Hichilema Wins Re-election as Zambia’s President With 60% of Votes

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing about 60 per cent of the vote in the country’s presidential election.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced Hichilema as the winner in the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, following an election that was held on August 13 and witnessed a tense vote-counting process.

Hichilema, who contested under the United Party for National Development (UPND), defeated his closest challenger, Brian Mundubile of the Patriotic Front-led Tonse Alliance, who secured about 38 per cent of the vote.

The result gives Hichilema another five-year mandate after he first came to power in 2021, when he defeated then-President Edgar Lungu and ended the Patriotic Front’s period in government.

The 2026 election, however, was not without controversy. Vote counting was temporarily suspended after election officials were attacked and ballot papers were reportedly stolen in some areas. The Electoral Commission later resumed the counting after security concerns were addressed.

The commission had also warned candidates against prematurely declaring themselves winners while the official results were still being collated.

Mundubile and his supporters raised concerns about possible irregularities in the electoral process and called for an independent investigation into some of the incidents recorded during the election. Hichilema’s camp rejected the allegations.

Despite the tensions surrounding the election, the European Union observer mission described the voting as largely peaceful while raising concerns about restrictions on freedoms and what it considered an uneven campaign environment.

Hichilema’s victory comes as Zambia continues to deal with significant economic challenges, including high living costs, electricity shortages and pressure on household incomes.

His first term was marked by efforts to restructure Zambia’s debt after the country became the first African nation to default on its sovereign debt during the COVID-19 era. His administration also worked with international lenders, including the International Monetary Fund, while promoting investment in the country’s mining sector.

The president has presented his economic record as a key reason voters should give him another term, pointing to improvements in debt management and economic stability.

However, critics have argued that the benefits of the economic reforms have not been felt equally by ordinary Zambians, particularly amid persistent concerns over the cost of living.

Hichilema now faces pressure to translate the economic reforms of his first term into stronger growth, more jobs and improved living conditions during his second term.

The president has also set ambitious targets for Zambia’s mining sector, particularly its copper industry. His administration wants to significantly increase copper production as global demand for the metal continues to rise, especially because of its importance to renewable energy, electric vehicles and other technologies.

Zambia’s mineral wealth has also made the country increasingly important to both Western and Chinese investors, with competition for access to critical minerals growing across Africa.

Hichilema’s re-election therefore gives his administration another five years to pursue its economic agenda while also addressing concerns over living costs, electricity supply, employment and political freedoms.

With the official results now announced, attention is expected to turn to the response from the opposition and whether any formal legal challenges will be filed against the election outcome.

History Made! Cameroon Crowned WAFCON Champions After Crushing Malawi 3-0

 

Cameroon have been crowned champions of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating tournament debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday. 

The Indomitable Lionesses produced a dominant first-half display, scoring all three goals before the break to secure their first-ever continental title.

Marie Ngah opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Naomi Eto doubled Cameroon’s advantage nine minutes later. Ngah then completed her brace in first-half stoppage time to send Cameroon into the interval with a commanding 3-0 lead. 

Malawi, who were appearing in their first-ever WAFCON tournament, struggled to find a response after the break. Despite attempts to threaten the Cameroonian defence, the Lionesses maintained their advantage and preserved the clean sheet to complete a historic triumph. 

The victory ends a long wait for Cameroon, who had previously reached the WAFCON final three times but lost all three to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016. Their latest success finally delivers the trophy that had repeatedly eluded them. 

Cameroon also become only the fourth nation to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, joining record champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. 

For Malawi, the defeat does little to diminish what has been a remarkable campaign. The tournament debutants exceeded expectations by reaching the final and securing a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup through their historic run. 

The 2026 WAFCON, hosted in Morocco, brought together 16 of Africa’s top women’s national teams. The final brought together two sides seeking history, but it was Cameroon who ultimately delivered a commanding performance to claim the continental crown. 

