adminDangamvura-Chikanga constituency is located in Manicaland province. This constituency consists mainly of Mutare city’s high density suburbs of Dangamvura and Chikanga and other suburbs which exclude Fern Valley and Green Side.The constituency’s infrastructure is old and suffers from a lack of maintenance hence needs urgent face-lifting.
Manicaland province consists of seven rural and three urban district councils. The constituency consists of ten wards (6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19) of Mutare Municipality. In the July 31, 2013 Harmonised Elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) allocated the province 1 303 and the constituency 37 polling stations.
Population Demographics
According to the ZimStat Census Report of 2012, the total population of the province was 1 752 698, in 2012 when the last census was conducted, with 830 697 males and 922 001 females. Females constitute approximately 53 percent and males 47 percent of the population.
The composition of population by age group and sex is 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 years age groups had the highest proportions of the population each with over 16 percent. The 70-74 years age group had the least proportion (1, 2 percent).
It can further be observed that the proportion of the young population, that is those with their age under 15 years, was 44 percent while that of the population age 65 years and above was about 3 percent.
Previous Election Results
The constituency is a stronghold of the opposition MDC-T. In 2008, it was won by Giles Mutsekwa who was appointed a Minister in the Government of National Unity. In 2013, the MDC-T had two candidates contesting in the Constituency (Giles Mutsekwa and Arnold Tsunga).
Arnold Tsunga emerged as the winner, however, a party with more than one candidate participating risks splitting the votes and infighting by the candidates. The votes for ZANU-PF increased from 3 654 in 2008 to 9 336 in 2013 a rise of 5 682 or by 156 percent.
The MDC party lost 495 supporters in 2013 and the other candidates had less than 100 votes in the 2013 election.
Background to the by-election
The Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency by-election will be held on the 10th of June 2015. The seat fell vacant after the Member of Parliament Arnold Tsunga was expelled from MDC-T for joining the United Movement for Democratic Change (UMDC) and was subsequently recalled from Parliament.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 129 (1) (k) the seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member ceases to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament. In accordance with the Electoral Act, Section 39 (2) the President proclaimed the date of the by-election as 10 June and 16 April 2015.
The nomination court sat on Thursday 16 April, 2015.
The main opposition political parties of the MDC formations withdrew from participation till there are electoral reforms that guarantee credible elections.
Seven candidates will contest the by-elections, four will be representing political parties and three will be independent candidates.
Most of the candidates will be contesting in Dangamvura Chikanga for the first time, except for Kudzai Maundike and Pfugamai Mawire who took part in the July 31 Harmonised Elections.
All the contesting candidates are males, reflecting that the political parties have a long way to go in ensuring gender balance. Elections remain a male dominated space in Zimbabwe.
According to the ZEC Delimitation Report 2008, Manicaland had 709 664 registered in December 2007.
In 2013 the registered voters’ for the province were 849 4991, an increase of 139 835 or 20 percent. The constituency had 27 215 registered voters’ in 2008.
The registered voters as at 19 June 2013 stood at 306 802. The registered voters increased by 3465 or 13 percent. — ZESN.
Online Reporter