A number of exiles this week were turned away from registering after being told that they did not live in the areas in which they wanted to register.
Most affected were those who wanted to register to vote in the rural areas, where locals aligned to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party are running the process.
“I tried a number of times to register for the elections, but I kept being turned away because those in charge of the process said I did not live in my rural home,” said one Johannesburg-based man who wanted to register in the Umguza constituency of Matabeleland North.
“The process was being run by officials I did not know, but they were being assisted by local members of the Zanu (PF) youth militia, who kept telling them that I did not live in that place, which I left in 2008, although I have been coming home every four months.”
Another exile, who tried to register in the same constituency, said he kept being told to bring supporting documents, which were not accepted.
“At first they told me to bring one of my parents to vouch for me, but after I had done that, they demanded a letter from my headman, which I brought, but they still told me that I could not be registered because I was no longer living in the constituency,” said Anthony Tshuma.
“In the end, I was frustrated into returning to South Africa without registering for what should be my birthright. I think something should be done to ensure that we can register, otherwise, many exiles will be left out, as if denying us the Diaspora vote was not enough punishment enough already.”
Political analyst, Munjodzi Mutandiri, confirmed the situation.
“Some of the people in charge of the registration, especially in the rural areas, are local people who know the parties their fellow villagers support and deny them the right to register,” he said.
Post published in: News