Chronicle EditorNyore Madzianike Manicaland Bureau
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has been impressed by the public turnout during the first day of the on-going voter registration blitz in Manicaland Province, which started on Tuesday, with long queues characterising most of the centres. Manicaland’s ZEC provincial elections officer Mr Moffat Masabeya said their officers had been busy since the voter registration blitz started. The exercise started in Chimanimani, Buhera, Mutare South and Chipinge.
“Our members of staff are being kept very busy with people coming to register. The response is very good. People are coming in their numbers at all registration centres and even our static registration centres were very busy in all our seven districts,” said Mr Masabeya Mr Masabeya said the province had 345 BVR kits and seven static district registration centres. He said they had recruited enough personnel to handle all the BVR kits.
“We divided this BVR registration blitz into four phases. The first phase is currently running in Chipinge and Chimanimani,” he said.
“It started on October 10 and is running until October 26. We have also three wards in Buhera South and two wards in Mutare South. We have deployed voter education officers who went on the ground on October 4 and are still there.” Mr Masabeya said when the first phase of the voter registration blitz end, voter education officers would then go on the ground a week earlier before the BVR operators for the second phase. He said this would allow time to educate people about the BVRs system before voters register.
“People in other districts should not feel left out since the blitz will come to their areas. They should understand that the blitz is in phases, which are expected to end on December 19,” said Masabeya. Mr Masabeya said they were still consolidating numbers of people who registered during the first phase.
Online Reporter