the  most  recent  population  census.  As  they  are  the  ones  providing  services,  they  are  in  a  good   position  to  know,  but  on  the  other  hand,  smaller  populations  can  lead  to  smaller  budgetary   allocations  of  resources….       Some  of  the  repercussions  of  the  lower  than  expected  registration  in  Bulawayo  are  already  being   indicated.     •   ZEC  stated  at  a  meeting  in  Bulawayo  with  registered  NGOs  on  Friday  26th  January  that   Bulawayo  would  be  losing  certain  polling  stations  in  the  forthcoming  election,  as  there  is  a   minimum  number  of  voters  that  need  to  register  in  the  vicinity  of  any  polling  station  to   justify  its  existence.  The  minimum  number  of  300  voters  had  so  far  not  been  reached  for  all   proposed  polling  stations.  At  some  polling  stations,  for  example  in  the  highly  populated   Cowdray  Park,  not  even  one  hundred  voters  had  registered  by  the  beginning  of  February!   o   What  will  happen  to  voters,  whether  in  Bulawayo  or  elsewhere,  who  have  registered   for  a  polling  station  that  may  now  be  struck  off,  is  not  clear.  The  election  is  polling   station  based,  meaning  voters  have  to  vote  where  they  have  registered  under  BVR  to   vote,  and  this  is  reflected  on  their  voter  slips.  How  will  ZEC  ensure  voters  know   where  to  go  instead?  Advertising  in  the  newspapers  will  not  be  sufficient  as  most   people  do  not  access  papers.  In  rural  areas,  one  could  anticipate  voters  walking  long   distances  to  get  to  a  polling  station  that  no  longer  exists,  and  having  no  idea  what  to   do  next.     •   It  is  not  clear  yet  whether  provinces  with  low  registration  stand  to  lose  constituencies  as   well,  while  those  with  high  registration  may  gain  some.  It  could  be  that  whether  before  or   after  the  2018  election,  the  fact  that  fewer  than  300,000  voters  registered  in  Bulawayo   (with  final  figures  for  this  not  yet  in)  may  be  used  to  trim  the  current  12  constituencies  to   something  less.     o   This  would  have  the  impact  of  further  reducing  the  voice  of  Matabeleland  at  the   national  level,  deepening  the  sense  of  not  being  heard  and  of  the  votes  of  the  region   not  counting.       Conclusion     ZEC  on  the  whole  has  been  seen  as  competent  and  cooperative,  and  has  moved  to  correct  areas   that  were  creating  problems  for  would-­‐be  voters,  such  as  the  problems  around  proving  residency.   The  unexplained  resignation  of  ZEC  Chairperson  Rita  Makarau  after  the  change  in  Presidency,  and   the  appointment  of  Justice  Chigumba  has  raised  some  concerns  from  observers.  Chigumba  was   implicated  in  corruption  during  2017  –  while  she  is  innocent  until  proven  guilty,  it  would  have  been   preferable  for  her  to  be  cleared  before  assuming  this  vital  position  in  ZEC.96       On  the  ground,  there  has  been  widespread  intimidation  of  voters  in  some  areas  as  indicated,  and  it   is  not  clear  whether  the  belated  statements  on  abuse  of  voter  slips  by  ZEC  and  the  ZRP  are  a  case  of   shutting  the  stable  door  after  the  horse  has  bolted,  or  whether  they  will  reassure  voters  that  have   already  been  bullied  and  threatened.  There  remain  questions  around  how  data  is  being  centrally   consolidated  on  a  weekly  basis,  and  also  around  which  company  will  compile  the  final  roll,  pending   an  Administrative  Court  case.                                                                                                                   96    https://www.newsday.co.zw/2018/02/chigumba-­‐appointment-­‐zec-­‐raise-­‐questions/   34