Hichilema Assures Peaceful and Transparent 2026 General Elections

President Hakainde Hichilema has assured that the 12 August 2026 General Elections will be peaceful, credible and transparent.

“I know there is anxiety, but I want to assure that in 2026, there will be credible, peaceful and transparent elections. I’m sure you are following the by-elections, who wins does not matter,” he said.

The Head of State noted that the electoral process should allow both the opposition and ruling party to win, as democracy would have prevailed. “There is an election in Kasama today, whoever wins, democracy wins. We had elections in Chawama; most of you may not be aware but Chawama was the source of panga politics in Zambia. There were elections there and there was no violence. This is our commitment to peace, security and stability,” he said.

President Hichilema emphasized his commitment to maintaining peace in the country whether there are elections or not, stressing the need to avoid exporting violence to other countries. “Insecurity in one country is insecurity in all,” he said.

The President made the remarks during the 2026 Presidential annual greeting of the Diplomatic Corps. He urged the Diplomatic Corps not to worry about the upcoming elections but to support the electoral processes to ensure they are conducted properly.

He also said the amendment of the Constitution through the Bill 7 has enhanced inclusiveness by bringing 20 women, 15 youths and five persons with disabilities into the governance framework. He reiterated that the amendments were done in line with the mandate given to government.

On economic matters, President Hichilema said the completion of the International Monetary Fund programme on January 27 has opened space for Zambia to expand trade and investment within the region and beyond. “With the conclusion of this 38-month programme, we now want to reap the benefits which we can only realise from more investment, and that underscores the reason we went into this programme,” he said.

The President also dispelled assertions that mining companies are not paying taxes, describing such claims as a fallacy. He cited First Quantum Mines as the largest single taxpayer, adding that since the UPND Government took office, the mine has increased tax payments which support social sectors such as free education, health and other key areas. He warned that politicking which damages business prospects in the country will not be allowed to continue.

President Hichilema further called for increased intra-African investment, urging the continent to trade more within itself. “When we think of investments, we are thinking of Europe, America, China, Japan. We should also be thinking of ourselves, joint investments that will create vested interest in each other, where we would not like to see conflict in the next African country because it damages our business and affects us,” he said.

He added that Africa does the least business with itself and stressed that the continent will be better when it works together.

Speaking on behalf of the diplomats accredited to Zambia, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Hawa Hassan Mohamed, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to Zambia, hailed the country’s stable and peaceful environment, saying it provides a strong foundation for investment, education and international cooperation. She commended Zambia’s engagement at regional and continental level, including the promotion of peaceful resolution of conflicts. She observed that over the past four years, Zambia has consolidated social and economic gains, macroeconomic stability, fiscal discipline and structural reforms which have strengthened public finance management, private sector activity and job creation. She expressed gratitude for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ continued efforts in addressing challenges faced by embassies in Zambia and providing timely solutions that enable them to carry out their work efficiently.