Hichilema, who won about 60 percent of the vote in the August 13 election, was inaugurated alongside Vice President Mutale Nalumango at a ceremony with a 21-gun salute, fly-past, and traditional elements.
Leaders from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and other SADC nations attended, while his main rival Brian Mundubile, with 38 percent, remains detained on treason charges amid opposition claims of voting irregularities. Hichilema called for unity and national peace in his address, as the event unfolded under heavy security on a public holiday.