David Ndakwa of the UDA Party has been declared the winner of the Malava by-election, securing the Member of Parliament seat after a closely followed contest on Thursday, November 27.
The declaration was made by election officials at the constituency tallying centre, confirming Ndakwa as the new representative.
Ndakwa defeated Seth Panyako of DAP-K Party who finished second in the race.
Ndakwa won the by-election with a total of 21,564 votes, defeating Panyako, who garnered 20,210 votes.
In its message, UDA said the victory reflected more than just a routine electoral outcome, framing it instead as a defining endorsement of the values the party champions.
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"This win is more than a vote count, it is a powerful statement from the people of Malava. It signals their confidence in principled leadership, issue-based politics, and the transformative agenda our Party continues to champion across the country.
"Hon. Ndakwa David Athman’s victory reaffirms that when leaders stand with the people, the people stand firmly with them. We are confident that his voice in Parliament will amplify the aspirations of Malava residents and strengthen the national reform journey led by our Party," the party said.
On Thursday morning, tensions ran high in Malava as voters headed to the polls, with accusations of violence and provocation emerging from the campaign trail.
Speaking after casting his vote, UDA candidate David Ndakwa said he has deliberately maintained calm despite alleged persistent hostility from rival camps.
He said he has endured repeated provocation from his opponents throughout the campaign period and even on election day, but has deliberately chosen not to respond.
"Mostly, there has been a lot of abuses from my opponents, there has been a lot of fights on the side of my opponents, even up to this time, but I've restrained myself. They have done all sorts of abuses to me, I've not even tried to reply back.
"They've done attacks to my colleagues, even MCAs, Members of Parliament, but I've asked them not to retaliate because this is an election that I'm winning," he said.
Ndakwa noted that his decision to stay calm is driven by a commitment to demonstrate leadership and protect residents from unnecessary confrontation.
"I have to show some exemplary leadership by getting humility first as a character, because I don't have to let the people bleed for me to lead. That is why I've restrained myself, I've been provoked a lot, but for me, I've been for peace all through.
"During my campaign, I've not even mentioned my competitor at any given time by name. I've not even tried to get into their territories with a lot of energy, because at the end of it, I have to respect them, and respect also the way they are conducting themselves," he added.
At the same time, Panyako alleged that he was attacked by goons on Wednesday night.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Panyako claimed that goons stormed his Down Hill hotel, where he was with his family.
The DAP-K candidate described the alleged attack as an attempted assassination on his life.
"The government machinery, together with criminals, attacked my hotel, which was also intended to be used as a personal tallying center, and the aim of the attack was to assassinate me with my wife. This is because, according to a poll that was done yesterday, I was doing 75 percent while the other candidate was doing 24 percent," he claimed.
