By Sydney Barson| Hundreds of MDC- T youths in South Africa last week gathered to encourage each other to come home and add their names in the Biometric Voters Roll as they are truly convinced that the diaspora vote remains a mirage.
Capturing biometric data technologically limits possible duplication and improve the identification of voters during voting.
Addressing MDC T structures in South Africa this past weekend, Kunashe Muchemwa – Mdc t National Youth Assembly Secretary for Elections said under the new election scenario, everyone has to restart registration formalities.
“The coming in of Biometric Voters Roll (BRV) which our party MDC T advocated for means that all of us are no longer registered voters because the old manual voters role has been deleted paving way for this new electronic way of doing things.
For now both voter registration and voting will happen in Zimbabwe because ZANU PF having more than two thirds in parliament has refused to align the constitution and to allow diaspora voting hence every one is encouraged to come to Zimbabwe and register when voter registration commences in a month or so.” Said Muchemwa.
BVR means that no more voting using voter registration slips, it means that ZANU cannot abuse dead people’s IDs when voting, it means no more multiple voting among others things.
“Its our opportunity, its our time. Hence lets mobilize as many people as possible to come and register so that we- can vote out this monster which has made many of you to live like refugees in a foregn land.
The President Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai our one and only hope is handling coalition talks and we believe in his wisdom hence we will follow everything he will put pen to paper.
Those who doubt him can go and consult Professor Welshman Ncube and many others who have fallen by the wayside. We have got the numbers, we have got the energy lets mobilise the young and elderly people for this very important exercise.” Muchemwa said.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is undertaking a mapping process of demarcating polling stations and one can only vote at a polling station were their address has been allocated.
Meanwhile ZEC has appealed to all people aged 18 and above to participate in the exercise being held in each province as follows:
Harare 18/01 – 27/01/17
Manicaland 29/01 – 13/02/17
Mashonaland East 14/02 – 28/02/17
Mashonaland Central 01/03 – 15/03/17
Mashonaland West 15/03 – 29/03/17
Masvingo 29/01 – 14/02/17
Matabeleland South 15/02 – 27/02/17
Matabeleland North 28/02 – 17/03/17
Bulawayo 18/03 – 24/03/17
Midlands 25/03 – 04/04/17