Bikita
Encyclopedia
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.
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
.
. 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.
(ZEC) announced Jani Marandeni as the winner with a total of 6916 to 5284 of Luka Gumbare.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. It is located about 80 km east of Masvingo
Masvingo
Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The town is close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name.- History :...
. Its name probably is derived from the Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
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
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
. The reputed to have the largest reserve of petalite
Petalite
Petalite, also known as castorite, is a lithium aluminium tectosilicate mineral LiAlSi4O10, crystallizing in the monoclinic system. Petalite is a member of the feldspathoid group. It occurs as colorless, grey, yellow, yellow grey, to white tabular crystals and columnar masses. Occurs in...
in the world.
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.Livestock maladies
The district with annually harangued by livestock diseases like anthraxAnthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
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
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
.
Government and politics
The district sends three members to Zimbabwe's House of AssemblyHouse of Assembly of Zimbabwe
The House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It was the unicameral legislative body from 1989 until late November 2005, when the Senate was re-introduced....
. 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
Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 29, 2008 to elect members to both the House of Assembly and the Senate of the Zimbabwean parliament...
, when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
(MDC) won all three seats, one with a razor thin margin.
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(mut)) and Jani Varandeni (MDC(tsv)) ran for the seat. The Zimbabwe Electoral CommissionZimbabwe Electoral Commission
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is a nominally independent organization which controls elections at all levels of Zimbabwe politics. It was established by an Act of the Parliament in 2004, with influence from its predecessor, the Electoral Supervisory Commission as well as the Southern African...
(ZEC) announced Jani Marandeni as the winner with a total of 6916 to 5284 of Luka Gumbare.