Table 3: Registration and Voting in 2008 & 2013: Voters’ Rolls & Election results compared.
2013
voters
roll
300743*
2008
election
2013
vote
% vote
in 2008
Bulawayo
2008
voters
roll
315371
77476
128211
24.6
42.6
Increase or
decrease in
vote in 2013
18.1
Gokwe
260681
253933*
137988
138164
52.9
54.4
1.5
Goromonzi
88642
97255
30310
67032
34.2
68.9
34.7
Gutu
119591
117316*
54461
62286
45.5
53.1
7.6
Harare/Chitungwiza
780512
788959
307775
414991
39.4
52.6
13.2
Marondera
79963
79871*
41497
44052
51.9
55.2
3.3
Matopos
46868
45738*
16139
22318
34.4
48.8
14.4
Mazowe
96768
99781
37799
63693
39.1
63.8
24.8
Nkayi
54465
53092*
16139
24635
29.6
46.4
16.8
Wedza
45281
47526
19166
28112
42.3
59.2
16.8
Zvimba
108407
106597*
38921
66522
35.9
62.4
26.5
Zvishavane
57501
58902
24666
33490
42.9
56.9
14.0
2054050
2049713
802337
1093506
39.1
53.3
14.3
Total:
% vote
in 2013
* denotes reduction in number of registered voters in 2013 compared with 2008
As can be seen, in every District where the SiMuka campaign operated there were substantial increases in votes
cast in 2013 relative to 2008. The range was variable, from 35% in Goromonzi to only 1.5% in Gokwe, but all
Districts reported increased voting. It is also interesting that this increase occurred in the face of lowered
numbers of registered voters in the 2013 Voters’ Roll, but it should be noted, as a caution, that the numbers on
the 2013 Voters’ Roll are based on the June 2013 version of the Roll, and not the final Roll, which has never
been released in electronic copy. However, if anything, the final Roll should have increased tallies for each
district: the Voters’ Roll increased from 5,727,902 in 2008 to 6,433,191 by 31 July 20123, an increase from
2008 of 12.3%. But, given all the many complaints about the state of the Voters’ Roll, voter registration, and
voting, we will not attempt to read too much into the voting, but merely note that the reports of the sampled
women of increased voting fit with a pattern of increased voting against a pattern of reduced registration.
Registration as voters
80% of the group reported being registered voters before 2013, whilst only 72% reported still being registered
voters in 2013. This is a curious finding, but supported by the data about registration (Table 3), and perhaps
explained by the many difficulties reported by observers of the 2013 elections. However, it is evident (see Table
4) that any difficulties in being registered were significantly more common for urban women.
As can be seen, urban women reported encountering voter registration problems, finding registration offices
inaccessible, experiencing long queues, and having no identification documents more frequently than rural
women. Additionally, urban women were themselves more likely to have been turned away because they had no
proof of residence or were in the wrong ward, and had witnessed other women being turned away. This is in
accord with the general observations of the 2013 elections.
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