| Bikita | |
|---|---|
| — District — | |
| Typical Scene at business centers across the district. | |
| Districts of Masvingo province | |
| Masvingo constituency seats for the 2008, showing the division of Bikita (District) | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Province | Masvingo |
| District | Bikita |
| 19th century | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Rural Council |
| • Member of Parliament | Col. Claudious Makova, |
| Time zone | CAT (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+1) |
Bikita is a district in the Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe. It is located about 80 km east of Masvingo. Its name probably is derived from the Shona word Dikita which means antbear, which describes the shape of a nearby hill. The district was previously known as Denga which means up in the clouds and has moved several times to different locations. The surrounding area is mined for lithium. The reputed to have the largest reserve of petalite in the world.[1]
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Bikita District is the third driest district in Masvingo after Chivi and Chiredzi and is perennially-plagued by food shortages induced by low rains.[2]
The district with annually harangued by livestock diseases like anthrax and foot and mouth. On occasion these maladies even affect the populace, with a number of people dying. Sometimes there are even outbreaks of cholera.[3][4][5][6]
The district sends three members to Zimbabwe's House of Assembly. Each of the wards in the district has on elected official who works at the rural district council.
The district was divided into three sections for the 2008 elections, namely east, west and south. The district was a stronghold of ZANU-PF from 1980 until the time of the 2008 parliamentary election, when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won all three seats, one with a razor thin margin.[7][8]
Bikita South, Zaka east and central, is made of wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 7, 26, 28 and 29. During the 2008 House of Assembly elections, Luka Gumbare (ZANU-PF), Wilson Makonya (MDC(mut)) and Jani Varandeni (MDC(tsv)) ran for the seat. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced Jani Marandeni as the winner with a total of 6916 to 5284 of Luka Gumbare.
Bikita East comprises wards 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, and 27. Matthew Makaza (ZANU-PF), Walter Mutsauri (independent) and Edmore Marima (MDC(Tsva)) ran for the seat for the House of Assembly. According to the ZEC, Edmore Marima won the seat with 7784 votes to 5373 polled by Walter Mutsauri.
The cosntituency seat is made up of eleven wards, namely 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 22, 23, and 32. Elias Musakwa (ZANU-PF) and Heya Shoko (MDC(tsv)) ran for the seat. Shoko narrowly won the seat with 7048 to Musakwa's 7029.
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