Zec switches to vernacular languages 

Source: Zec switches to vernacular languages –Newsday Zimbabwe

Jasper Mangwana

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has received a rare thumbs up after producing voter education material on delimitation in vernacular languages and Braille to cater for the visually impaired.

Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana said the material is available in Ndebele, Shona, Kalanga, Ndau, Sotho, Changana, Venda, Tswana, Chewa, Tonga, Xhosa and Braille languages.

“We did that so that it can appeal to the whole people of Zimbabwe. Remember electoral processes are very inclusive. So, it’s one of our mandates to ensure that we communicate in a way that people understand,” Mangwana told NewsDay yesterday.

“When we approach them they will be aware of the processes because these boundaries affect everyone. We have also been doing community radio programmes because community radios speak in languages understood in those communities.

“Even in our voter education on the group we are making use of people who speak in languages understood by respective communities for people to understand where we are coming from and where we are going,”

Zec is currently redrawing electoral boundaries throughout the country ahead of the 2023 elections.

 “… we are looking forward to the conclusion of the mapping of wards so that we can move to constituencies and meet the December deadline,” Mangwana said.

Zimbabwe Election Support Network chairperson Andrew Makoni praised Zec for finally complying with the country’s Constitution which recognises 16 official languages.

“This is welcome development in keeping with Section 6 of the Constitution. The Electoral Act must also be reproduced in the 16 languages recognized in Zimbabwe,” Makoni said.

The Zimbabwe Blind Women Trust chairperson Jules Daudi confirmed receipt of a Braille copy.

Zec has always been under pressure to introduce disability-friendly voting materials.