Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema awarded activist Mercy Changwe the Presidential Medal for Gallantry.

Writing on Facebook, Hakainde said Changwe deserves the medal because she stood up for her democratic rights in the face of brutal intimidation.

She was brutally assaulted by PF carders for displaying UPND campaign messages on her roadside makeshift stall in 2021.

Hichilema said the journey to freedom and change is often long and painful.