ZEC begins elections preps

Sunday Mail Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is finalising the 2023 harmonised elections roadmap following the gazetting of new electoral boundaries by President Mnangagwa on Monday last week.

In a statement, ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said the delimitation report was duly gazetted in terms of Section 161 (11) of the Constitution, paving the way for preparations for the polls.

“The commission is now fine-tuning the upcoming harmonised elections roadmap,” said Mr Silaigwana.

“Details of these developments will be made public in due course.”

An extensive stakeholder engagement exercise, he said, will be conducted to publicise the new electoral boundaries.

“The salient features of the delimitation report include the creation of three new local authorities in Zimbabwe, namely, Mvurwi Town Council with six wards, Chirundu Local Board with three wards, and Lupane Local Board with six wards.

“At National Assembly constituency level, Harare province gained an extra constituency from the previous 29 to bring its sum total to 30.”

Owing to low numbers of registered voters in Matabeleland South, he added, the province lost one constituency from the previous 13.

“The rest of the provinces remained with the same number of constituencies allocated to them during the 2007 and 2008 delimitation.”

He said voters must familiarise themselves with the new electoral boundaries, which will be used during the forthcoming elections.