Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on securing a second term, expressing confidence that Zambia will continue to advance peace, stability and economic development.
Key takeaways
- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has congratulated Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election as President of Zambia.
- Mnangagwa expressed confidence that Zambia will continue pursuing peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development under Hichilema.
- Hichilema was declared winner of Zambia’s 13 August presidential election on 18 August 2026.
- The message points to diplomatic continuity between two neighbours linked by trade, energy, transport and regional institutions.
- Zambia and Zimbabwe launched their inaugural Bi-National Commission in November 2025 to deepen cooperation across government and business.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election as President of Zambia. The message adds Zimbabwe to a growing list of countries signalling continued engagement with Lusaka after the 2026 vote.
Foreign Affairs Zambia reported that Mnangagwa expects Zambia, under Hichilema’s stewardship, to continue achieving “peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development.”
What Mnangagwa said
The Zimbabwean leader’s message was concise and forward-looking. It recognised Hichilema’s renewed mandate and framed the next five years around political stability and development rather than the election campaign itself.
President Hichilema was declared the winner on 18 August, five days after Zambians voted in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. The result gives him a second five-year term.
Why Zambia-Zimbabwe relations matter
Zambia and Zimbabwe share more than a border. Their economies meet at the Chirundu crossing, along the North-South transport corridor and around the Zambezi River system. Power cooperation through the Kariba complex, cross-border trade and the movement of people make the relationship a practical economic concern for both governments.
The two countries are also members of the Southern African Development Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Decisions made in Lusaka and Harare can therefore affect regional trade, transport costs, energy planning and the pace of economic integration.
The Bi-National Commission provides the working framework
In November 2025, Hichilema and Mnangagwa led the inaugural Zambia-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission in Harare. The mechanism brought ministers and officials together to review cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, border management and other sectors.
Mnangagwa’s congratulatory message suggests that this framework will remain the main channel for bilateral work during Hichilema’s second term. The commercial test will be whether political goodwill produces faster border processes, dependable infrastructure and lower friction for businesses trading across the two countries.
A wider regional response to Hichilema’s victory
Mnangagwa joins several regional and international leaders who have recognised Hichilema’s re-election. Congratulatory messages have also come from Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Angola’s President João Lourenço and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Such messages are standard diplomatic practice after an election, but they also establish the political starting point for the new term. For Zambia, the value will lie in turning those relationships into trade, investment and cooperation that can be measured.
What does Mnangagwa’s message mean for Zambia-Zimbabwe relations?
It signals continuity. Both presidents already have a bilateral structure through which commitments can be reviewed, and neither government needs to rebuild the relationship after Zambia’s election. The immediate opportunity is to move existing agreements from official communiqués into visible improvements at borders, on transport routes and in shared infrastructure.
For Hichilema, the congratulation is also a reminder that regional diplomacy will be judged by domestic results. Better cross-border systems matter when they shorten delivery times, support exports and reduce costs for Zambian firms.
Related coverage
- Hichilema’s Second Term: What It Means for Zambia’s Economy, Markets and Diplomacy
- Kagame Congratulates Hichilema on Zambia Re-Election
- India’s Modi Congratulates Hichilema, Pledges Stronger Zambia Ties
- Economic Diplomacy and Zambia in the Global Economy
Related: Egypt’s El-Sisi congratulates Hichilema and calls for deeper Zambia ties.
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