The politicians in the capital are talking about macroeconomic rebounds and grand infrastructure. The people standing in the morning cold just want to know why the cost of living still feels like a weight they cannot shake.
Before the sun even came up, hundreds of people were already standing in the morning chill, waiting for the polling stations to open. They did not come to hear speeches. They came to make a choice about how they actually survive.
Over eight million Zambians are registered to vote. There are 14 names on the presidential ballot, but everyone knows this is really just a two-horse race. On one side is the 64-year-old incumbent, Hakainde Hichilema. On the other is Brian Mundubile, a former minister drawing heavy support from the loyalists of the late President Edgar Lungu.
The shadow of that late president is still hanging over the country. Lungu died more than a year ago, and his body remains unburied in South Africa because of a bitter, deeply personal feud with Hichilema. That unresolved grief has sharpened political divisions and pushed Mundubile’s alliance right into the spotlight.
Hichilema is betting his record on an economic rebound, job creation, and a massive infrastructure drive. He wants a final five-year term to finish the job. But down on the street, the math looks very different.
Mwiche Nalupumbwe, a 26-year-old waiting in line, summed up the mood perfectly.
“Zambians are frustrated, and this election is a 50-50; that is why we are all here early to make the change,” he told reporters.
Some still believe in the incumbent. James Phiri, a 29-year-old university student, said he voted for “HH” because the president brought back student meal allowances. “Things are better,” he said.
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But for the working class, the big macro numbers mean very little. Samuel Chitendwe, a 47-year-old welder and father of four, did not mince words about why he voted for the challenger.
“I have just come from firing someone,” he said. “We are tired of stories about economic progress.”
To win today, a candidate needs to cross the 50% mark. If nobody gets there, the country heads into a tense runoff within 37 days.
The polls close at 6 PM. The ballots will be counted, and the politicians will look at the spreadsheets. But for the welder who had to let a man go just to keep his own family afloat, the only number that matters is the price of tomorrow’s bread.
