1. Introduction
Delimitation is the process of redistricting of constituencies for the purposes of elections. It
divides the country into constituencies and wards for the purposes of elections of persons to
constituency seats in the National Assembly and of councillors to local authorities. In
Zimbabwe, the process is carried out in terms of sections 160 and 161 of the latest
Constitution (2013). The last delimitation exercise in Zimbabwe was carried out in 2008,
shortly before the harmonised elections held on 29 March. By the time the 2018 elections are
held, Zimbabwe would have gone 10 years without any delimitation of electoral boundaries.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is currently carrying out a Mapping Boundary
Verification exercise which commenced on the 18th January 2017 and is expected to end on
4th April 2017.This process entails comparing details on the preliminary map made by ZEC
during the first phase of the polling station mapping exercise against what is on the ground.
This is done in consultation with relevant stakeholders who include local traditional leaders
and local government authorities. This phase will culminate in the printing of the final polling
station boundary maps. This is an important step towards the re-drawing of electoral
boundaries.The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) commissioned a research to
ascertain the best timing for the next delimitation exercise in Zimbabwe. The results of this
study, as outlined in this paper, presents the pros and cons of the two schools of thought
concerning the best timing for the next delimitation exercise in Zimbabwe.
2. The Importance of the Delimitation Exercise
Over the last thirty-six years of Zimbabwe’s existence as an independent country, electoral
boundaries have always been a critical factor to the electoral outcome. The determination of
electoral boundaries is an important factor that has to be managed properly as it can easily be
manipulated if one contesting political power has undue influence to the exclusion of others.
The current framework for determining and reviewing electoral boundaries is provided in a
number of laws that include the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 (the
Constitution) as read together with provisions of the Electoral Act [Chapter], and the Census
and Statistics Act [Chapter 10:29].There have been recent amendments to the Electoral Act
that have been passed by parliament as provided in the Electoral Amendment Bills of 2014 as
well as the General Laws Amendment Act.
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