ZEC Delimitation – Bulawayo Metropolitan Changes
The change of Zimbabwe’s boundaries of parliamentary constituencies is being debated in Parliament and this happens after President Emmerson Mnangagwa received the delimitation report from ZEC.
Within the 14 days, the President will refer the preliminary report back to ZEC for the commission to consider any issues raised by himself of the parliament.
ZEC will then consider any matter so raised its decision on them is final [ Section 161 (8) and (9)].
Once ZEC has prepared its final delimitation of electoral boundaries which is completed less than six months before polling day in a general election, the boundaries delineated do not apply to that election; and instead, the previous ones remain in play.
The delimitation will have to be published by the 28th of January 2024.
In the report that was released by ZEC, Bulawayo will return with 12 parliamentarian constituency with seven being renamed.
The seven constituencies which were renamed include: Bulawayo North, Cowdray Park, Emakandeni -Luveve, Entumbane-Njube, Lobhengula-Magwegwe, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Pelandaba-Tshabalala.
Bulawayo Province’s constituency is the same as allocated in 2007/8.
Matebeleland South has similar constituencies as Bulawayo which are 12 and lost the Bulilima East seat due to low registration of vote turn out to create a constituency.
Matabeleland North has 13 constituencies.
Mashonaland West and East each has 22 and 23 constituencies respectively. In Mashonaland East, three constituencies namely Chikomba Central, Chikomba East, and Chikomba West were redrawn due to the low registered voter population.
As a result, Chikomba Central was collapsed and two constituencies remain namely Chikomba East and Chikomba West.
In Masvingo Province, 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, which means the province retained its previously allocated 26 constituencies.
Gutu South constituency, which is currently held by ZANU PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi was collapsed and merged with other existing constituencies due to a low registered voter population that failed to meet the minimum threshold for a constituency.
The collapsed constituency was replaced by the creation of a new Chiredzi Central constituency.
Harare Province, an additional constituency was created in Epworth resulting in Epworth North and Epworth South Constituency.
Three constituencies were created from the Harare South constituency which are Churu, Harare South and Hunyani constituencies.
In 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 the high population.
