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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

Parliamentarians across the political divide in the National Assembly yesterday called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to consider recommendations of the parliamentary ad hoc committee set up to analyse its (ZEC) preliminary delimitation report produced last month.

In its report, the ad hoc committee noted that ZEC delimited some ward boundaries below the maximum and minimum thresholds as stipulated by the Constitution, and sufficient information was not provided to justify the changes in ward and constituency boundaries made.

Yesterday, legislators that contributed to the debate called on ZEC to consider their input when making the final report.

“The report did not take into account the key tenets of section 161 of the Constitution, ZEC was supposed to stick to the rules,” said Chegutu West representative, Cde Dexter Nduna.

He said Ward 25 in his constituency was moved to Chegutu East despite being above the minimum threshold of 1 600 for a ward. Shamva South representative Cde Bramwell Bushu said ZEC had moved some wards in Chaminuka Rural District Council to Bindura while some in Bindura were moved to Mt Darwin without taking into account the geographic locations and interests of people in the concerned wards.

Cde Lucia Chitora a proportional representative from Manicaland said ZEC did not consult communities.

“Local communities, especially chiefs were not consulted to the extent that some chiefs no longer have people to preside over as wards were moved from their jurisdictions,” she said.

Harare East legislator Mr Tendai Biti said ZEC should take into account the findings and recommendations of the Parliament’s ad hoc committee.

“ZEC must reconsider its preliminary report on the basis of the findings of the ad-hoc committee. ZEC failed to consider the final census report, it also failed to consult citizens and there is no known formula it was using to collapse wards and constituencies,” he said.

Binga North legislator Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda said there was ample time for ZEC to correct its report in time for the new boundaries to be used in the impending harmonised elections.

In its report, the ad hoc committee recommended that ZEC reconsiders some of the changes it made to ward and constituency boundaries.

“While the Committee appreciates that it is not possible for ZEC to meet the expectations of all the stakeholders in this exercise, it is the Committee’s considered view that all the issues raised in this report, particularly those that are inconsistent with provisions of Section 161 of the Constitution, will be resolved before the finalisation of the report on the delimitation exercise” it said.