Hakainde Hichilema

His Excellency
Hakainde Hichilema
Hichilema in 2022
7th President of Zambia
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 August 2021
Vice PresidentMutale Nalumango
Preceded byEdgar Lungu
Personal details
Born (1962-06-04) 4 June 1962 (age 62)
Hachipona, Northern Rhodesia, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Monze District, Zambia)
Political partyUnited Party for National Development
SpouseMutinta Hichilema
Children3
EducationUniversity of Zambia (BA)
University of Birmingham (MBA)
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "honorific prefix"

Hakainde Hichilema (born 4 June 1962) is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021.[1] After having contested five previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016, he won the 2021 presidential election with 59.02% of the vote.[2] He has led the United Party for National Development since 2006 following the death of the party founder Anderson Mazoka.

Prior to his election, Hichilema was a major opponent of Edgar Lungu, the president of Zambia from 2015 to 2021. On 11 April 2017, Hichilema was arrested and charged with treason, a move that was seen as an illegitimate act by Lungu to silence a political rival.[3] The arrest and charge were widely condemned, with protests held in Zambia and abroad, demanding Hichilema's release and condemning the increasing authoritarianism of Lungu's regime. Hichilema was released from prison on 16 August 2017, and the charge of treason was dropped.[4][5]

  1. ^ Foundation, Thomson Reuters. "Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema wins presidential election". news.trust.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Mfula, Chris (16 August 2021). "Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema wins landslide in presidential election". Reuters. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).