Kazembe told The Zimbabwean that the complaints by prospective voters were “few” and lacked substance, hence her Commission’s inaction on the issue.
“Of the few cases of complaints the Commission has received of voters being turned away, the Commission has not been able to find fault with the Registrar General of Voters’ Office,” Kazembe said in a statement via email.
She added that as part of ZEC’s efforts to supervise the voter registration process, the Commission has installed an independent computer with a national voters’ roll which is taken to the Registrar General of Voters for updating every week.
Reports are rampant that prospective voters, especially youths, are being turned away at their respective Registrar General’s offices across the country.
The Zimbabwe Youth Forum has expressed disgust and made calls for the amendment of the country’s electoral laws.
Analysts believe the turning away of prospective voters is a ploy by Zanu (PF) to rig the forthcoming elections.
On preparations for the upcoming elections, Kazembe said ZEC had managed to cover much ground in terms of training and capacity building of its staff.
“In addition, UNDP funding has enabled ZEC to acquire vehicles, computers, laptops, Public Address Systems, Dictaphones, TV sets, DSTV decoders, DVD players and furniture,” said Kazembe
She disclosed that ZEC had been able, through funding from the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Development in Africa, to conduct conflict management workshops with various stakeholders.
The workshops, she said, culminated in the formation of a committee whose task it was to harmonise the approach to conflict management in the next polls.
Concerning voter education, Kazembe said: “ZEC has already identified organisations that want to work with it to conduct voter education and these have already undergone intensive training of trainer courses using materials produced by ZEC in consultation with all stakeholders.”
Kazembe said her Commission was awaiting government funds for elections which will be held next year.
Post published in: News