Second phase of voter registration starts

Chronicle Reporters
HUNDREDS of Bulawayo residents yesterday thronged registration centres to register as voters despite the chilly weather when the 30-day second round voter registration started. The exercise is meant to cater for thousands of prospective voters who failed to register during the first round which started on 29 April and ended on 19 May.
When the Chronicle news crew visited some of the registration centres dotted around the city in the morning and in the afternoon, it found many residents in queues waiting to register.

The voter registration exercise is running concurrently with the inspection of the voters’ roll, voter education programme, issuing of birth certificates and identity cards.

In Mpopoma suburb hundreds of residents were still in the queue at the community hall at 2pm seeking to register as voters.
A majority of them were first time voters who included the youths and the elderly, who all along have been regarded as aliens.

The new constitution allows citizens who have been regarded as aliens to switch to Zimbabwean citizenship so that they are eligible to participate in national elections.

“For the first time we are going to participate in elections like every Zimbabwean. We are happy to be recognised,” said a Mpopoma woman who declined to be named.

The youths could also not hide their excitement at being afforded another opportunity to register.
“I am excited to register as a voter for the first time. I have managed to get an ID and I have already registered. The process is fast and the officers are polite,” said an 18- year-old male youth.

A similar scenario was observed at Fusi Primary School in Gwabalanda and Queen Elizabeth Primary in Nkulumane where residents were still trickling in late in the afternoon.

“We are happy that the Government has given us another chance to register. The process is now easy and lodgers like us can now register. My landlord wrote me a confirmation letter and I have registered,” said a woman from Nkulumane who identified herself as Ms Sibanda.

Voter education officers were also spotted in the city’s suburbs conscientising residents on the need to register as voters.
“We visit residents in all the places and encourage them to register as voters. We discuss the challenges they are facing and direct them to registration centres,” said one of the officers in Mpopoma who could not be named for professional reasons.

Registration was also taking place at Milton Junior School.
The voter registration centres are open between 7am and 7pm during week days and 7am to 5pm during weekends.
Bulawayo has five voter registration teams that are expected to move around the city’s suburbs.

A huge turnout was also recorded in Beitbridge where four teams have been dispatched around the district.
There are more than 60 registration centres in Beitbridge district.

The mobile registration teams started their operations in Beitbridge West   Constituency where most people had raised concern over the limited time they were allocated in the first phase.

A heavy presence of voter educators was also noted at most centres around the district.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland South deputy chairperson Cde Rabelani Choeni welcomed the second phase of the registration exercise saying the party was happy with the response on the ground.

“We are happy with the progress on the ground. From what we are getting most people in rural areas are now aware of the mobile voter registration dates and centres.

“As a party we will continue mobilising our supporters to register as voters so that they can vote in the forthcoming harmonised elections.
“Our teams are busy on the ground advising our supporters about the dates and centres,” he said.

The programme is provided for in the new constitution and is set to pave way for the harmonised elections expected by 31 July.
During the registration process those born in Zimbabwe when either their father or mother was a Zimbabwean citizen or any of their grandparents was a Zimbabwean citizen by birth or registration would be entitled to change their status from aliens.

People born in Zimbabwe of parents from any Sadc country, who were previously classified as aliens can also change the status of their citizenship.
The application to change the citizenship status is free of charge.

In order to effect this change of citizenship, the applicant must bring a national identity document, the full original Zimbabwean birth certificate and proof of residence.

According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) at least five million potential voters are expected to participate in the harmonised elections.

More than 200 000 first time voters registered in the first round voter registration exercise according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.