Africa-Press – Zambia. A STATE witness yesterday told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that the tent polling station set up along Lilayi Road during the Chawama Constituency by-election was not fake, insisting it had existed in previous elections including the 2015 by-election that delivered PF’s Lawrence Sichalwe to Parliament.
This came as Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa appeared for trial on a charge of misuse of a computer system after he allegedly posted on Facebook accusing the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) of creating a “fake” polling station during the January 15, 2026 Chawama by-election.
Sampa already pleaded not guilty.
Testifying before the court, Mollen Sinyunda, a 45-year-old teacher at New Mandevu Primary School, said he was appointed presiding officer for Mutason 01 polling station, which operated under polling district Lima D1.
He said the tented station was not new.
“I was posted to work as a polling assistant at this same station in 2015 that ushered in Lawrence Sichalwe as Chawama MP,” Sinyunda said.
Sinyunda told the court that he had been recruited by ECZ after responding to an advert in December 2025.
After training at Chawama Basic School, he and five officers were deployed to the tent structure positioned under a tree.
Voting opened at 06:00 hours but remained slow. Then around mid-morning, fellow officers alerted him to a Facebook post allegedly made on Sampa’s page.
“I switched on my data and saw the post depicting the tent where I was working, saying it was an illegal and fake polling station,” he said.
He testified that the environment changed almost immediately, with crowds gathering about 400 metres away and refusing to vote.
“People came, started watching and did not vote,” he said, adding that he became worried and informed his supervisors
Only 66 out of 456 registered voters eventually cast their ballots.
During lunch, Sinyunda said he had gone to eat near a bar when Sampa unexpectedly walked in.
“He said, ‘ba PO mulelya akabwali,’ and asked me if it was a fake polling station. I told him, ‘No, Sir,’” he narrated.
But under cross-examination by defence lawyers Bonaventure Mutale, Celestine Mukandila and Charles Changano, Sinyunda conceded that he did not have a government Gazette confirming the tent structure as a gazetted polling station.
He admitted the station was merely a tent under a tree and that a person visiting the site today would not find any structure.
“Why is it not there? Is it because it is not gazetted?” the defence pressed.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
The matter has been adjourned to April 21 and 23 for continued trial.
Kalemba
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