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Voter Registration update week ending 3 August 2007
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
August 06, 2007

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) continued to observe the ongoing mobile voter registration exercise. This report is based on nationwide observations by ZESN as well as feedback that ZESN has been getting from members of the public.

No mobile registration of voters has taken place in Gweru and Kwekwe up to date. The Registrar General of Voters has not set up mobile teams to register voters in these two Midlands towns. Instead the aspiring voters should travel to static centers to register. There is one center in each of the two towns that caters for the thousands of prospective voters. The efficient operation of both centers has been particularly affected by persistent power cuts.

In spite of the fact that the exercise has been ongoing for the past six weeks there are still many people who are unaware of the registration centres. During the week under review ZESN received at least 93 telephone enquiries from members of the public asking about the whereabouts of the mobile registration teams. It is significant that more than 80% of these calls came from people resident in areas that the registration teams have already visited.

Warren Park 1 Primary School in Harare dispatched letters informing parents of this exercise. The ZEC team also visited some local churches on Sunday 29 July 2007 urging people to come and register. This was in spite of the fact that the exercise had began the day before. It would have been more prudent if the announcements had been made the previous week. At Mukumba the publicity of the registration exercise was aided by posters and announcements made to schoolchildren by teachers.

There was no evidence of political parties urging people to register as voters at the registration centers. The anti-senate MDC however held a rally in Kuwadzana urging its supporters to register as voters. ZESN also received reports that members of the military have been recruited to conduct the voter registration exercise. It was however unable to verify the authenticity of this exercise.

ZESN also received feedback from the people at its community workshops. In Hopley (outskirts of Harare) people alleged that they were supposed to get their proof of residence from the local ZANU PF chairperson. They also alleged that this chairperson refused to grant such letters to people he was uncertain belonged to his party.

Traditional leaders in most areas have been cooperative with most prospective voters. At Mukumba traditional leaders assisted prospective voters by giving them proof of residence letters as well as informing them of the dates of the registration exercise.

ZESN still insists that the mobile voter registration period should be extended in order to cater for all deserving citizens who wish to participate in the 2008 elections and all other future elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Registrar general of Voters should also publicise the mobile registration centers in order to adequately inform prospective voters.

Visit the ZESN fact sheet

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