Witness Testifies on Alleged Vote Buying and Intimidation in Nkana Constituency

A 52-year-old Kitwe businessman has told the Kitwe High Court how he witnessed alleged vote buying, violence, and intimidation before, during, and after voting in Nkana Constituency during the 2026 General Election.

LEONARD SIMWABA, who was accredited as a monitor under the UPND party for Nkana Constituency, was testifying in a petition filed by losing UPND Nkana Constituency parliamentary candidate FRANCIS MUKUKA against NRPUP candidate Alexander Chiteme as the first Respondent, with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) cited as the second respondent.

Mr. SIMWABA told Kabwe High Court Judge in Charge CHARLES ZULU sitting in Kitwe that in some cases the intimidation was targeted at the new voters.

He named the polling stations he visited as Mindolo primary school, Kitwe Library, Rokana and Miseshi among others where he claimed violence, intimidation and vote buying occurred.

Mr. SIMWABA further told Judge Zulu that at Mindolo Primary School he found what he described as disturbing, claiming that some people were standing on windows around 20:00 hours on 13th August 2026, while most polling agents inside the polling station appeared to be sleeping as vote counts were on.

Meanwhile, cross examination of the petitioner Francis Mukuka failed as he was reportedly unwell.