THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has embarked on a biometric voter registration (BVR) mop-up exercise in Hurungwe to cater for those who did not have identity documents (IDs) when the exercise commenced.
BY NUNURAI JENA
The mop-up exercise that targets only 20 centres in Hurungwe Central, West, East, North and Magunje will start tomorrow. Zec will be at each centre for four days.
Provincial elections officer, Austine Ndlovu said Zec had embarked on the mop-up exercise after realising that there were areas where they registered people to vote prior to mobile identity documents and birth certificates personnel visits.
“After a realisation that there were areas we covered during the first phase where many people had no IDs we thought it wise to go back to those areas because people were issued with IDs after we had visited the areas. That’s how we selected these mop-up areas” he said.
Pressed further on whether the mop-up exercise should not be conducted in all areas covered in phase one, Ndlovu said that can only be looked at after all the phases are completed and that decision can be done at national level.
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MDC-T elections officer for Mashonaland West Kudakwashe Chigumo called on Zec to revisit all centres covered in phase one because a lot of people failed to register due to problems ranging from non-functional BVR machines, Zec officials were not at centres due to various reasons and the proof of residence requirements were still stringent.
“The mop-up exercise should cover all centres done in phase one because at first the programme had so many problems, besides, we, as a party we are going to engage Zec to seriously consider mop-up in all districts,” Chigumo said.
Election Resource Centre director Tawanda Chimhini said although they welcome Zec’s move to conduct mop-up exercises, the exercise should be done in consultation to avoid suspicion that some political party could be behind the exercise.
Phase four voter registration starts today (tomorrow) and ends on December 19.