Zimbabwe Election Support Network

CONSTITUENCY PROFILE

Harare East Constituency

A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015
Introduction

Comprising of Wards 8, 9 and 46, Harare East Constituency is located in Harare Metropolitan
Province. The suburbs constituting the constituency are New Tafara, Glen Lorne, Amby,
Athlone, Blantyre, Manresa, Mandara, Chisipite, Brookridge, Greystone Park, Donnybrook,
Hogerty Hill, Helensville, Highlands, Kambanji, Letombo, Lewisam, Msasa, Newlands,
Rhodesville, Quinnington, Umwingsdale and Shawasha Hills. Harare Province was allocated 875
polling stations in the July 31 2013 Harmonised Elections and Harare East had 30 polling
stations.

Previous Election Results

Harare East is a constituency of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe and is located in Harare
Metropolitan Province. It has been represented since 2000 by Tendai Biti, formerly of the MDC
T and now one of the leaders of the breakaway MDC-Renewal and United Movement for
Democratic Change (UMDC). The constituency voted for MDC since 2000, 2005, 2008 and 2013.
In 2000 the MDC obtained the highest number of votes, comparing to 2005, 2008 and 2013.
The party had a 13 738 margin of registered votes against the second best candidate of ZANU
PF. Support for the MDC T is dwindling, in 2013 the ZANU PF candidate lost by 1 340 votes to
the MDC T. From the results table below ZANU PF has gained ground from 2008 to 2013
election.

Table 1: Previous Election Results for Harare East Constituency

Year Candidate Political Party Votes

Tendai Laxton Biti MDC 18,129

1
ZIP- Zimbabwe Integrated Programme led by Heneri Dzinotyiwei. Heneri joined the MDC-T in 2006, subsequently
winning the Budiriro House of Assembly Constituency. He was appointed Minister of Science and Technology in the
Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2009.
A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015
 Tendai Laxton Biti MDC 9,259
2005 Muvengwa Mukarati ZANU-PF 4,363

Tendai Laxton Biti MDC-T 8377

20133 Tendai Laxton Biti MDC-T 9,538

Background and legal framework

The Harare East by-election will be held on the 10th of June 2015. The seat fell vacant following
the expulsion of the Member of Parliament Tendai Biti from MDC-T, after joining the MDC
Renewal and upon formation of the UMDC. Biti was amongst the group of 21 MDC Renewal
members who were then subsequently recalled from Parliament. According to the Constitution
of Zimbabwe, Section 129 (1) (k) the seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the
member ceases to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected
to Parliament. In accordance with the Electoral Act, Section 39 (2) the President proclaimed the
date of the 16th of April 2015 as the date for nomination court and election on the 10th June
2015.

Voter Registration and Registered voters

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) began voter registration for the by-election from 22
to 28 April 2015. Thirteen static registration centres were established for the purposes of voter
registration and inspection of the voters’ roll. The ZEC used the 2013 Harmonised Elections

2
ZESN: 29 March Harmonized Elections Results
3
[Link]/zimbabwe-elections/constituency/Harare%20East
A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015
Voters’ roll as the baseline, hence there was no re-registration of those whose names were
already appearing in the register.

In 2008, Harare Province had a total of 766 478 registered voters and in 2013 according to the
ZEC Harmonised Elections Report, the registered voters increased to 826 274, an increase of 59
796 or 8%. In 2008, the Harare East constituency had a total of 30,1324 registered voters. Ward
8 had 7958, ward 9 had 17 715 and ward 46, 4 459 registered voters5. In June 2013 33 180
voters were on the roll for Harare East. An increase of 3 048 registered voters or 10 %.

Primary Elections

ZANU PF held primary elections in Harare East on the 11 th of April 2015 in preparation for the
by-election. Terrence Mukupe won the ticket to represent the party in the House of Assembly
poll however on the technicality of his registration, he was disqualified but both Mukupe and
Mavis Gumbo then filed papers on behalf of ZANU PF on the 16th of April 2015. The table shows
the candidates who participated in the primary polls.

Table 2: ZANU PF Primary Elections

Candidate Number of Votes

Chris Chuchu 14

Justice Zvandasara 151

Mavis Gumbo 369

Margaret Sithole 20

4
2008 ZEC Delimitation Report and ZESN: A Profile of Constituencies; Understanding elections in Zimbabwe
5
Ibid
A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015
Milton Chanaiwa 31

Stanley Mau Mau 111

Terrence Mukupe6 651

Source: [Link]

Nomination Process and Contesting Candidates

In view of the By-elections to be held on the 10th of June 2015, the Nomination Court sat on the
16th of April 2015 from 10am in Harare to consider submissions for Harare East and other
House of Assembly constituencies that is, Kuwadzana, Glen View South, Highfield West,
Kambuzuma and Dzivarasekwa at Rotten Row Magistrate Courts.

Five candidates will be contesting the by-election, two independent candidates, Transform
Zimbabwe and two candidates from ZANU PF. Initially Terrence Mukupe won the party’s
primary elections but because of his registration status the party resorted to supporting Mavis
Gumbo. Terrence approached the courts and Judge Bhunu ruled that this was an internal
matter which should be solved in terms of the electoral regulations and the party’s
Constitution. The Judge ruled that both candidates are declared to be duly nominated since
both their papers submitted at the nomination court were in order7.

Table 3: Contesting candidates

Constituency Party Name Candidate Gender

6
Terrence Mukupe won the Primary election however because of certain surrounding his registration status ZANU
PF, initially withdrew support to him, in favour of Mavis Gumbo.
7
ZANU PF vs. ZANU PF for Harare East, The Herald 7 May 2015 available at < [Link]
zanu-pf-for-harare-east-seat/>
A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015
 Independent Farai Kuvheya M
HARARE EAST Independent Misheck Mushawetu M
Transform Zimbabwe Dale Dore M
ZANU PF Mavis Gumbo F
ZANU PF Terrence Mukupe M

Voter Education

ZEC is currently engaged in voter education which is an essential and indisputable exercise.
Voter education will run in phases; pre nomination voter education, voter registration and
inspection, and voter education for polling.

Conclusion

ZESN greatly emboldens political parties, the independent candidates and supporters to
observe the law in their conduct and further implores the ZEC to continue providing the voters’
roll to the candidates and interested parties on a timely fashion, and the government of
Zimbabwe to expeditiously align the electoral laws to the Constitution so as to avoid the
electoral disputes that might compromise the conduct of the election and outcome. ZESN also
calls upon political parties to entrench intra party democracy.

A Constituency Profile of Harare East Compiled by Zimbabwe Election Support Network ©2015