Complex sentence: There was a lot of controversy in the printing of the ballot papers; previously all ballot papers had been printed in South Africa, but the Electoral commission of Zambia awarded the contract for the 2016 elections to a firm in Dubai.
Split into simpler sentences: There was a lot of controversy in the printing of the ballot papers. Previously all ballot papers were printed in South Africa, however, this year the Electoral commission of Zambia awarded the contract to a firm in Dubai.