Fed up with the slow pace of the process, they broke windows and forced riot police to step in.
The Zimbabwean visited the area on Sunday and witnessed long queues. Frustration was evident among those awaiting their turn.
“People had become frustrated as it was taking long for them to register. Some of them had come in the early morning but the pace was very slow and this resulted in pushing and shoving, and eventually chaos broke out. Some classroom windows were broken,” said a police officer who had been at the scene.
A Waterfalls police reaction group was deployed to calm the situation. Police spokesperson for Harare Province, Tedius Chibande, said he was yet to get a report on the incident.
People at the registration centre told The Zimbabwean they were concerned that officers from the Registrar General’s Department were working at a snail’s pace.
“I think some people will be left out because there is no sense of urgency among the officers,” said a Southlea Park resident who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
In another development that could result in the exclusion of several MDC-T activists from the registration process, Zanu (PF) officials were denying proof of residence letters to the former.
Suspicions are high that the RG’s Department is working in cahoots with Zanu (PF) officials after farm settlers were told that they had to bring a proof of residence letter signed by a Zanu (PF) official in their respective areas.
At Crest Breeders Farm Primary School, The Zimbabwean discovered that names of people who would have been issued with the proof of residence letters were being forwarded by Zanu (PF) Chairpersons to the RG’s officers.
A proof of residence letter seen by this reporter had the signature of one Ezekiel Karimanzira, who signed in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Ushewokunze Housing Cooperative.
When asked about the process of obtaining proof of residence if one is a farm dweller, an official said: “What you can do is to locate your Chairman here and he will give you a letter that you will use when you get inside.”
MDC-T District Youth Secretary for Harare South, Tatenda Chigwada said several activists from his party were left out after Zanu (PF) officials refused to give them proof of residence letters. “The situation was worse at St John’s Retreat Farm where Zanu (PF) youths were manning the entrance gate and vetting out people whom they suspected to be from the MDC-T,” said Chigwada.
At Southerton Primary School, proof of residence proved to be the major obstacle, with many aspiring voters turned away.
People blamed the officers for being too stringent.
“Imagine I came here with a ZESA bill bearing my surname but I was told that my father should write a letter for me to confirm that I reside at the address on the electricity bill,” said one resident.
Post published in: News