Table 8: Beitbridge East
Age Bands
18 – 19
20 - 24
25 - 29
30 - 34
35 - 39
40 - 44
45 - 49
50 - 54
55 - 59
60 - 64
65 - 69
70 - 74
75 - 79
80 +
TOTALS
Beitbridge East:
Female
62
470
1,318
2,181
2,486
2,047
1,330
1,820
1,277
1,053
714
692
400
1,043
16,893
Beitbridge
Male
East:
45
454
1,173
1,858
1,971
2,043
1,216
1,119
851
651
553
452
274
444
13,104
% More Females
137.78%
103.52%
112.36%
117.38%
126.13%
100.20%
109.38%
162.65%
150.06%
161.75%
129.11%
153.10%
145.99%
234.91%
128.91%
It is not possible to include this data for all 210 constituencies here. However, it will be
noted there is high registration in favour of women in the same age bands as in the nonmetropolitan provinces (see Figure 2). This may be on account of the fact that a
disproportionate number of women in the rural areas fall within the 50+ age bands.24
Delimitation
These problems of “over” and “under” registration obviously affect the delimitation of
constituencies, since this is based upon the number of registered voters in each constituency.
Delimitation will be inaccurate to the extent that the voters’ roll incorrectly reflects the number
of voters in each constituency. Constituencies were last delimited ahead of the 2008 elections.
Past delimitation exercises have been conducted about three months ahead of each election, have
provided opportunities for public and party input, and had to be placed before Parliament.25
There is to be no new delimitation ahead of the 2013 elections26 despite demographic
changes and changes to the voters roll since 2008. This presents some difficulties. Three new
local government authorities have been established since the last delimitation exercise,
Mhondoro-Ngezi (RDC,27 Mashonaland West) and Mbire (RDC, Mashonaland Central), and
Mvurwi Town Council (Mashonaland Central). To form these new districts wards were extracted
from existing districts and the boundaries thereof thus changed. This requires re-delimitation of
these boundaries by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ZEC,28 though the new Constitution
seems to specifically preclude this possibility. Furthermore, Ward 4 in Mvurwi appears to have a
total of only eight registered voters which may have resulted in a conundrum for aspirant
candidates to the council, required by section 125 of the Electoral Act to have their nomination
The age demographic by gender for the national population in the rural areas is not known.
Although the new Constitution retains voter registration as the basis for delimitation, it then, oddly, ties
the periods of delimitation to each census, providing that delimitation should be done as soon as
possible after each census. The censuses are held once every decade – section 161.
26 See paragraph 5, Part 3 of the Sixth Schedule of the new Constitution.
27 Rural District Council.
28 Section 37A of the Electoral Act 02:13.
24
25
11