In a development that could only be described as 'democracy with extra steps,' Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema is set to be sworn in for a second five-year term on Tuesday, following an election that his main opponent claims was rigged - and which saw that opponent arrested on treason charges.

Hichilema, the man credited with rescuing Zambia's economy from the brink, swept to victory on 13 August with 60% of the vote, according to official results that have a certain 'trust us' quality. Runner-up Brian Mundubile, who managed 38%, alleged the outcome was tampered with, but found himself unable to file a legal challenge because the courts were conveniently sealed off on the final day such a case could be submitted. Nothing says 'justice' like locked courthouse doors.

Election observers noted that polling day was largely peaceful - always a plus - but some raised eyebrows over the vote tallying process. The European Union's observers, ever the sticklers for procedure, reported that staff in many tallying centres didn't record results on tally sheets as soon as they were announced, and cited weak verification between digital entries and paper records. Returning officers also paused proceedings frequently to await instructions from headquarters, which sounds suspiciously like a game of telephone with a delay.

The day after the poll, security forces raided a property in Lusaka linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting several opposition politicians. The authorities accused the opposition of planning an armed insurrection, a claim the opposition denies with the weary air of people who have heard this one before.

Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, went into hiding - because who wouldn't after that? - but were detained by police last week and charged at the weekend.

When Hichilema, 64, took office in 2021 after a landslide victory, Zambia had just defaulted on its international debt and was grappling with an annual inflation rate exceeding 24%. "We inherited a broken-down country… the economy was declining," Hichilema told the BBC in Lusaka before the election, in a statement that qualifies as understatement of the year.

The former businessman negotiated a debt restructuring and rebuilt relations with foreign creditors. Inflation has eased, but prices remain stubbornly high, and many Zambians are still feeling the squeeze of the cost of living. Hichilema now wants to build on the foundations he claims to have laid over the past five years - presumably ones made of solid, debt-free concrete.

Presidents from Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Tanzania are among the African leaders expected to attend the inauguration at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Hichilema will be sworn in alongside his running mate, Mutale Nalumango.

For those keeping score at home: the election was disputed, the opponent is in custody, the courts were closed, and the celebration proceeds. Democracy, it seems, is a flexible concept.

(Additional reporting from BBCAfrica.com, where the news is just as wild but with more sunshine.)