Chronicle EditorFreedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has started recruiting personnel to be dispatched in every ward across the country to conscientise the electorate on the new Biometric Voting and Registration (BVR) system.
In an interview, Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the recruitment is being done at provincial level with a target of at least four officers per ward.
“The officers will be visiting every ward, raising awareness from among the electorate about the new BVR system. The campaigns are going on but we are preparing to have a blitz that will go hand in hand with the voter registration exercise in the next few weeks.
“We have campaigns running on radio and television but this blitz will reach out to people,” she said.
Justice Makarau, however, could not give the actual number of officers the commission intends to recruit saying the exercise was being done at provincial level.
“I don’t have the exact figures because the exercise is being done at provincial level but we are targeting at least four officers per ward which is quite a big number,” she said.
Meanwhile hundreds of aspiring BVR awareness officers, mostly teachers, have for the past week been thronging provincial Zec offices across the country seeking jobs.
In Gweru aspiring officers said they were being turned away with Zec officers saying they were not recruiting.
“I have been visiting the Zec offices (Midlands) since Monday but to no joy. Hundreds of people are being turned away there with officials saying they will announce a date when the recruitment will be done,” said a teacher who declined to be named.
Midlands has 296 wards meaning the province is set to recruit around 1 184 officers for the exercise.
Online Reporter