Frank Tayali urges calm as Ndola Central results remain undeclared
Hon Frank Museba Tayali has called for calm in Ndola Central Constituency, saying the parliamentary results remain far from being officially declared amid reports of violence and disruption at some polling stations.
Ndola, 14 August – In a statement, Mr Tayali said his party’s parallel vote tabulation (PVT) indicated that it had won three of the five wards in the constituency, but alleged that violence had erupted in the remaining two wards — Mapalo, including Chipulukusu, and Nkwazi.
Mr Tayali alleged that supporters of the opposition Republican Party (RP) candidate had brought in groups of people to the two wards, ostensibly to protect the vote but, he claimed, with the intention of causing disruption.
He said eyewitnesses had reported seeing the alleged groups being transported into the affected areas, adding that the situation became so tense that police officers, polling agents and other stakeholders were forced to lock themselves inside a classroom for their safety.
Mr Tayali said he personally travelled to Chibolele polling station after receiving reports of the disturbances to verify what was happening.
He claimed that, upon arrival, he encountered people he described as “party cadres” who were allegedly armed with stones and other offensive weapons.
According to Mr Tayali, he narrowly avoided being attacked and one of his vehicles was damaged during the incident. He further alleged that party officials travelling in the vehicle sustained serious injuries.
Mr Tayali thanked the Copperbelt Zambia Army Regional Command for deploying personnel to restore order, claiming that the situation escalated to the point where people threw stones at soldiers.
He said warning shots were subsequently fired into the air, after which the alleged attackers dispersed.
The alleged violence, Mr Tayali said, had caused distress among election stakeholders and heightened political tensions in the constituency.
He said the matter had been formally reported to the police and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and called for swift intervention to allow the electoral process to be completed peacefully.
Mr Tayali also appealed to young people supporting his side not to confront or retaliate against those involved in the disturbances.
“I therefore urge all our youths not to approach these dangerous criminals and not to fight back because we are law-abiding citizens,” he said.
He thanked voters in Ndola Central for turning out to support him and expressed confidence that the situation would soon be resolved.
The official result for Ndola Central Constituency had not been declared at the time of the statement, and Mr Tayali’s PVT figures do not constitute an official election result.
-Nkanionline 2026 #NewsOnDemand