Court nullifies UPND Mapatizya seat
High Court Judge Kazimbe Chenda ruled the election of Emelda Munashabantu premature due to tallying irregularities.
The Lusaka High Court has nullified the election of UPND’s Emelda Munashabantu as Mapatizya member of parliament. High Court Judge Kazimbe Chenda delivered the ruling in Livingstone, stating the declaration of Munashabantu as winner was premature. The election results were based on data from 64 of the constituency’s 75 polling stations.
The court heard that Munashabantu had polled 14,812 votes before the full tally was complete. The nullification followed a successful election petition citing irregularities in the tallying and declaration process for the August 13, 2026 parliamentary elections. Mapatizya Constituency in Zimba District is now without a Member of Parliament.
Judge Chenda ruled that serious irregularities in the post-voting electoral process affected the outcome of the August 13, 2026 parliamentary election. The UPND party has lost its Mapatizya seat following this court decision.
Why it mattersMapatizya Constituency in Zimba District is now without a Member of Parliament following the court's decision.