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Zec seeks BCC staff for elections

by Staff reporter
09 Jul 2018 at 07:53hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) which seeks to employ 130 000 election officers has written to the Bulawayo City Council requesting 101 staff members to join Zec for the July 30 harmonised elections.

In a letter signed by the district elections officer, Mrs Sithembiso Khuphe, Zec asked the local authority to second staff for the elections.

"The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is an organisation that is mandated by Section 239 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe to prepare and conduct elections. The Commission recruits personnel from Government departments, parastatals and other commissions for its activities as prescribed by the electoral act," said Mrs Khupe.

She said the seconded staff must as part of the qualifications have honesty and integrity, Ordinary levels plus tertiary education and be non-political activists.

She said council was expected to contribute ward election officers, deputy ward elections officers (National Assembly), presiding officers, polling officers, three statisticians and three data capturers. "It was further brought to the attention of the Council that three members of staff namely Messrs M Ndebele, E Panesu and Miss S Ndlovu were provisionally seconded to Zec in the capacities of logistics Committee member, Constituency Elections Officer (CEO) and Deputy Constituency Elections Officer (DCEO) respectively, for the coming harmonised elections. That brought Council's staff contingent under Zec secondment to one hundred and one (101)," read the letter.

Council resolved that authority be granted for the secondment of the 101 employees to Zec for the 2018 Harmonised General Elections scheduled for 30th July.

The Town  Clerk Mr Christopher Dube was  authorised to nominate staff who are eligible for Zec duties in line with the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

The council also resolved that the employees seconded to Zec should be granted special leave.

Zec has revealed that it will recruit about 130 000 polling officers for this year's harmonised elections.

That will be about 22 percent increase from 106 000 polling officers that were recruited during the 2013 harmonised elections.

Zec acting chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana has said the electoral body works in accordance with the Electoral Act which stipulates that officers are drawn from the civil service.

"According to the Electoral Act, recruitment of polling officers is done form State institutions, local authorities and the Health Services Board. We write to them and inform them of the qualifications that we need for one to qualify to be a polling officer. That is how we select polling officers," said Mr Silaigwana.

Some school headmasters have already submitted lists of teachers to be seconded to Zec for the elections. Most schools will be used as polling stations.


Source - chronicle