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Jotsholo Theatre That Matters update
Bulawayo Agenda
May 24, 2013

Scores of villagers participated in the Theatre That Matters Arts Festival held at Mabhunu Business Centre at Sobendle ward, Jotsholo yesterday. The event, under theme “Your Vote Your Voice” saw edutainment on the need to register to vote peacefully from Kaisa and Victory Siyanqoba.

Below are the major highlights of the festival;

• Villagers who participated in the festival gave feedback that the just ended Mobile Voter Registration (MVR) was done for only a day at Tshongogwe Secondary School used as a MVR centre in Sobendle ward, Lupane leaving many citizens unregistered.
• Some villagers proffered ignorance about the just ended Mobile Voter Registration exercise and called for the process to be redone to allow them to register to vote.
• Traditional leaders who were present said that they were not intimidated and have resolved to defy Jabulani Sibanda’s ‘instruction’ that they (traditional leaders) should warn villagers to vote for ZANU PF saying every individual has his or her right to exercise freedom of choice during the elections.
• Performing groups urged the participants to register and vote peace fully in the next election through songs, dance and placards.
• The group also demonstrated that women have a right to be voted for through a short play urging the women participants not to hesitate to contest for positions they are interested in.
• Timidity among villagers was also noted as those who participated in the event did so from a distance supposedly after Jabulani Sibanda’s terror campaign.
• Lack of identity documents is affecting villagers’ right to register to vote with a case in point being the 18year old single mother whose birth certificate was burnt in 2006 and to date has failed to get it replaced as she has failed to get assistance from the Jotsholo registry sub-offices where she has repeatedly told that her details are not in their system.
• Bulawayo Agenda gave feedback to the participants on the recently signed New Constitution urging participants to take advantage of the expected (as per the new constitution) 30 day mobile voter registration process to register to vote.

There were also interactive games targeting randomly picked participants to gauge their knowledge and gained awareness during the activity. Some participants were rewarded with t-shirts (with election related messages) after responding to questions asked by the MC.

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