HARARE – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) delimitation report was Friday mired in yet another controversy after government denied earlier media claims ZEC boss Priscilla Chigumba had submitted the final document to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House.

“CORRECTION: We have noted a number of social media reports to the effect that the Final Delimitation Report has been presented to HE the President. The Final Report has NOT yet been presented to His Excellency. When that happens the public will be informed. Thank you,” government spokesperson Nick Mangwana tweeted Friday.

Mangwana was reacting to reports carried by both state and private media claiming that Chigumba had handed the final report to Mnangagwa at State House earlier in the day.

It has since turned out the ZEC chairperson in fact had submitted a revised draft of the country’s delimitation report to the President.

Addressing the media soon after handing over the document to Mnangagwa, Chigumba came short of patting herself on the back for presiding over the drafting of a document she was confident will impress Zimbabweans.

“I believe we have done a credible job that will impress Zimbabweans,” Chigumba said.

“If you want to know whether we did an excellent job or not, look at the boundaries drawn in 2007 and 2008, meaning we are proficient in drawing boundaries.

“This is not our first time drawing boundaries; we have come a long way drawing boundaries.”

Chigumba pleaded with voters to be patient with the controversial poll management authority, under fire for alleged attempts to ruin Zimbabwe’s high stakes elections.

“We have produced an excellent report, and we urge Zimbabweans to refrain from insulting one another during this election year,” she said, adding, “Loving your country does not preclude you from airing your grievances when mistakes have been made.

“As the electoral body, we state that we will correct any mistakes so that the final report is flawless.”

The first draft delimitation report was fraught with flaws and duplications, as observed by independent analysts and civil society.

The eventual finalisation of the poll based document will set the tone for the country’s harmonised elections which Mnangagwa hinted early this week could be held in July this year.

Meanwhile, constitutional law lawyer and opposition politician, Lovemore Madhuku has warned any flawed delimitation report could trigger a lawsuit from aggrieved parties, resulting most likely in a court order directing the abandonment of the document in terms of use for the 2023 elections.

“In the likelihood that the final report has outstanding flaws and anomalies the logical possibility will be a lawsuit.

“A court order issued by the court ruling over the matter will determine what course of action to take whether to use or discard the report,” he said.