ZEC receives 400 biometric voter registration kits

The first batch of 400 biometric voter registration kits is expected to be delivered by August 31, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has said.

The BVR kits were procured from Laxton Group of China and would be used in voter registration to be held soon. ZEC has ordered 3 000 kits for the voter registration exercise and has already paid $3,5 million of the $47,5 million needed for the purchase of the kits.

Part of the 400 kits would be used to train master trainers for one week before they are deployed in all the country's 10 provinces to train other officials who will administer the BVR voter registration exer- cise.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau, said some ZEC officials were already working with Laxton Group to customise the software that would be used during the voter registration exer- cise.

"We are expecting the batch of 400 kits on 31 August," said Justice Makarau. "We will use some of the kits to train 100 master trainers for at least one week. After we are satisfied with their performance we will deploy them in provinces to train others. During the same time we will also train technicians who will service our machines if they develop faults," she said.

ZEC will soon embark on publicity campaigns to educate the public on the biometric voter registration exer- cise. The electoral body has also gazetted voter registration regulations setting out requirements for voter registration.

Registration of voters is expected to run for two months when the programme commences.

ZEC has assured the nation that the new voters roll would be ready before the end of the year.