Mnangagwa Gazettes Delimitation Report With Notable Changes
21 February 2023
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President Emmerson Mnangagwa has gazetted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) ‘s delimitation report with notable changes to the boundaries of wards, the house of assembly and senatorial constituencies for use in the forthcoming general elections.

In an Extraordinary Gazette under Statutory Instrument 14 of 2023, President Mnangagwa said he received the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s final delimitation report on the 17th of February, 2023.

Now, therefore, under and by virtue of the powers vested in the President as aforesaid, I do by this my Proclamation declare the names and boundaries of wards and the House of Assembly and Senatorial Constituencies as finally determined by the Commission, which names and boundaries are set out in the Schedule to this Proclamation, to be the wards and House of Assembly and Senatorial Constituencies of Zimbabwe for the forthcoming and any subsequent elections.

ZEC embarked on a voter registration blitz last year, meant to inform the delimitation report.

ZEC indicated in the report that when the voter’s roll for delimitation closed on 30 May 2022, Zimbabwe had 5 804 736 registered voters compared to 5 612 464 registered voters in 2007/08

Notable changes in the ZEC delimitation report were observed in the following provinces:

1).  Harare: Three constituencies were created from the Harare South constituency namely, Churu, Harare South and Hunyani. An additional constituency was created in Epworth resulting in Epworth North and Epworth South Constituencies. Harare North was reconfigured and renamed to the Hatcliffe constituency.

2). Bulawayo: Seven constituencies were reconfigured and renamed as follows:

Bulawayo North, Cowdry Park, Emakhandeni-Luveve Entumbane-Njube, Lobengula-Magwegwe Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Pelandaba-Tshabalala.

3). Manicaland Province: Musikavanhu and Chipinge West were merged to create Chipinge West Constituency. The collapsed constituency formed Chikanga Constituency after Dangamvura-Chikanga was split due to high population.

4). Mashonaland East: Three constituencies namely Chikomba Central, Chikomba East, Chikomba West were reconfigured due to the low registered voter population. As a result, Chikomba Central was collapsed and two Constituencies remain namely Chikomba East and Chikomba West.

5). Masvingo Province: Gutu North was collapsed and merged with other existing constituencies due to a low registered voter population which failed to meet the minimum threshold for a constituency. However the collapsed constituency was replaced by the creation of a new Chiredzi Central Constituency. In the same vein, Zaka East and Zaka West were collapsed and reconfigured to form a new Zaka South Constituency. One of the collapsed constituencies was replaced by the creation of a new Mwenezi North constituency. In effect, the Province retained its previously allocated 26 constituencies.

6). Matabeleland South: The province had very low numbers of registered voters therefore it was allocated 12 constituencies after Bulilima East was collapsed to meet the minimum threshold.

7). Midlands province: Mberengwa South constituency was collapsed and three constituencies now remain i.e., Mberengwa East, Mberengwa West and Mberengwa Central. This collapsed constituency was replaced by the creation of a new Mkoba North constituency.

The commission also stated that it considered the following factors as stipulated in Section 161(6) of the Constitution:

• Physical features;

• The means of communication within an area;

• The geographical distribution of registered voters;

• Any community of interest between registered voters;

• Existing electoral boundaries; and

• Population.