ZEC Incompetence Exposed
4 January 2022
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Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance has accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(ZEC) of sabotaging the voter registration exercise.

This was pointed out by MDC Alliance Masvingo Province Youth Assembly spokesperson Timoth Muswere in a statement on Sunday.

Muswere believes the snail- slow pace at which ZEC is carrying out the crucial voter registration exercise mirrors gross incompetence.

Read statement below:

ZEC is responsible for the low voter registration turn out in 2021.

Exaggerated falsified figure”2000 some thing” still portrays ZEC ‘s incompetence

As Masvingo Youth Assembly for the democratic movement party led by President Chamisa we are not happy with the conduct of ZEC in running elections, i.e. pre and post election duties.

It is not a happy new year as we have already been subjected to many questions and doubts about the possibility of having a free and fair election.

Voter registration is a mandatory duty for ZEC. Recently a tweet posted suggesting that the number of new voters who registered in2021 is 2000 something is so ridiculous. If the figure is by any means real then ZEC still have a case to answer. It is also surprising that some voters who registered recently has their names absent from the voters roll and the question is why and how could that happen when people have registered.

Instead of releasing a detailed record ZEC chose to go on Twitter to release an unexplained ridiculous figure. This also adds more fuel to the already burning Commission over its previous compromising conduct.

The motive we are realising is that the referee is celebrating injuries.They want to cause apathy and ignorance among youths who command the highest number of support base in current Zim Politics setup.

They also want to create an impression that would justify and rubberstamp a rigged election result.

If the figures are by anyhow correct, ZEC is to be blamed. ZEC has taken a long time to commence the Voter registration blitz and voter education. Covid ,19 should not be a finger to hide behind. ZANU pf has conducted internal elections across the country hence voter registration activities should not by any means be stopped by Police.

The ZEC offices are centered far away from other wards which becomes a barrier to other virgin voters to register. For example in Mwenezi the offices are in Rutenga, some would have to travel for more than 100km which is impossible to the already proverty stricken youths and diaspora deportees. In Chivi the offices are at Chibi Office where someone would have travel from as far as Shindi,Lundi, Madamombe for registration. The mobile registration blitz should have begun as soon as yesterday and should also be given an extended time frame.

Issuance of National IDs is also a matter of concern. Most youths have been turn away and asked to come back on later date. So how could people register without National IDs.

ZEC and Registry should work hand in glove to ensure that accessing a National ID and registration can be done concurrently and should be a decentralised thing well before election period.

There are also some reports of some youths who were turned away as they sought to register under unclear reasons. Civic Society groups and our party are on voter registration mobilization drive but the authorities are a stumbling block. ZEC being the main culprit also Home affairs ministry has also put stones in the road for reasons better known to them. The ZRP selectively bars voter registration mobilization activities whereas Issuing of IDs is also a process similar to that of registering a company in its prolonging.

We therefore request that ZEC immediately decentralise to wards so that people could register and should also move concurrently with those that issue National Ids. We also call upon ZEC to consider reforms that are brought forward by players in the game.

MDC A Masvingo Youth Assembly
Information & Publicity Office