Zambia’s Messy but Decisive Election – Government Shows Strength – Democracy Shows Weakness

Across southern Africa, sitting presidents have faced a wave of turnovers and electoral setbacks in the past few years.

Malawi and Botswana saw opposition victories. In Namibia and South Africa, incumbents were re-elected, but with significantly smaller majorities.

In Zambia, the Patriotic Front suffered a humiliating defeat in 2021 as voters reacted to poor economic performance. This resulted in a new government led by Hakainde Hichilema and his United Party for National Development.

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