daniel chigunwe
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Delimitation of new electoral boundaries has not yet started in earnest with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission saying it needs the report of the national census taken this year.
Contrary to suggestive reportage in various media outlets, ZEC said that the consultations currently underway were only an initial exercise leading to the process.
ZEC’s Mashonaland West provincial elections officer, Mr Austin Ndlovu said there was a lot of information circulating stating that the process had begun.
“At the moment there is no delimitation taking place. Even the consultations that were taking place on the ground as this exercise was being conducted they are in essence not delimitation exercise but they are activities that build up to the delimitation. It’s a prerogative of the local government to give ZEC clearly defined administrative boundaries and therefore please let’s not mistake that exercise as delimitation,” he said.
The process which is conducted every 10 years, will give ZEC the opportunity to come up with new electoral boundaries.
Mashonaland West Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr Josphat Jaji said the responsibility now rests with ZEC but in the initial phases there are proposals that alter local government administrative boundaries of districts and provinces.
“We anticipate Harare wanting to extend into our province. As you can see what is happening within Zvimba district, Harare is expanding so we expect a proposal from Harare,” he said.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is currently undertaking consultations on behalf of the commission which has the sole mandate to delimit constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries.
Online Reporter