President Hichilema Set for 2026 Victory as Opposition Weakens

Ruling party official says economic turnaround has strengthened president's position ahead of 2026 polls.

President Hakainde Hichilema is on course for a commanding victory in the 2026 general election due to the absence of credible opposition challengers, according to a senior ruling party official.

Mark Simuuwe, the United Party for National Development (UPND) media director, told reporters that the president's economic reforms have fundamentally shifted the political landscape in his favour.

"When UPND was taking over leadership in 2021, we found a country in desperate need during COVID-19 with crushing external debt," Mr Simuuwe said. "Our GDP was -2.7%. As I speak to you now, statistics show our GDP is about 4%."

The UPND official outlined several achievements under President Hichilema's administration, including significant job creation in key sectors. He claimed the government has recruited over 45,000 teachers in three years, compared to 30,000 in the first year alone.

"There has also been an increase in employment for young people. We have unblocked the entire southern Africa region," Mr Simuuwe said, referring to regional integration efforts.

In the health sector, the government says it has recruited over 18,000 workers in three years, while introducing free education from grade one to 12, with studies underway to extend this to university level.

The administration also cleared salary arrears for municipal workers who had gone 7 to 15 months without pay, according to Mr Simuuwe.

The ruling party's confidence appears bolstered by recent electoral performance. Of 65 by-elections held since 2021, the opposition has won fewer than seven seats. A statistic Mr Simuuwe describes as unprecedented in the country’s political history. 

"It has never happened in the history of this country. You can see that we literally have no contender," he said.

The opposition landscape has been significantly altered by the recent death of former President Edgar Lungu in June 2025, and a December 2024 constitutional court ruling that had already barred him from running again. The court found that Lungu, who served from 2015 to 2021, was ineligible for another term under constitutional limits.

President Hichilema, who took office in August 2021 after defeating Edgar Lungu in a closely watched election, has positioned himself as a business-friendly leader focused on economic recovery and good governance.