The Ghost and the Ballot: Zambia’s Reformer President Battles a Dead Rival

Hakainde Hichilema has spent four years fixing Zambia’s economy, yet as 8.8 million voters head to the polls, the 64-year-old president is running against a ghost. His predecessor, Edgar Lungu, died in South Africa in June 2025. Rather than letting the man rest, Hichilema’s administration engaged in a protracted legal battle, attempting to force a state funeral over the objections of the Lungu family. South Africa’s supreme court of appeal ultimately ruled against the Zambian government, setting the tone for an election steeped in grievance.

Capitalising on this macabre theatre is Brian Mundubile, the 55-year-old leader of the opposition Tonse Alliance. A former government chief whip under Lungu, Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, have weaponised the funeral row. Zulu served as the Lungu family’s spokesperson during the dispute, and the duo now promise to repatriate Lungu’s remains for a proper burial. Hichilema’s meddling in a private funeral has projected an image of profound pettiness in a country that places high cultural currency on respecting the dead.

This necro-politics distracts from what should be a macroeconomic victory lap. When Hichilema took power in 2021, Zambia was reeling from a sovereign debt default. Today, annual inflation has plummeted to 6.5 percent from a high of 24.6 percent in July 2021. The country’s vast copper reserves have lured international capital back to Lusaka, and the state abolished primary and secondary school fees in 2022.

But macroeconomic charts offer little sustenance. While average annual incomes rose from $1,127 to $1,318 between 2021 and 2025, consumer prices practically doubled. Voters complain of struggling to secure three meals a day. In response, Hichilema—dubbed "Bally" by supporters—resorted to blatant electoral bribery, recently handing university students an immediate 50 percent hike in their accommodation allowances.

More troubling is Hichilema’s increasing reliance on the state apparatus to stifle dissent. The Tonse Alliance accuses the government of raiding opposition offices and detaining 36 members of Mundubile’s team. Transparency International Zambia reports police disrupting opposition rallies under the guise of public safety. Activists protesting 22-hour power cuts in July 2024 also found themselves detained for half a day.

The ruling United Party for National Development dismisses these authoritarian comparisons. A party spokesperson stated that Zambians know what repression looks like, recalling the media blackouts and the 15 arrests Hichilema endured in 2021. Hichilema is widely expected to secure a second term, but his apparent insecurity makes his administration look uncomfortably similar to the heavy-handed regime he once fought.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com