The seat fell vacant following the death on 5 October, 2015 of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) incumbent for Nkulumane constituency Honorable ThamsanqaMahlangu. ZESN deployed 14 observers comprising static (polling station based observers), constituency and mobile observers to measure compliance with regards to the Constitution and electoral laws as well as to identify gaps in the electoral practice to enable informed advocacy interventions for electoral reforms.