BY BRENDA NCUBE
Three of Hwange Central Constituency rural wards have been moved to Hwange East Constituency following the growth of population in the constituency, which is largely urban.
Hwange Central legislator, Daniel Molokele revealed the recent change to VicFallsLive following the delimitation exercise which was being carried out by the Zimbabwe Electoral commission (Zec).
The rural wards moved are, Nekabandama ward 12, Dinde Nekatambe ward 13 and Lukosi ward 20.
“Hwange Central constituency has been affected dramatically by delimitation. It is now smaller than it was in 2018,” Molokele said.
“Those councillors and wards are now under Hwange East.”
They, however, continue to fall under Hwange Rural District.
Hwange Central is now smaller, with 15 wards remaining.
Dozens of Chinese-owned coal mines have been established in the ecologically sensitive Hwange district since President Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power in 2017.
The appetite for Hwange coal is partly fuelled by the government’s ambitious push for a $12 billion mining industry by the end of this year.
“The three rural wards were meant to boost our population, but in the last few years our population has increased enough for us to stand on our own as an urban constituency that is why we have lost three.”
Meanwhile Zec has proposed and presented to Mnangagwa a nationwide delimitation of wards that did not meet the maximum threshold.
In Matabeleland North Province, the affected districts are Hwange and Tsholotsho.
Legislators in the affected constituencies have argued with Zec’s criteria for delimitation.
The debate is yet to be discussed at the National Assembly.