Thread by @Wamagaisa

1. Please take note of this change to the census law. This amendment means the next census will no longer be held in 2022 as per the regular pattern. Instead it will be held by July 2021. This change is a result of successful lobbying efforts by parties & CSOs & the public.

2. The Government wanted to change the Constitution so that delimitation of constituencies would be delinked from the census. This was unwise. Progressive Zimbabweans joined CSOs like @ZESN1 & @ercafrica to resist this move & suggested that the census be brought forward.

3. The amendment does this, allowing enough time for marking new electoral boundaries between the census in 2021 and the next elections in 2023. This is a fair outcome but people must now be very VIGILANT because the census is a deeply political & electoral issue.

4. It’s an electoral issue because electoral boundaries are marked on the basis of census data. The size and location of constituencies will be determined by census day. A lot happens especially if census data is manipulated. E.g. I’ve always doubted the rural/urban statistics.

5. If opposition parties, CSOs and the public sleep on the wheel, they will wake up to find that the election has been determined by the census in 2021. So don’t talk about 2023; talk about 2021. It’s a numbers game. Watch out for inflation/deflation of numbers in constituencies.

6. The redrawing of electoral boundaries is a deeply political issue. Watch out for gerrymandering (look it up!) & whether the rural/urban ratio is still the same or has changed. To parties & CSOs prepare to monitor the census like you monitor the election.

7. Don’t say you weren’t told. Don’t pretend like you have been ambushed when it happens. Some of us are accustomed to look ahead to see what’s coming so that there are no surprises. The census is coming soon. It will be more political than ever before. Please be VIGILANT.