Zambia’s new president on Sunday vowed to make Africa’s biggest copper producer a “hub for investment” after the ruling party triumphed by a whisker in a divisive election.

Rupiah Banda, a 71-year-old who was recalled from retirement to serve as deputy to his predecessor, saw off the challenge from Michael Sata, a pugilistic populist, by less than 2 percentage points. Fears of unrest subsided, although a handful of shops were burned and looted on Saturday night and there were isolated protests in Mr Sata’s urban strongholds.