Hakainde Hichilema took the reins of Zambia to cheers on Tuesday, promising to turn around the economy of this southern African country, plagued by a colossal debt, and to guarantee "real freedom" to all his fellow citizens. The former perennial opponent, who promised in an early morning tweet "a new dawn in Zambia", was sworn in before thousands of euphoric supporters at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Many had stayed overnight to witness his inauguration. "I swear to faithfully and diligently fulfill my duties," he said, holding a bible, after a long wave to the predominantly red crowd, the color of his party and his tie for the day.
Several heads of state, but also regional opposition figures, came to greet a smooth political transition on a continent whose recent history has been marked by authoritarian leaders clinging to power for a long time. "We have shown the world the resilience of our democracy," said the man known on the street as "HH" or "Bally," an affectionate term for an elder. Mateyo Simukonda, 36, who arrived the day before from the copper mining region in the center of the landlocked country, confided to AFP his joy at witnessing "the total burial" of the previous regime "and of corruption".
Candidate at 59 years old for the sixth time - he had sworn that it would be the last -, Mr. Hichilema was elected on August 12 thanks to a very high turnout and with a lead of nearly one million votes over the incumbent Edgar Lungu. "The cost of living will soon be a reality," he said on Tuesday, while inflation has made basic necessities unaffordable for a population where more than half live below the poverty line.
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