A Patriotic Front supporter in the capital Lusaka holding placards protesting at the delays in announcing the results.
A Patriotic Front supporter in the capital Lusaka holding placards near Soweto Market protesting at the delays in announcing the results of the poll. He is holding his forefinger to his mouth symbolising the Opposition party's main slogan 'Don't Kubeba' meaning 'Don't Tell'. Following allegations that the incumbent party had been trying to bribe and cajole voters in other ways to vote with them, the Opposition PF party responded by telling supporters to accept these gifts and to pretend to vote the incumbent party's way - but in the secret ballot to actually cast their votes differently. Presidential and Parliamentary elections held in Zambia on 20th September 2011 were followed by 2 days of tension created by the delays in announcing final results. Rioting was reported in the North of the country in two towns of Ndola and Kitwe on Thursday 22nd September while Lusaka remained tense and the CBD was largely deserted. In the early hours of Friday 23rd September though, Michael Sata - the leader of the Main Opposition party – the Patriotic Front (PF) - was finally announced the clear winner with 43% of the vote beating the incumbent President Rupiah Banda and his party - the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) by a clear margin. It was Mr Sata’s 4th attempt at the Presidency having been beaten by the narrowest of margins in the previous polls in 2006. Sata’s ascendancy to the Presidency and his party’s victory in the Parliamentary elections ended 20 years of domination by the rival MMD party. The inauguration ceremony on the grounds of the Supreme Court was a chaotic affair and was witnessed by over 5000 jubilant supporters. Sata and PF enjoy large swathes of support amongst the young and unemployed especially in urban centres in Zambia. His promise to bring jobs and better working conditions in foreign-owned (mainly Chinese) copper mines struck a chord amongst many across Zambia.
Size: 5400px × 3600px
Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Photo credit: © George Philipas / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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