55.2% of the total vote, with one constituency having 59% of the total vote split among various opposition players. A united opposition would have won 8 out of 13 seats, and therefore the provincial control of Matabeleland South, instead of which ZANU PF won a clean sweep. A united opposition would have won 11 out of 13 seats in Matabeleland North, instead of which ZANU PF won 7 out of 13 seats and control of the province. TABLE 1: Record of votes in Matabeleland constituencies won by ZANU PF on a divided opposition vote. [Green for 55% or more of total vote] ZANU‐ MDC‐T MDC ZAPU Indep TOTAL OPP PF (MDC‐T) VOTE MAT NORTH Hwange West 6,864 5,441 1,401 251 915 8,008 54% Tsholotsho South 4,736 3,976 1,549 863 6,388 57% Lupane East 5,537 5,305 1,683 208 180 7,376 57% Lupane West 4,827 4,163 1,285 242 222 5,912 55% Nkayi North 5,184 5,102 1,039 307 6,448 55% ZANU MDC‐T MDC ZAPU Indep TOTAL OPP PF (MDC‐T) VOTE MAT SOUTH Gwanda North 4,246 3733 1,977 300 6,010 59% Insiza South 4,660 2,007 2,384 320 455 5,166 53% Matobo North 5,300 5,219 852 417 6,488 55% Matobo South 4,692 4,596 764 478 5,838 55% Bulilima East 5,828 3,793 1,004 0 1,443 6,240 52% Bulilima West 4,722 3,784 1,645 293 5,722 55% Mangwe 4,988 4,434 1,995 431 6,860 58% Umzingwane 7,689 6,169 1,833 395 8,397 52% A further observation to be made is that in five of the lost constituencies, there was an MDC‐T independent running in addition to MDC‐T, MDC and ZAPU, splitting the opposition vote four ways. In addition to the 13 seats lost in Matabeleland on a divided vote, four more seats were also lost in Kwekwe, Zvishavane, Masvingo, and Kadoma as a result of the two MDCs plus others splitting the vote. However, the margin of the combined opposition win was here smaller than in Matabeleland. 92                                                              92 See Appendix 2 for Table of Votes in these four constituencies.   37