2 PF parley seats petitioned

UPND has asked the Lusaka High Court to declare invalid the election of PF’s Stephen Kampyongo and Robert Chabinga as Shiwan’gandu and Mafinga Members of Parliament respectively.

The ruling party claims that the elections in the two constituencies involved vote buying and corruption, therefore were not free and fair.

Mr Albert Munanga who polled 7,214 votes against former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kamyongo’s 16,451 claims that the latter was not duly elected.

Mr Munanga has cited Mr Kampyongo and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as respondents in the matter.

According to the petition filed yesterday, Mr Munanga stated that the election was held in an atmosphere which was not free and fair due to widespread malpractices of vote buying , bribery and corruption.

He alleged that he was denied permission to hold a campaign meeting at Matumbo Village on July 10, 2021 on orders of Mr Kampyongo and the District Commissioner Evelyn Kangwa.

He stated that the former minister went ahead to open a mortuary at Matumbo Health Centre on August 6, this year for purposes of inducing the electorates.

Mr Munanga said his opponent through Ms Kangwa supplied Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit relief mealie meal to PF cadres who in turn distributed the same to voters on their way to vote on election day.

“The first respondent ‘s agent the headman of Macheleta Village threatened villagers in his village on election day with reprisals of removing them from the list of social cash recipients as well as confiscation of bicycles given to them by the first respondent if they did not vote for the first respondent,” he said.

He also alleged that Mr Kampyongo gave cash handouts of K20 notes to voters on election Day and forced poll staff at Matumbo Polling Station to allow unregistered voter, one Anthony Makwaya to use his father’s voter’s card and national Registration Card to cast the vote.

Meanwhile, losing Mafinga candidate John Sichinga stated that information had emerged that Mr Chabinga may have used a forged Grade 12 certificate and therefore was not duly nominated as per requirement of the constitution.

Mr Sichinga claimed that the PF campaign team led by Mr Joe Malanji gave cash handouts ranging between K40 and K300 to people that attended the rallies held at Thendele and Muyombe on August 8,2021.

Mr Sichinga got 9,235 votes while Mr Chabinga polled 15,921 votes.