Opposition parties probe BVR suppliers

OPPOSITION parties under the National Elections Reform Agenda (Nera) banner have launched their own checks on two international companies shortlisted to supply biometric voter registration (BVR) kits to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to ascertain if they were of good repute.

Nera has since invited members of the public, international community and other companies to supply information regarding the two firms – Laxton Group Limited, a company based in China, but owned by South Africans, and Dermalog Identification Systems of Germany.

"We are calling all citizens to do their due diligence and gather as much information as you can on the two firms. Nera is currently having extensive background checks conducted on the two firms," Nera said on its official Facebook page.

Nera has made it no secret that it does not trust Zec and the Zanu-PF-led government with the procurement of the kits and said it would continue to demand transparency in the whole process.

This comes shortly after a Belgian company, ZETES withdrew its bid at the eleventh hour, leaving the two companies competing to supply the kits, which will be used to compile a new voters' roll for the 2018 general elections.

According to documents available of the bids, Laxton Group has been active in Africa supplying 8 000 BVR kits and instant PVC card issuance kits in Tanzania in 2015.

The company also has footprints in Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, where it reportedly supplied BVR kits, generators, batteries and other accessories for voter registration and elections.

The firm also supplies identifications cards in Malawi.

Dermalog Identification Systems, on the other hand, prides itself of being a leader in biometrics innovation with 25 years of experience.

"We have been and keep on revolutionising biometric security products for law enforcement, civil governmental agencies like national registration, voter and driver registrations, health agencies, security agencies and develop solutions for access and data security, authorisation and authentication services as well as mobile security," the Dermalog Identification Systems website read.

In Africa, the company has been heavily involved in curbing fraud, particularly in Nigeria, where it exposed over 230 000 Nigerian ghost workers, who were on government's payroll.

The firm has no traceable background in providing BVR kits for elections.