ZEC says it has received numerous requests for the outcome of the delimitation exercise when the process has not yet started.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works is undertaking consultations on delimitation on behalf of ZEC.
ZEC has the sole mandate to draw up the boundaries of constituencies, wards and other electoral processes.
ZEC Mashonaland West Provincial Elections Officer, Austin Ndlovu said the boundary delimitation exercise will only be carried out after the release of the national census final report.
Ndlovu was speaking during a delimitation consultation meeting attended by the Mashonaland West Provincial Development Committee in Chinhoyi on Friday, 24 June. He said:
At the moment, there is no delimitation taking place, even the consultations that were taking place on the ground as this exercise was being conducted they are in essence not delimitation, but they are activities that build up to the delimitation because it’s a prerogative of the local government to give ZEC clearly defined administrative boundaries and therefore please let’s not mistake that exercise as delimitation.
Mashonaland West Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Josphat Jaji said:
The responsibility rests with ZEC, but what affects delimitation are the local government administrative boundaries of districts and provinces so we want to ensure that if there are any proposals brought forward to enable when delimitation starts, so we anticipate Harare wanting to extend to our province, as you can see what is happening within Zvimba district Harare is expanding so we expect a proposal from Harare.
The delimitation exercise is done after every ten years, after the national population and housing census. Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold general elections in 2023.