- Bikita District
Infobox Settlement
name = Bikita
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settlement_type =District
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imagesize =300px
image_caption =Typical Scene at business centers across the district.
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mapsize = 150px
map_caption = Districts of Masvingo province
mapsize1 = 150px
map_caption1 =Masvingo constituency seats for the 2008, showing the division of Bikita (District)
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subdivision_type =Country
subdivision_name =Zimbabwe
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Masvingo
subdivision_type2 = District
subdivision_name2 = Bikitaseat_type =
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p2 =government_footnotes =
government_type = Rural Council
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leader_title1 = Member of Parliament
leader_name1 =Col. Claudious Makova,
established_title = 19th century
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timezone=CAT
utc_offset=+2
timezone_DST=CEST
utc_offset_DST=+1
coor_type =
latd=20 |latm=05 |lats= |latNS=S
longd=31 |longm=37 |longs= |longEW=E
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footnotes =Bikita is a district in the
Masvingo Province ofZimbabwe . It is located about 80 km east ofMasvingo . Its name probably is derived from theShona 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 cloads" and has moved several times to different locations. The surrounding area is mined forlithium . The reputed to have the largest reserve of petalite in the world. [Mining Data [http://www.mindat.org/min-3171.html] (accessed 02/27/2008)]Geography
Climate
Bikita District is the third driest district in Masvingo after Chivi and Chiredzi and is perennially-plagued by food shortages induced by low rains. [More Dams needed [http://allafrica.com/stories/200606020095.html] (accessed 02/27/2008)]
Livestock maladies
The district with annually harangued by livestock diseases like
anthrax andfoot and mouth . On occasion these maladies even affect the populace, with a number of people dying. Sometimes there are even outbreaks ofcholera . [Cholera kills [http://allafrica.com/stories/200209060311.html] (accessed 02/27/2008)] [Anthrax kills four [http://allafrica.com/stories/200511180367.html] (accessed 02/27/2008)e] [Anthrax claims eight [http://allafrica.com/stories/200312150327.html] (accessed 02/27/2008)] [foot and mouth outbreak [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F99F603576D641C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM] (accessed 02/27/2008)]Government and politics
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 oppositionMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) won all three seats, one with a razor thin margin. [ Independent Election Results site [http://www.zimelectionresults.com/Constituency_Pages/Masvingo.html] (accessed 04/01/2008)] [Sokwanele site [http://www.sokwanele.com/election2008] ]Bikita South
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(tsv)) and Jani Marandeni (MDC(at)) 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
Bikita East comprises wards 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, and 27. Matthew Makaza (ZANU-PF), Walter Mutsauri (MDC(tsv)) and Edmore Marima (MDC(at)) 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.
Bikita West
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.
References
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