Source: UPDATED: ZEC eyes 7 million voters | The Herald July 10, 2017
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
AT LEAST seven million voters will be registered by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) when the biometric voter registration exercise begins.
ZEC’s deputy chief elections officer, Mr Utloile Silaigwana, told a media briefing yesterday that they would establish permanent voter registration centres at the national headquarters, provincial and district offices countrywide.
“The number of kits the commission has purchased has the capacity to register over seven million voters, which is far much more than the voters in the country. The duration of the exercise (voter registration) would be two and a half months and we think we would be able to capture the seven million voters I have talked about,” Mr Silaigwana said.
ZEC has purchased 3 000 BVR kits and of those 2 658 would be distributed to provinces on a pro-rata basis while 342 would be deployed as back-up kits.
A total of 9 663 voter registration centres will be established across the country.
“Publicity and awareness campaigns (on voter registration) will be carried out by the commission with the help of civil society, faith-based organisations and political parties. The commission is doing its best in order to enfranchise everyone who is eligible to vote,” he said.
Meanwhile, ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said they had paid half of the $7,5 million needed to procure the kits from Chinese firm Laxton Group who won the tender for the supply of the kits.
“We have paid the required 50 percent deposit to the supplier and we are now holding very serious conversations with the supplier to know when they can deliver,” she said.
Justice Makarau said it was only after the delivery of the kits that they would give the actual dates on when voter registration would commence.
She reiterated that for one to register as a voter they would need to produce a national identity card or valid passport, proof of residence that can be in the form of title deeds, lease agreement, letter from parents or homeowner and affidavit.
On the planned demonstration by MDC-T youths tomorrow Justice Makarau said ZEC was open to discuss any concerns political parties may have.
“We will not stand in the way of their demonstration because it is their legal right to do so. We are however, open to receive their concerns on how we can improve the distribution plan if they can propose ways to improve what we have proposed,” Justice Makarau said.
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