Why Are Mandevu and Lumezi Voting Again?

Barely two months after Zambia’s General Election, voters in Mandevu and Lumezi North are being asked to vote for MPs again — but for two completely different reasons.

In Mandevu, people actually voted on 13 August. But according to ECZ, unknown individuals later attacked the constituency’s totalling centre, destroyed result-transmission equipment and fled with election documents. The Returning Officer was consequently unable to complete the process and declare a winner.

Lumezi North is different.

Its parliamentary election was disrupted after NRPUP candidate Clement Mwale died on 16 July, before polling day. Election rules require a fresh process when a duly nominated candidate dies before an election.

Now both constituencies will finally go to the polls on 5 November 2026, alongside the Mbala mayoral election and elections in 11 wards around Zambia. Nominations will take place on 8 October, with campaigns beginning two days later.

So while the ballot papers may look similar, the stories behind these two elections could hardly be more different.

Mandevu voted but never got a declared winner. Lumezi North never completed its parliamentary election.