adminEducation, Art, Sports and Culture Minister David Coltart said in a statement yesterday that the early closure of schools would enable teachers to participate in the national exercise as polling officers.
Most polling stations would be located at schools, a situation that could have disrupted learning and disturbed voting if pupils were allowed to be at schools.
Minister Coltart said in order to compensate for the lost time, the third term would begin on September 3 instead of September 10, while the closing date for the third term remains December 5.
The harmonised elections are scheduled to be held on July 31 after the Constitutional Court upheld the date and threw out five different applications which sought the postponement of the poll to various dates.
The court upheld the proclamation made by President Mugabe on June 13 for the election and nomination dates, which was being challenged by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has since indicated that all its systems were in place for the harmonised polls and now awaited the release of funds from Treasury for voting material and allowances for polling officers.
At least US$130 million is required to conduct the polls to elect a President, national assembly members and councillors. Five presidential candidates, aspiring Members of Parliament and councillors filed their nomination papers at the Nomination Court on Friday last week.
Online Reporter