Women voters dominate in Nkayi

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Nkayi

MORE women than men had cast their vote in both Nkayi South and Nkayi North constituencies in Matabeleland North by 4pm yesterday as scores of people turned up to exercise their right to choose leaders.

Voting at polling stations started at 7am but network challenges saw some polling officers struggling to give regular updates on figures to their respective constituencies command centres.

By 4pm, a total of 28 out of the 59 polling stations had submitted their statistics to the district command centre in Nkayi South, according to the constituency elections officer, Ms Langelihle Maipisi.

She said the submitted figures showed that 2 270 males had voted while the number of females stood at 3 082, giving a total of 5 352, something she said was a reflection of most polling stations, which showed more females than males had cast their votes.

Ms Maipisi said 29 males and 21 females were turned away for various reasons such as wrong documents or not appearing on the voters’ roll.

Three candidates are contesting the Nkayi South National Assembly post and these are Cde Stars Mathe of the ruling party Zanu-PF, Mr Jabulani Hadebe of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and Cleopas Moyo of Zapu. They are 23 547 registered voters in the constituency.

In Nkayi North, 2 838 females had cast their vote by 2pm from the 22 polling stations that submitted their statistics to the constituency command centre at Nesigwe Secondary School compared to 1 925 males.

The constituency elections officer Mr Mncedisi Ndlovu said as at 2pm they had collected voting figures from 22 out of the 60 polling stations in the constituency that has four candidates in the National Assembly contest.

Zanu-PF is represented by Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, CCC has Mr Mandla Ndlovu while Mr Chief Ndlovu is standing in for MDC-T. There is one independent, Ms Sithabisiwe Mathema. Nkayi North has 24 349 registered voters.