THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is conducting a clandestine voter registration blitz targeting rural areas, where the ruling Zanu PF party has traditionally had a strong voter base, NewsDay can report.
Critics view the registration blitz as an attempt to consolidate the party’s dominance in these regions ahead of future elections.
Witnesses in several communities have reported seeing Zec officials conducting voter registration, but without making the usual public announcements that typically accompany such exercises.
Sources told NewsDay that Zec targeted rural communities where access to information is often limited, to bolster voter numbers ahead of upcoming elections.
“Zec visited our community to register voters but without any public announcement. We only heard through word of mouth that Zec was in the area. There were no posters or notifications, just officials arriving and setting up for the day,” a villager from Gokwe said.
Another official from Gumunyu High School in Gokwe North, who requested anonymity, said the registration blitz was announced on Tuesday last week and was targeting learners.
“It is an exercise that is happening in all the schools in rural areas. So we were tasked to tell the learners about the process. They are targeting first-time voters born on or before September 2006,” the official said.
Zec deputy chairperson Rodney Simukai Kiwa confirmed the exercise, allaying fears the exercise was being done clandestinely.
“There is nothing nicodemous about it, we are not hiding anything. We have continuous voter registration, it’s not periodic. Those electoral watchdogs should come to us and we educate them on issues around the electoral processes,” he said.
Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust executive director Ignatious Sadziwa told NewsDay that Zec has been discreetly going to rural areas to register voters.
“Zec has been discreetly registering voters in several rural communities, where Zanu PF garnered the majority of its support during the 2023 general elections.
“In those elections, the ruling party won a significant proportion of votes from these areas, while the opposition's support was predominantly in urban centres.
“It has come to our attention that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has embarked on a voter registration exercise in rural areas.”
He condemned Zec for the secret voter registration blitz.
“We call upon all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society and citizens, to join us in condemning this unacceptable behaviour and demanding accountability from Zec,” Sadziwa said.
He called on Zec to immediately halt the secret voter registration blitz to ensure transparency.
“This nicodemus and nocturnal conduct by Zec is yet another low coming from a commission whose integrity is already in question more tellingly after presiding over a sham general election in 2023,” he said describing it as a clear violation of the Electoral Act.
“This clandestine operation undermines the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, eroding trust in Zec and the entire democratic system.
“By failing to publicly announce the voter registration exercise, Zec has denied citizens their right to participate in the democratic process. This secrecy also creates an environment conducive to manipulation, disenfranchisement, and electoral malpractices,” he said.
Election Resource Centre legal and advocacy officer Takunda Tsunga said there was need for Zec to uphold its constitutional obligations to conduct its duties transparently.
“While Zec is mandated to carry out continuous voter registration, there is a constitutional obligation on Zec to carry out its function in a transparent way.
“To ensure inclusion of all, Zec must publicly disclose all registration activities and work with civil society organisations and political parties to alleviate any concerns around the integrity of their conduct.
“Zec is faced with a credibility crisis and their actions must be conducted in a way that restores confidence and credibility,” Tsunga said.
Zec has faced numerous allegations of bias and corruption, particularly in its handling of elections involving Zanu PF.
Observers argued that the commission has consistently acted in ways that undermines the holding of free and fair elections, often tipping the scales in favour of the ruling party.
These allegations have been particularly pronounced in elections where Zec has been accused of manipulating the voter roll, delaying results and obstructing opposition parties from participating on an equal footing.
The ruling party’s dominance in rural areas has long been attributed to its deep-rooted presence and influence in these regions.