PVT SETTLES POLL QUESTION
Civil society confirms Hichilema’s re-election but warns that regional voting, police conduct and political tensions must be addressed
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — 24-08-2026 – The Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) conducted by the Consortium of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance and Constitutionalism has confirmed President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election, but warned that the 2026 general election has left Zambia facing serious regional and political divisions.
Consortium Chairperson Isaac Mwanza said the civil society group deployed monitors to virtually all of the country’s 13,529 polling stations, making it one of the largest domestic election monitoring operations in Zambia’s history.
Mwanza said the Consortium used two methods of monitoring, combining nationwide observation with a scientifically selected PVT sample of about 1,200 polling stations.
He said the PVT estimated that Hichilema received 57.9 percent of the presidential vote, while his main challenger, National Rally for Peace and Progress (NRPUP) candidate Brian Mundubile, received 40.2 percent.
Mwanza said the PVT figures were broadly consistent with the official results announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
He said the ECZ declared Hichilema the winner with 60.49 percent, representing 2,965,326 votes, while Mundubile received 37.87 percent, representing 1,856,217 votes.
Mwanza said the differences between the PVT estimates and the official ECZ results were within approximately three percentage points across all provinces.
Regional voting raises concern
Mwanza said the biggest concern arising from the election was the sharp regional voting pattern seen across the country.
He said Hichilema received overwhelming support in Southern Province at 97.2 percent, Western Province at 96 percent and North-Western Province at 96.3 percent, according to the PVT.
Mwanza said Mundubile, meanwhile, dominated in Eastern Province with 61.4 percent, Luapula with 64.9 percent, Muchinga with 68.3 percent and Northern Province with 60.8 percent.
He said the results showed that Zambia remained significantly divided along regional lines.
Mwanza said the Consortium was particularly concerned that the decision by some opposition parties not to campaign in Southern Province contributed to the regionalisation of political support.
He called on political parties to campaign across all provinces and avoid strategies that could deepen regional voting blocs.
Mwanza demands Kafwaya inquiry
Mwanza also raised concerns over the death of former Lunte Member of Parliament and former Transport Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya, who was shot dead on August 14 during a security operation in Lusaka.
He called on President Hichilema to ensure that a comprehensive inquiry was conducted into Kafwaya’s death.
Mwanza said the President should consider bringing in appropriately qualified investigators or investigative support from the international community to ensure that the circumstances surrounding the death were fully established.
Police conduct questioned
Mwanza said the Consortium generally commended the Zambia Police Service for maintaining order during the elections but raised concerns over incidents where police conduct allegedly fell below constitutional and democratic standards.
He said the Consortium recorded allegations that police deliberately restricted campaign activities of opposition parties, particularly NRPUP and Citizens First.
Mwanza said there were instances where large numbers of police officers were deployed to prevent or push opposition leaders out of particular districts.
He called on President Hichilema, as Commander-in-Chief, to undertake a comprehensive review and reorganisation of the Zambia Police Service.
Mwanza said Zambia could not continue with a police service whose methods of dealing with political opposition resembled those of the colonial period or the one-party state.
Army helped contain violence
Mwanza said the Consortium recognised the role played by the Zambia Army and other security agencies in preventing wider violence during the election.
He said the deployment of soldiers in areas considered vulnerable to serious disorder helped deter clashes between rival political groups and may have prevented further loss of life.
Mwanza, however, said the Consortium recorded serious cases of electoral violence.
He cited the destruction of government property and ECZ electoral materials at Chifumbe Rural Health Polling Centre in Mwense District, as well as a death at Kasamba Primary School.
ECZ counting suspension was lawful
Mwanza said the Consortium had also examined the ECZ’s controversial decision to suspend the counting and announcement of results on August 14.
He said the Consortium found that the decision was within the statutory mandate of the Electoral Commission.
Mwanza said there was nothing inherently irregular or unlawful about the suspension under Section 67(3) of the Electoral Process Act, particularly because the decision was reviewed within 24 hours.
Call for political truce
With the election now concluded, Mwanza called on President Hichilema to extend a post-election truce to political opponents.
He also urged the President to support the release of people being held for political reasons where there was no lawful basis for their continued detention.
Mwanza said Zambia now needed reconciliation rather than deeper political divisions.
He said political leaders should lower the political temperature and concentrate on rebuilding trust among Zambians.
Consortium calls for reforms
Mwanza said the election had also exposed the need for comprehensive constitutional and electoral reforms.
He called for the establishment of independent electoral courts, clearer procedures for candidate withdrawals and stronger mechanisms to deal with misinformation.
Mwanza said these reforms would help strengthen future elections and reduce disputes over electoral processes.
The Consortium’s interim parliamentary tracking showed 137 UPND Members of Parliament, 60 NRPUP members, 19 independents, five RP members, two Citizens First members and one ZMP member.
Mwanza said the 19 independent victories represented the highest number of independent parliamentary victories in recent Zambian history.
He said the election had settled the question of who Zambians had chosen to lead the country, but the responsibility now lay with political leaders to ensure that the result was followed by peace, unity and respect for democratic institutions.
Mwanza said Zambia had spoken through the ballot and urged all stakeholders, particularly those in leadership, to ensure that the country moved forward with a renewed commitment to peace, unity, justice and democratic constitutionalism.
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