ECZ has declared Chitambala Mwewa as the duly elected Lusaka mayor!

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has officially declared prominent vlogger and businessman Simon Chitambala Mwewa as the duly elected Mayor of Lusaka following the hotly contested August 13 general elections. Announcing the final tally at the civic centre, Lusaka Returning Officer Oliver Muka confirmed that Mr. Mwewa clinched victory after polling an impressive 200,029 votes. The outcome marks a significant milestone in the capital's local government landscape, steering a well-known public commentator and digital media figure from online civic advocacy directly into executive municipal leadership. Mr. Mwewa, who contested under the governing United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket, fended off a crowded and aggressive field of contenders. His closest challenger, Gabriel Kibombwe of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), put up a fierce fight, polling 195,041 votes—leaving a razor-thin margin of just 4,988 votes between the top two candidates. Meanwhile, independent candidate Simon Mwila came a distant third with 32,043 votes, followed by other hopefuls including Namuchiya Banda, Crispin Kabole, and David Nyirenda of Citizens First. Out of the total 450,600 votes cast across the capital, 8,026 ballots were rejected, reflecting the high stakes and intense voter participation characteristic of this year's metropolitan polls. The mayoral race had captured national attention for months, largely fueled by Mr. Mwewa's unconventional transition from a vocal social media critic and vlogger into mainstream party politics. Throughout his campaign, he positioned himself as an uncompromising champion of urban order, frequently emphasizing the dire need for systematic municipal reforms. Immediately following his declaration, the Mayor-Elect underscored that his primary and immediate focus would be restoring sanitary standards and administrative discipline to the capital. "The number one issue in the city is cleanliness," Mr. Mwewa