Zambia's president Hichilema wins re-election with big economic promises

After restructuring Zambia's debt in his first term, Hakainde Hichilema says there is more work to be done in his second and wants to double the size of the economy, create more jobs and expand opportunities for households. The 64-year-old won a second term on Tuesday with roughly 60% of the vote, defeating his main challenger Brian Mundubile after campaigning on a promise to build on Zambia's economic recovery. Since taking office in 2021, Hichilema has steered Zambia through a major debt restructuring and restored relations with international lenders. But while supporters credit him with reviving the economy, critics say poverty and hunger remain widespread and accuse him of increasing intolerance of dissent. Zambia voters weigh Hichilema's economic record To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: © France 24 01:48 From barefoot to businessman Few African leaders have spent as long chasing the presidency. Hichilema suffered five defeats before finally unseating t...