New Zambian president takes oath

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - New Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in on Tuesday.
Hichilema, who defeated his predecessor Edgar Lungu in a general election held on Aug. 12, took the oath concurrently with the country’s new Vice President Mutale Nalumango.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony in front of more than 60,000 spectators at the National Heroes Stadium in the capital Lusaka, Hichilema vowed to get down to work immediately.

He said he would use his five-year term to ensure that he fixed the economy and lifted people out of poverty by ensuring that the country’s entire population had at least three decent meals a day.

“For the youth, this is your victory and we will ensure that we give you the much-desired employment opportunities,” said Hichilema, who began his speech by paying tribute to Zambia’s founding President Kenneth Kaunda, who died a month before the polls.

Speaking on the occasion, Felix Tshisekedi, the African Union chairman and president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the continent was proud of Zambia for holding a third successful and peaceful transition of power since the country returned to multi-party politics three decades ago.

Lazarus Chakwera, the head of the Southern African Development Community and president of Malawi, described Zambia as a bastion of democracy and constitutionalism in Africa.

Among the other participants were Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Botswana’s Mokgweetsi Masisi, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Mozambique’s Filipe Nyusi, Namibia’s Hage Geingob, and Tanzania’s Samia Suhulu Hassan.

Hichilema won the vote by nearly a million votes and has extended an olive branch to Lungu, who was jeered by the crowd when he entered the stadium to hand over instruments of power to his successor.

The president has promised not to mete out any vengeance or retribution in his government’s quest to fight corruption, saying the rule of law will be upheld.