Bulawayo South

Bulawayo South
constituency
for the Zimbabwean House of Assembly
Region Southern Bulawayo
Current constituency
Created 1914
Party MDC
Member(s) David Coltart

Bulawayo South is a parliamentary constituency of the Zimbabwean House of Assembly located in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The current member of the House of Assembly for Bulawayo South is Eddie Cross, a member of the Movement for Democratic Change. Notable former members include David Coltart, who in the 2008 election moved to the Senate.

About the constituency

Map of the white Bulawayo South constituency (1979-1987)

Bulawayo South is located on the southern end of the city of Bulawayo. It is a predominantly black working-class area, with some middle and upper class areas. The working-class area is centered around the Bulawayo suburbs of Nketa and Emganwini and factories as well as other industrial buildings can be found in the Belmont and Donnington industrial area. Prior to the 1990 election the constituency was one of the 20 white minority constituencies. Over the past decade the constituency has developed into a stronghold of ZANU-PF and Robert Mugabe opposition. The MDC has become a dominant presence in Bulawayo South and in 2000 saw the ZANU-PF candidate suffer a heavy loss of 51.6% of the vote. In the 2005 election, however, the ZANU-PF made a small, but significant gain, while the MDC lost over 8,000 votes due in large part to poor voter turnout in the 2005 general election. The decline in support from 2005 to 2000 can also be attributed to constituency redistricting. David Coltart has remained a key member of the MDC as one of its highest ranking members. Coltart is currently the MDC's Secretary for Legal Affairs and the Shadow Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs.

Members

ElectionMemberParty
1977 George Desmond Chalmers RF
1979 Wallace Evelyn Stuttaford RF
1985 Graham Austen Biffen CAZ
1995 Zenzo Nsimbi ZANU-PF
2005 David Coltart MDC
2008 Eddie Cross MDC

Election results

2000s elections

General Election 2008: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
MDC-T Eddie Cross 2,764 55 -20.8
MDC-M Jethro Mpofu 1,605 32 +32
ZANU-PF Jimmy Nleya 483 9.6 -17
Independent Marylin Ndiweni 112 2.2 N/A
United People's Party (Zimbabwe) Tobias Kamambo 58 1.2 N/A
Patriotic Union of MaNdebeleland Wilson Bancinyane 0 0.0 N/A
Majority 1,159 23 -29.2
Turnout 5,022 21.6 -14.8
MDC-T hold Swing
General Election 2005: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
MDC David Coltart 12,120 75.8 -8.9
ZANU-PF Sithembiso Nyoni 3,777 23.6 +10.6
Independent Charles Mpofu 84 0.5 N/A
Majority 8,343 52.2 -19.5
Turnout 15,981 36.4 +0.6
MDC hold Swing
General Election 2000: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
MDC David Coltart 20,781 84.7 N/A
ZANU-PF Callistus Ndlovu 3,193 13.0 -51.6
Independent Others 552 2.2 N/A
Majority 17,588 71.7
Turnout 24,526 35.8
MDC gain from ZANU-PF Swing

1990s elections

General Election 1995: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
ZANU-PF Zenzo Nsimbi 15,631 64.6 N/A
FPZ Ega Sansole 8,558 35.4 N/A
ZANU-PF hold Swing

1980s elections

General Election 1985: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
CAZ Graham Austen Biffen 1,354 74.9 -17.1
IZG Robert Graeme Nixon 454 25.1 N/A
CAZ hold Swing
General Election 1980: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
RF Wallace Evelyn Stuttaford 3,715 92.0 N/A
Independent Francis Robert Bertrand 289 7.2 N/A
Independent John Francis Betch 36 0.9 N/A
RF hold Swing

1970s elections

General Election 1979: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
RF Wallace Evelyn Stuttaford 4,140 88.1 N/A
Independent Francis Robert Bertrand 500 10.7 N/A
Independent John Francis Betch 57 1.2 N/A
Majority 3,640 77.5 -13.0
Turnout 4,697
RF hold Swing
General Election 1977: Bulawayo South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
RF George Desmond Chalmers 701 95.2 N/A
RAP Ian Norman Berry 35 4.8 N/A
Majority 666 90.5
Turnout 736 69.5
RF hold Swing

See also

External links