News / National
CSOs voter registration campaign nets thousands
21 Oct 2017 at 07:26hrs | Views
THE countrywide dragnet of roadshows that were launched by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) and the Elections Resource Centre (ERC) in four days has reached thousands of people with voter registration and mobilisation campaigns.
The 10 voter mobilisation teams have been touring the country with voter education material about the ongoing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process on a six day campaign that started on Tuesday and will end on Sunday.
Despite the high temperatures across the country, bumper crowds have been invariably showing up in rural growth points and urban shopping centres.
The teams have been resorting to moving street by street in urban residential areas, addressing the people through public address (PA) systems mounted on huge trucks on their way across the country.
The voter registration mobilisation, observation and education dragnet is part of the two civil society organisations' joint initiative to encourage participation in electoral processes ahead of the 2018 elections.
Artists especially locally popular dance groups have been helping to pull the crowds to the voter education and mobilisation events.
On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, the teams covered areas such as Rimuka in Kadoma, Chegutu town centre, Mufakose in Triangle, and Marondera.
On Wednesday, October 18, they covered Gokwe Centre, Headlands, Zhombe, Mahombekombe and Nyanmhunga in Kariba, Tshovani in Chiredzi, Rutenga, Jerera in Zaka, and Neshuro Business Centre among others.
On Thursday, October 19, the teams travelled to Amaveni, Mbizo, Torwood and urban centre in Kwekwe, Karoi Town Centre, Chiedza Shops in Karoi, Hurungwe, Magunje, Mucheke Bus Terminus in Masvingo, Masvingo Central Business District, Mpandawana, Munyarari shops in Glenview 3, Nyika Growth point, and Birchenough Bridge among other places.
On Friday, October 20, the teams covered Mkoba 6, 14, 17, Senga and CBD in Gweru, Ngundu and Chivi in Masvingo, and Murambinda Growth Point in Buhera among other places. Two more days are left in the campaign which will be wrapped up on Sunday.
The registration teams roped in Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) voter educators, including District Elections officers who addressed people and in the case of Lowveld in Chiredzi areas helped to translate the messages into languages such as Shangani.
Many people wanted to know about the proof of residence and the dates of voter registration blitz in their areas, which the teams provided.
The teams also tried to dispel the fears and deliberate misinformation by some elements that the use of biometric features such as faces and fingerprints for voter registration will lead to people they chose being known in the 2018 elections.
Nevertheless, in some areas such as Headlands in Manicaland the team struggled with police clearance as officers sent them back and forth to ZEC offices, which was however settled after some delays.
Along the way, the teams which included accredited BVR observers visited voter registration centres to assess the process.
In some countable centres, ZEC staff have been reluctant to provide voter registration statistics.
Some of the centres did not have commissioners of oaths at the tents, but people were referred to their offices.
While some areas had been reached with voter education by ZEC others were still eager to know about the current registration process, a gap which the national tour of civil society attempted to filled in through the roadshows. crowd attend CSOs BVR campaign.jpg
The 10 voter mobilisation teams have been touring the country with voter education material about the ongoing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process on a six day campaign that started on Tuesday and will end on Sunday.
Despite the high temperatures across the country, bumper crowds have been invariably showing up in rural growth points and urban shopping centres.
The teams have been resorting to moving street by street in urban residential areas, addressing the people through public address (PA) systems mounted on huge trucks on their way across the country.
The voter registration mobilisation, observation and education dragnet is part of the two civil society organisations' joint initiative to encourage participation in electoral processes ahead of the 2018 elections.
Artists especially locally popular dance groups have been helping to pull the crowds to the voter education and mobilisation events.
On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, the teams covered areas such as Rimuka in Kadoma, Chegutu town centre, Mufakose in Triangle, and Marondera.
On Wednesday, October 18, they covered Gokwe Centre, Headlands, Zhombe, Mahombekombe and Nyanmhunga in Kariba, Tshovani in Chiredzi, Rutenga, Jerera in Zaka, and Neshuro Business Centre among others.
On Thursday, October 19, the teams travelled to Amaveni, Mbizo, Torwood and urban centre in Kwekwe, Karoi Town Centre, Chiedza Shops in Karoi, Hurungwe, Magunje, Mucheke Bus Terminus in Masvingo, Masvingo Central Business District, Mpandawana, Munyarari shops in Glenview 3, Nyika Growth point, and Birchenough Bridge among other places.
On Friday, October 20, the teams covered Mkoba 6, 14, 17, Senga and CBD in Gweru, Ngundu and Chivi in Masvingo, and Murambinda Growth Point in Buhera among other places. Two more days are left in the campaign which will be wrapped up on Sunday.
The registration teams roped in Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) voter educators, including District Elections officers who addressed people and in the case of Lowveld in Chiredzi areas helped to translate the messages into languages such as Shangani.
Many people wanted to know about the proof of residence and the dates of voter registration blitz in their areas, which the teams provided.
The teams also tried to dispel the fears and deliberate misinformation by some elements that the use of biometric features such as faces and fingerprints for voter registration will lead to people they chose being known in the 2018 elections.
Nevertheless, in some areas such as Headlands in Manicaland the team struggled with police clearance as officers sent them back and forth to ZEC offices, which was however settled after some delays.
Along the way, the teams which included accredited BVR observers visited voter registration centres to assess the process.
In some countable centres, ZEC staff have been reluctant to provide voter registration statistics.
Some of the centres did not have commissioners of oaths at the tents, but people were referred to their offices.
While some areas had been reached with voter education by ZEC others were still eager to know about the current registration process, a gap which the national tour of civil society attempted to filled in through the roadshows. crowd attend CSOs BVR campaign.jpg
Source - Byo24News
