MATABELELAND South will lose a constituency due to a low number of registered voters while Bulawayo and Matabeleland North will retain all their constituencies that will, however, be reconfigured.
Matabeleland South had 13 constituencies, but following the remapping of constituencies and wards it will lose Bulilima East constituency.
Prior to conducting the delimitation exercise, concerns were raised that Matabeleland provinces would lose more constituencies due to low numbers of registered voters.
Matabeleland North constituencies were not affected by the delimitation exercise.
This is contained in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) Delimitation Report that was tabled before Parliament yesterday.
Delimitation is the process of dividing the country into constituencies and wards for the purpose of election of persons to constituency seats in the National Assembly and to councils in local authorities.
The report further states that voters will retain their polling stations in the 2023 Harmonised Elections to be held later this year.
Zec said delimitation plays a significant role in maintaining the proportionality of the number of representative seats allocated to an electoral district, as well as upholding the principle of equality of voting strength.
The process ensures the cohesiveness and integrity of administrative districts, including building political, social and cultural ties between voters and their representatives, reads the report.
“Seven constituencies were reconfigured and renamed as follows: Bulawayo North, Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni-Luveve, Entumbane-Njube, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Pelandaba-Tshabalala,” reads the report.
“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.”
According to the report, Harare will have three additional constituencies created from Harare South namely Churu, Harare South and Hunyani.
“An additional constituency was created in Epworth resulting in Epworth North and Epworth South Constituency. Harare North was reconfigured and renamed Hatcliffe constituency,” reads the report.
In Manicaland, the report shows that Musikavanhu and Chipinge West were merged to create Chipinge West Constituency. It also established Chikanga Constituency after Dangamvura-Chikanga was split due to a high population in Manicaland.
According to the report, Mashonaland East will have three constituencies, namely Chikomba Central, Chikomba East, Chikomba West reconfigured due to low registered voter population.
“As a result, Chikomba Central was collapsed and two constituencies remain namely Chikomba East and Chikomba West,” reads the delimitation report.
In Masvingo, Gutu South was collapsed and merged with other existing constituencies due to low registered voter population figures.
“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,” reads the report.
Zec said as a result of the reconfiguration of constituencies, Masvingo retained its 26 constituencies.
In Midlands, Mberengwa South Constituency was collapsed, leaving the district with Mberengwa East, Mberengwa West and Mberengwa Central constituencies.
“This collapsed constituency was replaced by the creation of a new Mkoba North Constituency,” reads the report.
Meanwhile, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi tabled the Delimitation Report for adoption by Parliament yesterday.
Minister Ziyambi said the creation of the delimitation report is in line with the country’s constitutional requirements.
“I rise to move that whereas Section 161 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe states that once every ten years on a date or within a period fixed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission so as to fall as soon as possible after a population census, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must conduct a delimitation of electoral boundaries into which Zimbabwe is divided,” said Minister Ziyambi.
He said Parliament was called to sit after Zec submitted the initial report to President Mnangagwa on December 26 and that process compels the President to call Parliament to sit and consider it.
The President appointed a 12-member ad hoc committee which was nominated by the Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders to analyse the delimitation report.
The committee is chaired by Zanu-PF chief whip Cde Pupurai Togarepi and has members from all the political parties represented in Parliament.
Cde Togarepi said law makers are expected to deliberate on the report before making recommendations to President Mnangagwa.
He said the committee should outline its findings and recommendations to the National Assembly and Senate on next Friday. – The Chronicle