For the Indomitable Lionesses, the 3-0 victory marks a new chapter in Cameroonian women’s football and ends years of near misses on the biggest stage in African women’s football.

Sowore Opposes Calls Against Tyla’s Nigeria Visit, Blames Failed African Leadership

Human rights activist and AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called on Nigerians to reject attempts to target South African singer Tyla over renewed anger surrounding xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

His remarks come amid growing opposition on social media to the singer’s proposed visit to Nigeria, with some Nigerians arguing that South African entertainers should not be welcomed while attacks against Nigerians continue in parts of South Africa.

Reacting to the controversy, Sowore said ordinary Africans should not be punished for crimes they neither committed nor encouraged.

“I will never participate in, encourage, or justify the victimization of any fellow African, or any human being, for crimes they did not commit, create, or enable,” he said.

The activist argued that Africans should direct their frustrations toward political leaders rather than innocent citizens, insisting that poor leadership across the continent remains the root cause of many of Africa’s challenges.

According to him, corruption, bad governance and economic hardship created by political leaders have fueled division among Africans, leading citizens to turn against one another instead of demanding accountability from those in power.

Sowore maintained that Tyla should be allowed to perform and conduct her career freely in Nigeria, just as Nigerian entertainers and professionals should enjoy the same freedom across Africa.

“@Tyllaaaaaaa must be allowed to ply her trade freely, just as every African artist, worker and citizen should be able to do across the continent and beyond,” he stated.

He concluded by urging Africans to unite against failed leadership instead of allowing political failures to create hostility between people of different African countries.

“The real problem is not ordinary Africans; it is the failed leadership that has fostered corruption, economic hardship and the conditions for division. Africans deserve better than leaders who create conditions that pit us against one another,” Sowore added.

Ghana’s Per Capita Income Hits Record $3,385 as Nearly One Million People Escape Poverty – Finance Minister

Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced that the country’s per capita income recorded a historic increase in 2025, rising by more than $850 in just one year as unemployment and multidimensional poverty declined significantly.

Speaking while presenting the country’s economic update to Parliament, Dr Forson said Ghana’s per capita income increased from $2,527 in 2024 to $3,385 by the end of 2025, describing it as the highest ever recorded in the nation’s history.

According to the Finance Minister, the achievement has also positioned Ghana as the eighth-largest economy in Africa, reflecting the country’s improving economic performance.

“Mr. Speaker, Ghana’s per capita income increased by more than $850 in just one year, rising from $2,527 in 2024 to $3,385 at the end of 2025. This is the highest per capita income ever recorded in our country’s history,” Dr Forson said.

“It is therefore not surprising that Ghana is now recognized as the eighth-largest economy in Africa.”

He emphasized that the figures represent real improvements in the lives of Ghanaians rather than mere economic statistics.

“These are not mere statistics. They represent higher incomes, stronger businesses, greater opportunities, and an economy with an enhanced capacity to invest in its people,” he added.

Dr Forson also highlighted improvements in Ghana’s labour market, revealing that the unemployment rate declined from 13.7 percent during the first three quarters of 2024 to 12.8 percent over the same period in 2025.

According to him, the country also recorded a notable reduction in multidimensional poverty, which measures deprivation across living conditions, education, healthcare and employment.

The multidimensional poverty rate fell from 24.9 percent in the third quarter of 2024 to 21.9 percent in the third quarter of 2025.

He said the improvement means that approximately 950,000 Ghanaians moved out of multidimensional poverty within a single year.

“Behind these statistics are the hundreds of thousands of families who now enjoy better living conditions and greater hope for the future,” the Finance Minister told lawmakers.

The latest economic figures come as Ghana continues implementing reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal stability, attracting investment and improving living standards after years of economic challenges.

The government maintains that prudent economic management and ongoing reforms have begun yielding positive results, with improvements reflected in income levels, employment and poverty reduction.

The announcement is expected to reinforce confidence in Ghana’s economic recovery and may serve as a benchmark for other African countries pursuing similar fiscal and structural reforms.