The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Hichilema the winner early Tuesday, saying he secured 2,965,326 votes out of around five million votes cast, avoiding the need for a run-off.

Opposition leader Brian Mundubile was Hichilema's closest competitor, receiving 1,856,217 votes, or about 38 per cent of the total, according to the electoral commission.

Vote counting was suspended on Friday and restarted hours later under heightened security after the electoral commission reported attacks on some polling station officials and the theft of ballot papers.

The Zambian government confirmed that several leading opposition figures were arrested on election night. Police accused them of posing a threat to state security. Mundubile also alleged that his home was raided by police.

Following the announcement, Hichilema thanked Zambians for re-electing him and reached out to those who backed the opposition, saying his government would continue working to ensure every Zambian benefits from the country's development.