Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term on Tuesday with 61.4% of the vote, defeating Brian Mundubile, who took 38%, after campaigning on a promise to build on an economic recovery in Africa's second-largest copper producer. The result, announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, gave Hichilema an outright first-round victory and avoided a runoff. Since taking office in 2021 after five failed presidential bids, Hichilema has steered Zambia through debt restructuring after its default, repaired ties with international lenders and expanded social spending, including free secondary education that brought an estimated 2.3 million children back into classrooms, alongside higher social cash transfers and funding for community projects. Supporters credit him with restoring macroeconomic stability, but many voters still cite living costs, food prices, poverty and hunger as pressing concerns. His governing style and the election itself have also drawn criticism from the opposition, civil society and church leaders, who accuse the government of restricting dissent and campaigning space, while a U.N. special rapporteur and rights groups have raised concerns about the justice system and a cyber law passed in 2025. Hichilema rejects allegations that law enforcement has been used to suppress democratic freedoms.