traditional leaders administer much of Zambia’s land under customary tenure and act as the first point of contact between communities and government programmes. When they set out priorities in public, as the BRE has done with palaces and schools, they are also signalling how the legitimacy of the next five years will be judged at local level.
For Western Province, the asks are specific and measurable: palaces built, boarding schools resourced, and more young people from the region entering universities and colleges. That gives residents a checklist against which to hold both the BRE’s engagement and the government’s response.
The congratulations follow a campaign period in which the Litunga himself appealed to candidates to keep the peace, an appeal that appears to have held through voting day and the count.
Read our analysis of what the second term means for the economy and diplomacy: Hichilema’s Second Term: What It Means for Zambia’s Economy, Markets and Diplomacy, and Zambia’s Turnaround Won the Election. Now It Has to Deliver.
Editor’s note: The information in this report was obtained from ZNBC News coverage of the messages conveyed by the Barotse Royal Establishment and Senior Chief Mweemba of Sinazongwe. The article was rewritten by The Zambian Economist for publication. ZNBC News retains credit for the original reporting.
Related coverage: Read more from our Leadership & Governance and Election 2026 Economics sections.
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