Zambia’s newly-elected leader, Hakainde Hichilema has taken the oath of office after an election victory hailed as a milestone in African democracy.
Hichilema, 59, took the oath of office before thousands of jubilant supporters and a crowd that notably included opposition politicians from regional countries as well as current and former African leaders gathered at the Heroes Stadium in the capital, Lusaka.
On his sixth bid for the presidency, Hichilema defeated the incumbent Edgar Lungu by almost one million votes in a landslide.
The victory, which is the 17th opposition win in sub-Saharan Africa since 2015 occurred despite restricted campaigning and suspected rigging in favour of Lungu’s party.
It is the third time that power has shifted peacefully from a ruling party to the opposition since the southern African country’s independence from Britain in 1964.
Former President Edgar Lungu had officially conceded to Hakainde Hichilema following his landslide election victory.
