Mo Ibrahim Warns Hichilema Against Wasting Zambia’s Democratic Legacy

Mo Ibrahim, the Sudanese-British telecoms billionaire and founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, has issued a public statement expressing deep concern over developments in Zambia following the general election, warning President Hakainde Hichilema against squandering the…

Mo Ibrahim, the Sudanese-British telecoms billionaire and founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, has issued a public statement expressing deep concern over developments in Zambia following the general election, warning President Hakainde Hichilema against squandering the progress made during his first term in office. The statement, dated 26 August, was published on the foundation’s website.

“Mr President, your first mandate was defined by progress. Do not waste what you have achieved,” it reads.

Ibrahim said his foundation was watching post-election developments in Zambia closely, arguing that elections test democracy well beyond what happens at the ballot box. He pointed to the arbitrary arrest of opposition members, the killing of a former minister, and the suspension of vote counting as developments he said should never occur in a genuine democracy.

“The arbitrary arrest of opposition members; the killing of a former minister; and the suspension of vote counting: these should never happen in a true democracy,” he said.

He also raised the closure of Zambia’s top courts, including the Constitutional Court, ahead of the deadline for challenging the election result, describing it as adding to the country’s difficulties. Ibrahim said Zambia had built a reputation over decades for competitive elections, peaceful transfers of power and respect for constitutional processes, a legacy he said had been held up internationally as a model for other nations to follow.

“Mr President: Your own legacy could be just as strong,” he said, adding that no legacy could be taken for granted and must be protected and strengthened from one mandate to the next.

Ibrahim closed with a direct warning to the Head of State.

“It would be a waste and a shame for it all to crumble now,” he said.

There was no immediate response from State House or the Zambian government to the foundation’s remarks. Ibrahim’s organisation is known across the continent for its annual index measuring governance quality in African states and for a leadership prize awarded to democratically elected leaders who transfer power at the end of their term, giving the intervention added diplomatic weight.

The statement adds an international voice to the domestic dispute over the vote, which has centred on the constitutional petition window, the closure of the courts, and the death of former MP Mutotwe Kafwaya. Civil society groups in Zambia have separately raised concerns over the handling of the vote count and the timing of the court closures relative to the petition deadline, and Ibrahim’s statement is among the most prominent international responses to the post-election dispute to date.

source:https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/news/2026/statement-mo-ibrahim-zambian-elections