Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has celebrated two of his staunch supporters who embarked on separate extraordinary journeys to demonstrate their love for him after his recent re-election.

Maggie Sapatu walked more than 800 kilometres to give President Hichilema a gift of "village chicken".

Her trek from Mwinilunga in the North-Western Province to the capital Lusaka caught national attention.

Lusaka Times reported that the gift carried cultural significance because among Zambia's Lunda people, where the woman came from, giving a chicken is regarded as a ''traditional gesture of deep respect, admiration, gratitude and kindness.''

Then another fan of President Hichilema showed support in an equally unusual way.

Jeremiah Tembo cycled from Lusangazi District in Eastern Province to Lusaka to attend President Hichilema’s inauguration. That's a distance of more than 400 kilometres.

‘Love and support’

The two said they embarked on the journeys as a symbol of their love and support for the president.

President Hakainde Hichilema thanked them for the gestures.

He said on Sunday, 6 September, after hosting them at State House, that although he is the leader of more than 21 million Zambians, ''every citizen brings something important to the table.''

In a social media post, he assured Zambians that the ''best is yet to come."

However, beneath the chicken feast and celebrations, the political temperature remains tense.

The Zambian president, who came to power in 2021, was sworn in for a second term on 1 September after winning last month's elections, according to official results.

His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, who rejected the results, is in detention along with his running mate, Makebi Zulu, on treason charges.

They and their supporters have rejected the treason allegations as politically motivated.