Majority of voter registration centres  lacked signage, were not PWD friendly

Thandeka Matebesi 

The majority of voter registration centres in Bulawayo were not accessible and friendly for people with disabilities (PWDs) during the just ended voter registration blitz, a survey by the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) has revealed. 

According to WILD, at least five centres out of the seven that were part of the survey did not have a PWD friendly environment. Centres that were not PWD friendly are: Ngwenyama Primary School in Emganwini, Mazwi Primary School in Magwegwe, Waterford Primary School, Mtshane Primary School and Tshaka Pre-School. 

On a positive note, centres like Townsend High School and Luveve Beit Hall had facilities for people with disabilities. 

WILD also observed that some centres such as Townsend High School and Gampu Primary School had no signage to show that voter registration was taking place and due to limited visibility of the registration centres they were few people coming to register. 

“There are no posters outside the centre (Townsend) showing that voter registration is taking place…The centre (Gampu Primary) is not visible to the public. No signage or posters outside the gate to show voter registration is taking place. There is a low turnout of people registering to vote. Most people coming to the centre are coming for the Civil Registry department which is onsite issuing IDs,” said WILD.

In an interview with Community Podium, Tsepang T. Nare a Disability Development Consultant  said while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had made commendable strides with regards to choosing centres with wheelchair ramps, there was still a long way to go in terms of visual accessibility at the centres. 

“In terms of physical accessibility into the rooms, I think they (ZEC) have worked hard on that maybe there are still one or two centres that did not have ramps. Right now if one were to visit a school which will be used as a voter registration and polling station and see a classroom with a wheelchair ramp they automatically know it’s a ZEC room. However, there is accessibility in terms of communication. At most of these centres you will find there is not even a single sign language interpreter. I went to one registration centre which was close to where I stay and enquired if they have an interpreter and they said they didn’t have any,” said Nare. 

Nare added that upon further enquiry as to how the officials handle a case whereby someone who is hard of hearing wants to register, the officials said they just hold the person’s hands and take finger prints without saying a word or communicating what they are doing. 

“I find it very confusing that someone who hasn’t spoken to the person they are supposedly helping or asked any questions as to how the person wants to be helped is quick to hold a hand and to take finger prints. I feel it’s an injustice by ZEC not too have adequate facilities for the deaf. I have also realised that the forms that have to be completed at the centres are written in small print. People with albinism and those that are short-sighted need large prints and those that are blind require a special print but there was nothing for them,” lamented Nare. 

He, however, said that although ZEC had promised to assist those facing difficulties some information is too private to be said out loud that’s it has to be written down. 

Meanwhile, centres such as Ngwenyama Primary School in Emganwini, St Pius Catholic Church, Mtshane Primary School and Tshaka Pre-School were some of the centres where Civil Registry Officials were not on site to issue national identity cards.