Documents blitz to continue beyond proclamation
Grace Moyo
Registrar-General Henry Machiri has said the ongoing mobile registration blitz for national documents will continue beyond President Emerson Mnangagwa’s proclamation of the election date.
Machiri made the revelation when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.
According to the Registrar-General, 96 491 people have received national identity cards during the mobile registration blitz that commenced three weeks ago and is aimed at enabling eligible citizens to participate in electoral processes.
“We have 187 mobile registration teams deployed countrywide in all districts. During the first three weeks of this blitz, 103 992 birth certificates, 96 491 IDs and 2 762 death certificates were issued. A total of 51 687 males were given birth certificates and 52 305 females, while 48 706 males received IDs and 47 785 females. Death certificates were issued to 1 106 males and 1 153 females,” he said.
“We are hoping that we will capture as many as possible, unfortunately we are not privy to information about the proclamation,” he added.
To register to vote in Zimbabwe, the requirements is an ID. A considerable number of young people in Matabeleland had missed out on the continuous voter registration and voter registration blitzes due to lack of IDs, therefore, the current mobile exercise is expected to ease the participation of youths in processes like voter registration, voter inspection and voting.The exercise is also designed to assist those who have lost IDs and other important documents.
Steven Sibanda (20) of Msuna was all smiles after obtaining his ID, thanks to the mobile exercise.
“Normally, people in this area have to travel to Hwange to get national documents and because of the cost, most of us had elected to stay without IDs. This exercise has proved vital because now we can register to vote. The challenge is we still have to travel to Hwange to register as voters but at least it’s one problem solved,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s voter registration centre at Compensation House, remains the only centre in the district where people can register to vote. Residents from Victoria Falls and rural areas like Msuna that fall between Hwange and Victoria Falls all have to travel to Hwange to register.
Samson Dube of Empumalanga said the nation needed one more voter registration centre before the voters roll is closed. “Those willing now have IDs but anytime from now the president will proclaim an election date. There is not enough time to register everyone that wants to register as we have only one registration centre saving the three constituencies,” he said.
Hwange is comprised of Hwange East, Hwange West and Hwange Central constituencies.
According to the law, the voters roll for the 2023 harmonised elections will close two days after proclamation.
“We had earmarked to start our blitz on April 1, but due to late funding, there was a monthlong delay. Despite the delay, this year is better than last year because we went into the field with all the required material.”
Machiri bemoaned the Civil Registry Department’s financial struggles due to delays in the release of funds from treasury. He said officials who conducted the registration exercise last year are yet to receive their outstanding allowances for their efforts.
