1 zimbabwe election support network [zesn] - Nehanda Radio

pronounced in the presidential results where Morgan Tsvangirai emerged with 145 198 votes
against Robert Gabriel Mugabe with 156 672 votes.
In the Midlands, ZANU PF was on a clean parliamentary lead with 19 seats out of the 27
contested parliamentary seats while 8 went to the MDC. A by-Election will be conducted in
Redcliff. In remote, drought-prone and rural Mberengwa [incidentally a hot spot zone], ZANU
PF won with very huge margins. In fact, since independence Mberengwa has consistently
remained a ZANU PF stronghold. It is however instructive to note that while ZANU PF won all
seats in the 9 Gokwe constituencies, most seats were tightly contested with small margin wins.
In Manicaland Province, the MDC T emerged on the lead having won 19 of the 26 contested
parliamentary seats while the ZANU PF retained the 7 rural constituencies of Buhera North,
Chimanimani East, Chipinge Central, Chipinge East, Headlands, Mutare South, and Nyanga
South-areas that incidentally are leading hot spot zones. It is however instructive to note that
even in these 7 constituencies, ZANU PF won by very thin margins.
In Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, all the 11 contested parliamentary seats went to the
opposition, MDC T while in Matebeleland North only 4 rural constituencies out of the 13
contested parliamentary seats were retained by ZANU PF leaving the opposition with 8 seats
and the Tsholotsho seat falling to an independent. This pattern was also visible in presidential
elections where the ruling party candidate emerged with 42 825 votes while Morgan Tsvangirai
got 70 611 votes. However, it is trite to note the prevalence of voter apathy in this province.
Equally important is to note that while the opposition is in the majority, ZANU PF presence is
still visible in some parts of the province. Matebeleland North is still a highly contested zone
with Tsholotsho a fiercely contested constituency as the ruling party is yet to stomach the
painful reality of it falling in the hands of an independent, for that matter, one who rebelled from
the ruling party.
As in Matebeleland North, ZANU PF remained politically visible in the rural constituencies of
Matebeleland South where it won 5 of the 12 contested parliamentary seats. In metropolitan
Harare which is incidentally home to the ruling party headquarters and the State House, ZANU
PF retained only 1 seat in Harare South. In Mashonaland Central [incidentally a traditional no
go area for the opposition] while 3 seats [Bindura South, Mazowe Central and Mazowe South]
went to the opposition. However close analysis of votes spread show visible small margin
scenarios.
In Mashonaland East [another traditional hot spot zone] 7 of the 34 contested parliamentary
seats went to the MDC leaving ZANU PF in a comfortable lead with 27 seats, however with the
thin margin scenario visibly evident. In UZUMBA, Mutoko South and Mudzi, incidentally hot
beds of violence, ZANU PF won big with the Uzumba parliamentary going uncontested.
Clearly evident from these election results is that while the opposition urban support base is
relatively secure, this is no longer the case for the ruling party in its traditional strongholds. The
opposition challenge which in the past was largely confined to the urban areas and had given
the impression that rural areas were the unchallenged political enclaves of the ruling party has
since been busted. The contestation that was initially confined to urban areas has since shifted
to rural areas.
Senatorial Results
CANDIDATE SENATORIAL SEATS
MDC TSVANGIRAI 30 SEATS
ZANU PF 24 SEATS
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