News / National
Zanu-PF govt offers incentive for voters to register
28 Oct 2017 at 07:41hrs | Views
THE Government has availed 300 tonnes of rice to entice people to register as voters in the ongoing Biometric Voter Registration programme, a Cabinet Minister has said.
In each province the district that will register the highest number of voters will receive 30 tonnes of rice.
The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Retired Major General Happyton Bonyongwe, revealed this yesterday during the National Chiefs Conference in Bulawayo where he implored traditional leaders to encourage their subjects to register as voters.
He said he was charmed by Government's efforts to address the Chiefs challenges through providing them with vehicles.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe said in line with the topical issue in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, they saw it fit to introduce a competition on voter registration.
"We then thought of programmes to do with voter registration, as a Ministry we want to see people registering to vote. Everyone should go out and register as voters. The district that will register the highest number of voters per province will receive rice which amounts to 30 tonnes. So in 10 provinces it will be equivalent to 300 tonnes. It's now a competition, lets encourage people to register as voters. So if you become number one that is the prize that is coming your way," he said.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe said voter registration was an important issue in Government as it maps the way forward ahead of next year's elections.
"The biggest issue in the country at the moment is the issue of the elections that are scheduled for next year. As the Ministry of Justice we are the ones administering the Electoral Act. But we have the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, an independent commission handling the electoral processes. At the moment they have their BVR programme which is ongoing," he said.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe brought along ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau who also interacted with chiefs on matters to do with voter registration.
About 1 million people have since been registered as voters countrywide with the Matabeleland provinces recording the least number of registered voters.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe also emphasised that Chiefs have an important role in the preservation of the country's heritage and cultural values as enshrined in the Constitution. He said the chiefs ensure traditional values and cultural beliefs are not eroded by imported cultures.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe also promised to address challenges that are faced by the chiefs.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services, Patrick Zhuwao, urged Chiefs to partner Government in assisting the needy in society.
Zhuwao said the social welfare department had stolen the idea of assisting the needy from the traditional leaders' programmes such as isiphala senkosi/zunde ramambo.
He challenged politicians to desist from diverting Government's aid programmes to gain political mileage.
In each province the district that will register the highest number of voters will receive 30 tonnes of rice.
The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Retired Major General Happyton Bonyongwe, revealed this yesterday during the National Chiefs Conference in Bulawayo where he implored traditional leaders to encourage their subjects to register as voters.
He said he was charmed by Government's efforts to address the Chiefs challenges through providing them with vehicles.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe said in line with the topical issue in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, they saw it fit to introduce a competition on voter registration.
"We then thought of programmes to do with voter registration, as a Ministry we want to see people registering to vote. Everyone should go out and register as voters. The district that will register the highest number of voters per province will receive rice which amounts to 30 tonnes. So in 10 provinces it will be equivalent to 300 tonnes. It's now a competition, lets encourage people to register as voters. So if you become number one that is the prize that is coming your way," he said.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe said voter registration was an important issue in Government as it maps the way forward ahead of next year's elections.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe brought along ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau who also interacted with chiefs on matters to do with voter registration.
About 1 million people have since been registered as voters countrywide with the Matabeleland provinces recording the least number of registered voters.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe also emphasised that Chiefs have an important role in the preservation of the country's heritage and cultural values as enshrined in the Constitution. He said the chiefs ensure traditional values and cultural beliefs are not eroded by imported cultures.
Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe also promised to address challenges that are faced by the chiefs.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services, Patrick Zhuwao, urged Chiefs to partner Government in assisting the needy in society.
Zhuwao said the social welfare department had stolen the idea of assisting the needy from the traditional leaders' programmes such as isiphala senkosi/zunde ramambo.
He challenged politicians to desist from diverting Government's aid programmes to gain political mileage.
Source - chronicle
