700K register in BVR exercise

Munyaradzi Musiiwa and Sukoluhle Ndlovu
Zanu-PF Midlands Province is confident that it will surpass its voter population target of 800 000 voters after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) registered close to 700 000 people in the province during the ongoing Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise.

According to statistics released by ZEC last Friday, 696 261 people have so far registered in the province. The mop-up exercise, which commenced on January 10, is expected to run until February 8. Midlands Provincial Elections Officer Ms Dorcas Mpofu said the mop-up exercise was going on smoothly.

“The mop-up exercise is going on very well and we expect more people to come and register,” she said. “So far, we have registered 37 560 under the ongoing mop-up exercise, bringing the total of prospective voters in the Midlands province to 696 261.” Ms Mpofu said ZEC was impressed with the voter registration turnout.

“I am very much pleased with the numbers, it shows that people are heeding to the call to register,” she said. “Out of Midlands’ eight districts, Gokwe North, Gokwe South and Kwekwe have most registrants while Chirumanzu and Zvishavane are at the bottom.” Ms Mpofu said ZEC registration centres were adequately manned to ensure efficiency in the registration process.

“We have deployed 39 teams and we have 69 BVR kits to make sure that every person who is eligible registers as part of our commitment to help all people who want to register,” she said.

“ZEC officials have been granted the Commissioner of Oaths status to commission proof of residence affidavits at registration centres free of charge to ease the challenges of registrants without other documents to prove their residential locations.”

ZEC has reiterated that the registration process will continue at 63 ZEC District Offices until 12 days after the sitting of the Nomination Court for the 2018 harmonised Elections. Zanu-PF Midlands provincial Chairperson Engineer Daniel Mckenzie Ncube said the revolutionary party was mobilising its supporters to go and register to vote.

“Our province has so far registered 80,5 percent of its target voter population of 865 185,” he said. “We might not reach the figure during the ongoing BVR blitz, but by the time we go for elections I am confident that we would have surpassed the target. We want to ensure a resounding victory for our party.

“We also urge people to go and register to vote and take advantage of the ongoing mop-up exercise to register to vote and exercise their right. As a party we are oiling our machinery so that we will have a landslide victory.”