40 Facts About Hakainde Hichilema

Hakainde Hichilema was born on 4 June 1962 and is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021.

Hakainde Hichilema has led the United Party for National Development since 2006 following the death of the party founder Anderson Mazoka.

On 11 April 2017, Hakainde Hichilema was arrested and charged with treason, a move that was seen as an illegitimate act by Lungu to silence a political rival.

Hakainde Hichilema was released from prison on 16 August 2017, and the charge of treason was dropped.

Hakainde Hichilema was born in a village in Monze District in present-day Zambia.

Hakainde Hichilema received a scholarship to study at the University of Zambia and graduated in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Administration.

Hakainde Hichilema thereafter pursued an MBA in Finance and Business Strategy at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Hakainde Hichilema served as the chief executive officer of both Coopers and Lybrand Zambia and Grant Thornton Zambia.

Hakainde Hichilema is a member of the ruling United Party for National Development, a liberal political party.

Hakainde Hichilema served as the leader of the United Democratic Alliance, an alliance of three opposition political parties.

Hakainde Hichilema received the endorsement of former President Kenneth Kaunda.

Hakainde Hichilema ran as the UPND candidate in the 2008 election, which was called following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa.

Hakainde Hichilema was one of the two main candidates in the January 2015 presidential election, which he lost by a narrow margin of 27,757 votes against the ruling party's candidate, Edgar Lungu.

Hakainde Hichilema denounced the election as a sham and urged his supporters to remain calm.

Hakainde Hichilema again faced Lungu as the main opposition candidate in the August 2016 presidential election, and was again narrowly defeated.

Hakainde Hichilema was in prison for four months before being given a nolle prosequi.

Hakainde Hichilema strongly denied the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of death penalty.

The police used excessive force to enter Hakainde Hichilema's residence damaging his home and property, beat up all his workers, stole money, jewellery, as well as underwear, shoes, speakers, blankets, carpets and food from the kitchen and defecated on Hakainde Hichilema's bed.

Teargas canisters were thrown inside Hakainde Hichilema's home gassing Hakainde Hichilema, his asthmatic wife, and his children, who collapsed several times due to inhaling the gas.

Hakainde Hichilema said in an interview on HARDtalk that during his time in prison he was held in solitary confinement for eight days without food, water, light, or visitation, was tortured by having his penis pepper sprayed, and accused President Lungu of having tried to kill him.

Hakainde Hichilema was not allowed to disembark from the plane, had his phone confiscated, and was roughed up.

Protests broke out in Zambia, South Africa and the United Kingdom demanding the release of Hakainde Hichilema and condemning Edgar Lungu's authoritarian rule and deteriorating human rights in Zambia.

Celebrations took place throughout Zambia when Hakainde Hichilema was released from prison on 16 August 2017 and scores of people lined up the roads of Lusaka to have a glimpse of Hakainde Hichilema as his motorcade left prison.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, congratulated the Zambian authorities for dropping the treason charges against Hakainde Hichilema and releasing him from prison.

Hakainde Hichilema became more popular after his release and was awarded the Africa Freedom Award in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hakainde Hichilema was invited to speak at Catham House in London and was invited to speak in South Africa by Democratic Alliance Members of Parliament.

Hakainde Hichilema endorsed the book and urged the public to read it.

On 23 December 2020, Hakainde Hichilema received a warning and caution at the Zambian Police Headquarters in Lusaka for an alleged offence of "conspiracy to defraud contrary to section 313 of the Penal Code, Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia", relating to the purchase of a property in 2004.

Hakainde Hichilema ran for President for the sixth time in the election held on 12 August 2021.

Hakainde Hichilema was conferred with the Africa Freedom Award by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom on 27 October 2017 at an event held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hakainde Hichilema was featured on the BBC television program HARDtalk on 1 November 2017 and was interviewed by Stephen Sackur.

Hakainde Hichilema was the first Zambian opposition political leader to be hosted on HARDtalk and the second Zambian politician featured after former President Levy Mwanawasa.

On 17 December 2017, Hakainde Hichilema featured on ZNBC's Sunday Interview, making him the first opposition political leader to be hosted on that program.

Hakainde Hichilema was invited to speak at The Royal Institute of International Affairs, commonly known as Chatham House, on 31 October 2017.

Hakainde Hichilema returned to Chatham House following his election as President, on 5 November 2021.

Hakainde Hichilema is a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and on 12 December 2020, he and his wife got invested as Master Guides in Lusaka.

Hakainde Hichilema is a millionaire and the second-largest cattle rancher in Zambia.

Hakainde Hichilema sued Bishop Edward Chomba of the Eastern Orthodox Church for defamation after the former called him a Satanist and a Freemason.

Hakainde Hichilema was named in the Panama Papers, with the leak stating that he was the director of Bermuda-based company AfNat Resources Ltd from March to August 2006.

Hakainde Hichilema engaged in nickel exploration in Zambia and other African countries.