adminMartha Leboho
Disabled people in Masvingo have appealed to Government to extend the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise to cater for some of them who failed to register for this year’s elections.
Disabled Amalgamation Community Trust director Mr Henry Chivhanga yesterday said his organisation was going to petition ZEC on the challenges faced by physically-challenged people during the BVR exercise.
“We feel that if ZEC had no problem with a decision by our courts that aliens should vote in our elections, then I do not think they will have a problem with extending the BVR exercise specifically for people with disabilities,’’ he said.
Mr Chivhanga claimed that about 90 percent of ZEC registration centres could not accommodate people with disabilities during the BVR exercise, hence the need to extend it so that they were not disenfranchised.
“If you have noticed, 90 percent of the registration centres could not accommodate people with disabilities because among other reasons, there were no trained people to accommodate and represent us,’’ he said.
“There should be involvement of people with disabilities, that is starting with voter education, which should be done by disabled people for disabled people.
“We do not want able people to represent the disabled.
“We also expected ZEC pamphlets to be written in braille pamphlets and the use of sign language at the registration centres.”
Mr Chivhanga said people with disabilities constituted 16 to 20 percent of Zimbabwe’s population and about 800 000 were eligible voters.
“Our appeal is that there should also be ballot papers marked in braille to ensure that everyone votes,” he said.
“Polling stations should be manned by people who know sign language.
“Wheel chair-bound voters should also find it easy to access polling stations to cast their vote.’’
Online Reporter