Zambian President Edgar Lungu Face Third Election Showdown with Opposition Leader Hakainde Hichilema

Zambian President Edgar Lungu Image: Reuters

Faizel Patel – 12/08/2021

Zambian President Edgar Lungu faces a third election showdown with opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema on Thursday, in a vote that looks too tight to call and with mounting debt and a flagging economy taking centre stage.

In November, Africa’s No. 2 copper producer became the first African state to default on part of its debt during the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Monetary Fund warns it’s likely to be the continents slowest growing economies this year.

In office since 2015, 64-year-old Lungu narrowly defeated Hichilema, the CEO of an accountancy firm before entering politics, in a disputed election the following year.

The President has touted the new road, airport and energy projects he has overseen as laying the groundwork for economic development and growth.

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

Palestine Report

5 October 2026 | 13:35 CAT Moulana Ebrahim Moosa examines Israel’s attempts to discredit slain Palestinian journalists, raises questions over the evolving narrative surrounding the Dubai flight incident, and reflects on the continued suffering and steadfastness of...

Bullets Over Ballots?

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 05 October 2026 3-minute read Political violence is once again ravaging South Africa ahead of the local government elections set to take place on the 4th of November with 42 people murdered in less than a year. Data indicates...

KZN Municipalities: What Must Change?

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 01 October 2026 2-minute read As KwaZulu Natal prepares for the upcoming local government elections, voters are being asked to choose the people who will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of basic services in their...

MF Back In The Running

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 29 September 2026 3-minute read The Minority Front is back in the running in eThekwini for local government elections after not contesting the 2024 national elections. Shameem Thakur Rajbansi, leader of the Minority Front...

A Large Number Of Parties

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 28 September 2026 2-minute read With 69 political parties contesting the Proportional Representational Vote alongside independent candidates, eThekwini is facing one of the most crowded municipal ballots in history. The sheer...

Driving The KZN Electorate

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 22 September 2026 3-minute read With KZN being a politically distinctive province, local government elections this November will test whether traditional party loyalists still carry the same weight in the region. Looking back...