Aliens protest at ZEC offices

The more than 50 placard wielding demonstrators from around Harare, demanded that ZEC register them in time for the July 31 harmonised elections. Some of the placards read “ZEC PLEASE REGISTER US”.

The demonstration took police at ZEC offices off-guard, as they managed to sing protest songs and drop placards at the main entrance.

They later dispersed without any arrests as police and ZEC staff shut the main gate and watched the protests from a safe distance.

“All we want is our constitutional right to vote in coming elections,” said a protestor who chose to be identified as Lillian from Mabvuku.

Though the constitution provides that aliens should formalise their citizenship and participate in the electoral process like every other citizen, a few former aliens managed to register as voters due to frustrations caused by the Registrar General and ZEC offices.

The window period given the aliens to formalise their citizenship and register as voters, was too little given the hurried elections. This resulted in thousands if not millions of the former aliens failing to register for coming elections.

“Some requirements before one formalises citizenship were made unrealistic by the powers that be, to disenfranchise millions of former aliens who are suspected to be MDC,” said another demonstrator who chose to remain anonymous.

There are an estimated 2 million former aliens in Zimbabwe, most of who were former farm and mine workers. Children to the former aliens were also affected by the alienation of their parents from the mainstream citizenry.

“We are required to bring our parents to the RG’s office before the citizenship restoration process begins. Parents should have hard to access documents as supporting evidence,” said an alien who watched the protests from a distance.

After the new constitution was adopted, ZEC told the former aliens that they could register as voters like everyone else and that there was ample time to do so before elections are held.

ZEC asked The Zimbabwean to forward its questions in writing, regarding possible responses to demands made by the demonstrators.

The Zimbabwean is yet to get a response from ZEC while efforts to get comments from the RG’s office were fruitless. Zimbabwe is going to the polls next week with some 2 million potential voters feared disenfranchised.