The Livingstone High Court has nullified the Mapatizya Constituency parliamentary election following a successful petition by independent candidate Clive Darius Miyanda. The ruling overturns the election of United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Emeldah Munashabantu, who was declared winner of the August 13, 2026 parliamentary election. Munashabantu was officially declared elected with 14,812 votes, The Livingstone High Court has nullified the Mapatizya Constituency parliamentary election following a successful petition by independent candidate Clive Darius Miyanda. The ruling overturns the election of United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Emeldah Munashabantu, who was declared winner of the August 13, 2026 parliamentary election. Munashabantu was officially declared elected with 14,812 votes, The Livingstone High Court has nullified the Mapatizya parliamentary election after independent candidate Clive Darius Miyanda successfully challenged the result.

The Livingstone High Court has nullified the Mapatizya Constituency parliamentary election following a successful petition by independent candidate Clive Darius Miyanda.

The ruling overturns the election of United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Emeldah Munashabantu, who was declared winner of the August 13, 2026 parliamentary election.

Munashabantu was officially declared elected with 14,812 votes, defeating Miyanda, who was credited with 14,330 votes.

Miyanda challenged the result, alleging irregularities in the tally and questioning the handling of results from polling stations whose records could not be accounted for during the counting process.

Dispute over missing polling-station results

During the hearing, the court heard that results from 10 polling stations were missing after violence disrupted the verification and totaling exercise at Kabanga Secondary School.

Mapatizya Returning Officer Newton Mudenda told the court that the exercise was moved to Zimba Secondary School, where some ballot boxes that fell from a convoy carrying election materials were later recovered. However, results from 10 polling stations could not be found.

The Returning Officer said results from the remaining 64 polling stations were eventually announced after consultations with stakeholders, a position contested by the petitioner’s lawyers.

Miyanda also told the court that his campaign team’s analysis of GEN 20 results forms from all 74 polling stations showed that he had received 18,359 votes, rather than the 14,330 announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

The ECZ, however, disputed the validity of the GEN 20 forms presented by Miyanda, arguing in court that they were not accompanied by other required electoral documents.

What happens next?

The nullification makes the Mapatizya parliamentary seat the subject of a court ruling that could trigger further electoral and legal steps.

The full judgment will be important in establishing the court’s reasons for invalidating the election and the consequential orders, including any directions concerning a fresh poll and the rights of the parties to appeal.

Zambian Eye will provide further details as the full ruling and any official directions from the court become available.

By Zambian Eye

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