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Youths register as voters amidst obstacles
Youth Forum
October 02, 2012

Young potential voters in Bikita West Constituency, Masvingo Province, have been thronging the Registrar General's offices in Bikita seeking to add their names to the voter's roll and add their voice to the national discourse through exercising their democratic right of voting. This is as a direct result of the Youth Forum's campaign of urging young people to meaningfully and effectively participate in national processes like elections.

Dorcas Garande, a 29 year old single mother in the area had this to say 'after sitting on the sidelines for too long and watch other people vote during elections, the Youth Forum has helped me decide that I shall be part and parcel of all forthcoming elections as the Forum was able to show me the link between voting and the quality of life we lead. I have registered as a voter and I am also encouraging other youths to register as it is only our vote that can decide our future'

However, a number of youths in the area are also failing to register due to a number of limitations. The most prominent challenge is acquiring proof of residence as insinuated by the law. 'I am failing to get hold of our Sabhuku (Village headman), to write me a letter which is required by the Registrar's office as proof of residence. The only time I managed to talk to him, none of us had a pen so he could not write me the so-called proof. I have tried visiting his homestead several times and he was not at home on all the occasions' said Munyaradzi Mwenga of Makuvaza village.

This requirement has been noted to be a major obstacle by a number of players in the elections field, with the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) highlighting that this is a major problem for young people in its survey report titled A Report On A Voters' Roll Observation Conducted In Zimbabwe where it notes ". . . proof of residence in the form of a water or electricity bill in the voter's name has not been easy for some voters to obtain, this has presented problems for individuals wishing to register to vote. These requirements are cumbersome for urban populations particularly young people and people who live in rented accommodation. The burden of proof is greater for urban dwellers than for the rural population where a letter from the Kraal head is sufficient proof of residence'.

Whilst in the rural areas a letter from the Kraal head is sufficient proof of residence, work by the Youth Forum has shown that getting that letter is also very difficult for the rural dweller, especially young people who are always viewed with suspicion when they decide to register before any election dates are announced. Whilst the government employees at the Registrar General's offices in Bikita have been cooperative in registering youths as voters, it is the proof of residence requirement that has made it difficult for youths to register. Ironically, the Zimbabwe Electoral Act does not make the proof of residence a mandatory requirement for one to register, and says the officer may demand the proof of residence and does not explicitly say the potential registrant 'must' provide proof of residence.

"While the law stipulates that a voter may present proof of residence and the national registration card, in practice, proof of residence has been demanded without flexibility, especially for urban dwellers, thus increasing the burden of registration on the voter. These demands have prevented legitimate voter registration. Proof of residence is also discriminatory for people who are homeless but would like to vote. A similar situation is faced by transient and internally displaced individuals who lack a stable permanent home address and are therefore unable to vote" notes the ZESN report cited above.

The Youth Forum encourages the government to review its laws to allow all deserving voters to register with few or no hustles at all. We encourage the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to review such requirements especially for young people who usually find it difficult to produce the required proof of residence.

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