THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has begun drawing up new National Assembly constituency boundaries that will be used for the 2023 harmonised elections.

ZEC has started undertaking the first phase of the delimitation exercise, which involves updating polling stations and adding new residential areas into the voter registration database ahead of next year’s boundary mapping process.

The elections management body has begun mobilising $10 billion required for the expansive nationwide exercise, which is carried out after every 10 years.

The Sunday Mail has gathered that delimitation will be undertaken in three phases, starting with a mass voter registration blitz, which has already commenced under Phase One.

Under Phase Two, ZEC will begin marking new constituency boundaries using data obtained under the initial phase.

The second phase will take six months to complete.

Phase Three, which will take a month to complete, will witness the production and distribution of the final delimitation report ahead of the elections.

ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said the delimitation exercise will take two years to conclude.

“In total the exercise requires around $10,6 billion to cater for preparations, procurement of vehicles and equipment, establishment of ICT infrastructure, training of staff and stakeholders, production of voter education material, publicity and awareness campaigns, fieldwork and production and distribution of the delimitation report among others,” said Mr Silaigwana.

“The delimitation exercise has three phases.

“Phase One, which has already started, will run up to early next year and includes a mobile voter registration drive that will be conducted.

“Phase Two of the delimitation, which will take approximately six months, will commence early next year.”

He said the commencement date of Phase Two will be informed by the completion of preparatory activities, including the mobile voter registration campaign and procurement lead times.

“Phase Three includes the enactment, production and distribution of the final delimitation report which will take approximately one and half months.”

Delimitation involves coming up with a minimum threshold of registered voters to make the country’s 210 National Assembly constituencies, and is conducted using the number of registered voters in an administrative jurisdiction.

Zimbabwe goes for its harmonised elections in 2023 and ZEC is required by law to draw new electoral boundaries, at least six months before the elections.- The Sunday Mail