By SYLVESTER MWALE –

in Mangango
THE ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is celebrating victory in the Mangango parliamentary by-elections after its candidate Lyambai Lingweshi defeated five others to scoop the seat previously held by the MMD.
Mr Lingweshi polled 3,109 votes against his closest rival Godwin Putu of United Party for National Development (UPND) who got 2,375 in the polls that had been caused by the nullification of Robert Chiseke’s election.
Mangango Constituency returning officer Kingsley Mutayachalo declared Mr Lingweshi duly elected at St Joseph Parish Hall in Mangango around 07:00 yesterday.
The MMD’s Charles Mwenzala whose party had held the seat since 1991 was fifth after polling only 136 votes while Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) candidate Mweene Naluwa had 623.
Jane Chingumbe of UNIP, the only female candidate in the race, garnered 365 while Fourth Revolution Party’s Mukumbuta Kabuyana closed at the tail with a paltry 31 votes.
The elections were however characterised by voter apathy with less than 7,000 out of 17,157 registered voters turning out to cast their ballots in 33 polling centres spread in seven wards.
There was wild jubilation in Mangango and Kaoma later in the day as PF supporters toasted the victory by hoisting the 73-year-old new MP who becomes the third PF parliamentarian in Western Province.
The MP-elect told journalists that he would work to fulfill his promises he made during campaigns by ensuring that the ongoing electrification of Mangango was expedited.
He thanked the people of Mangango for giving him an opportunity to represent them and assured that he would lobby for development programmes in health and infrastructure.
“This area is good for farming and one of priorities will also to ensure that we have as many cooperatives as possible so that we have plenty of food,” he said.
The win for the ruling party is a significant milestone in growing the PF in Western, where it has struggled to penetrate with only two out of 17 parliamentary seats in the entire Province.
PF campaign manager Obvious Mwaliteta dedicated the victory to President Michael Sata for his support to ensure that nothing short of a win was achieved in Mangango.
Mr Mwaliteta noted that the win in Mangango was a warning to UPND that the opposition party could not become popular by perpetrating violence.
SYLVIA MWEETWA reports from Kabwe that  the  PF scooped  the Highridge ward by-elections  which was  contested  by  three  other political parties.
PF’s candidate Monica Mwansa polled 240 followed by UPND’s Edwin Mwale who got 187, MMD’s Priscilla Chabala 70 while Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) candidate Richard Chewe got 21.
The seat fell vacant following the death of PF Area Councillor, Tasila Sakala.
In Ndola, PRUDENCE CHOTA reports that PF has scooped two Ward by- elections in Luanshya while MMD has scooped a local government by-election in Masaiti District.
The three wards were Buntungwa and Nkurumashiba in Luanshya and Chinonda in Masaiti.
In the Buntungwa Ward by-election, PF’s Lungu Chabula emerged victorious after polling 433 votes beating UPND’s Jackson Chambula who had 158 votes while FDD’s Simon Mudenda had 123 votes.
The MMD candidate Timothy Nyemba had 96 votes where as ABZ’s Chipo Chilangi got 25 votes and Rosemary Mwanza an independent candidate got eight votes taking the last position.
PF’s Felix Matobwe won the Nkurumashiba Ward by-elections with 244 votes beating ABZ ‘s Pearson Chikwete who had 127 votes, Sebestina Mwalubwa of UPND with 55 votes, Simfukwe Robison of FDD with 54 votes and MMD’s Evaristo Chama who had 27 votes.
In Chinonda Ward by-elections, MMD’s Shadreck Chitafu was declared winner after he polled 327 votes to beat second place PF’s Tamani Richard who had 249 votes while FDD’s Friday  Grova got 126 votes and Maxwell Muzuni of UPND got 79 votes.
CHILA NAMAIKO also reports that the UPND) has scooped all the four Local Government by-elections held in the four districts in Southern Province.
In Batoka Ward in Choma District, UPND candidate, Judge Hambayi polled a total of 1,481 votes against his closet contender Maxon Simwami of PF who got 164 from all the four polling centres in the ward. MMD candidate Victor Mwiinga polled 38 votes.
In Chitongo Ward in Namwala District, UPND candidate Joseph Chvwanga polled a total of 857 votes against his closet contender Steurt Banda of PF who got 159 while MMD candidate Happious Mwaka got 44 from the four polling centres in the ward.
In Moomba Ward in Monze West, UPND candidate Clement Hamakala got a total of 1,380 votes while the PF’s Francis Hangonga polled 221 votes.