Metal IDs acceptable during BVR exercise

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has said metal identity cards will be accepted during the biometric voter registration (BVR) exercise.

This comes after Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede said only holders of machine readable plastic identity cards will be able to register to vote, while those with metal cards would be excluded.

"Following recent press reports implying that those with metal identity cards will not be allowed to register during the forthcoming biometric voter registration BVR exercise we seek to set the record straight," Zec said in a press statement.

"Voter registration requirements are enshrined in Section 4 of Statutory Instruments 85 of 2017 (Voter Registration Regulations) which state that for any Zimbabwean to register as a voter, they can use a national identity document which takes the form of a metal ID, plastic ID or a waiting pass with the holder's photograph.

"During the BVR exercise, Zec will register all Zimbabweans whose citizenship is confirmed by national identity documents lawfully issued to them."