Zimbabwe's former information minister Jonathan Moyo was declared on Friday winner of Tsholotsho constituency, becoming the only person so far standing as an independent to grab a seat in the poll.

Moyo garnered 8,202 votes against 6,310 for his closest rival, Mtholiki Sibanda, of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party candidate, Musa Ncube, polled 5,648 votes in the constituency.

But the ruling party was maintaining the lead in the election nationally, securing 69 seats from 105 constituencies which had declared by 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Friday.

The MDC, on the other hand, won 35 seats, and looked set to lose several of the 53 seats it had in the last parliament.

ZANU-PF said Wednesday there will be no room in the party for those that defied party policy by standing as independent candidates in Thursday's parliamentary election, regardless of the outcome.

Zimbabwe held the sixth parliamentary election Thursday. Though five political parties contested the poll, it is largely seen as a two-horse race between ZANU-PF and the MDC.