President Hakainde Hichilema cast his ballot at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School in Lusaka this afternoon, flanked by his sons Chikonka Hichilema and Habwela Hichilema. The image, credited to ZANIS, shows the President between his two sons moments after marking his ballot, one of the defining pictures of a polling day that will decide whether he secures a second term.
Voting opened at 6:00am and runs for twelve hours, with the Electoral Commission of Zambia registering 8.7 million voters nationwide. Kabulonga, roughly eight kilometres east of central Lusaka, drew queues before sunrise, a pattern repeated at polling stations across the country’s ten provinces.
Context
Hichilema, 64, won the presidency in 2021 on his sixth attempt, defeating Edgar Lungu on a platform of economic reform and anti-corruption. Thursday’s vote is the first real test of that record at the ballot box. He faces 13 challengers, with Brian Mundubile widely regarded as his strongest rival.
Historical Background
Zambia’s elections have long tracked regional lines, with UPND support concentrated in the south and west and opposition strength holding in the north and Copperbelt. Kabulonga Boys was also visited by election observers from the SADC Election Observation Mission, led by former Malawian Justice Minister Samuel B. Tembenu, who witnessed the opening of polls there at 6:00am, as reported earlier today.
Economic Impact
Copper remains the fulcrum of the campaign’s economic argument. Hichilema has pledged to lift annual copper production to 3 million metric tonnes by 2031 and has courted investment from both China, Zambia’s largest foreign investor, and Western partners including the United States. More than 70 percent of Zambia’s 22 million people live on less than three dollars a day, according to World Bank figures, and cost of living pressure has shaped voter sentiment throughout the campaign.
Business and Investor Implications
A Hichilema victory would signal continuity for investors positioned in mining, infrastructure and the IMF-backed reform programme. A tighter result or runoff would extend uncertainty into a period when copper producers and Eurobond holders are watching Lusaka closely. Results of the presidential race are expected by 17 August, with a runoff required if no candidate clears 50 percent.
Public Implications
Beyond the presidency, voters are also choosing members of Parliament and local government councillors, decisions that will shape service delivery and local economic governance regardless of who wins the top seat.
Conclusion
The photograph of a President voting between his two sons will travel further than most images from Thursday’s election, but the count that follows will matter more. With results due by 17 August and the race described by analysts as close to even, Zambia’s next five years hang on turnout patterns still forming in queues from Kabulonga to the Copperbelt.
Key Takeaways
- President Hichilema voted at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School with sons Chikonka and Habwela Hichilema.
- Polls opened at 6:00am and closed 12 hours later, with 8.7 million registered voters.
- Hichilema faces 13 challengers, with Brian Mundubile seen as his closest rival.
- Presidential results are expected by 17 August, with a runoff triggered below 50 percent.
- SADC deployed over 100 observers, including a team at Kabulonga Boys itself.
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Also at Kabulonga Boys today: Tasila Lungu Mwansa ended a 14-month public absence to vote, pictured with Lusaka Central candidate Charity Lumpa.
