ZEC under fire over ‘flawed’ delimitation

MOSES MATENGA

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has come under fire over its preliminary delimitation findings amid growing calls for the elections management body to discard its change of boundaries and consult stakeholders first.

Delimitation is the process of dividing 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 and ZEC has been spearheading the process with preliminary indications now being subjected to criticism.

The Association of Rural District Councils in Zimbabwe (ARDCZ) representing over 60 local authorities said the delimitation exercise was a fraud and should be redone.

ARDCZ president David Guy Mutasa said the process was rushed without taking input from stakeholders.

“We, therefore, disagree with the proposed delimitation boundaries in our rural district councils,” he said.

“Our councils cannot be governed by boundaries that are imposed on our communities,” he added.

He described as “falsehoods” claims by ZEC that they had consulted in communities.

“We call upon ZEC to reconsider its position and go back to the people and come up with a comprehensive, transparent and more consultative report which is reflective of the various stakeholder interests as provided for by the law,” Mutasa said.

“The deliberate and intentional destruction of the social fabric and culture that exists in our communities, is ZEC’s negligent attempt to divide our people.”

“We are very worried about this.”

MenBelievED spokesperson Timothy Nyakudzuka said the delimitation of electoral boundaries is one critical decision that defines the future that has been ignored, urging ZEC to rethink.

“Any process that excludes the participation of citizens is discriminatory and flawed,” Nyakuzuka said.

“As MenBelievED we can’t avoid suspicion that could be motivated by personal or unknown interests.”

“Boundaries that seek to disrupt our way of life, roll back government progress in supporting the future, and that seek to divide the unity in our communities that our ancestors long established — have no place or relevance in the development of our society,” the MenBelievED spokesperson added.

The reaction also comes after the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change also expressed concern over the preliminary delimitation exercise findings saying it was flawed and full of confusion.