WE WERE BRIBED WITH K50 BY LUPELE, KABUSWE’S WITNESSES TELL COURT IN CHILILABOMBWE PETITION.
By Festus Ivwananji Sinkala
The Chililabombwe Constituency election petition yesterday heard testimony from two more witnesses alleging voter bribery against winning candidate Kabwe Nsofwa Lupele.
The matter is before Kitwe High Court Judge-in-Charge Justice Lastone Mwanabo, sitting at Chingola Magistrate Court.
The petition was filed by UPND losing candidate Paul Chanda Kabuswe, who served as Minister of Mines during President Hakainde Hichilema’s first five years in office, against Resolute Party candidate Kabwe Nsofwa Lupele.
The 7th, 8th and 9th witnesses for the petitioner took the stand before Justice Mwanabo adjourned for lunch.
Ms Cecilia Mwape told the court that Lupele bribed her with K50 and instructed her to vote for the Lamp symbol. She testified that she voted for him because she was influenced by the money.
Mwape further claimed that both she and her friend received K50 each from Lupele.
However, during cross-examination, when shown video footage recorded on polling day, Mwape and her friend were not seen in the video. The footage only showed Lupele greeting voters as he waited for his turn to verify.
Mwape also alleged that two other women in the queue were given money by a man identified as Davies, who she claimed was acting on Lupele’s instructions, but she failed to provide proof of the alleged bribery.
When cross-examined by the second respondent, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Mwape admitted that she did not report the alleged bribery to either ECZ officials or police officers at the polling station, despite knowing that bribery is a serious offence.
The ninth witness, Ms Mirriam Ndhlovu, gave similar testimony, stating she was with Cecilia when the money was given and that she was given money to vote.
Justice Mwanabo later adjourned the matter to today, Tuesday 20th October 2026 at 09:00 hours, for continuation of trial.
TRUSTED NEWS REPORTER (TNR) ✍️