|
Back to Index
This article participates on the following special index pages:
Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Chaos at mobile registration centres
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
June 21, 2013
Tafara
2 Community mobile voter registration Centre
As late as 5
pm, with only 2 hours to close on its last day, Tafara 2 Community
mobile voter registration centre was pregnant with more than 300
people who had been allocated numbers for queue as early as 7pm
in the morning. With police failing to control the gusty crowd which
seemed extremely annoyed by the impending fact that getting
registered to vote was turning into yet another lost opportunity
and those hoping to secure identification documents coming to terms
with the reality of another wasted break, it seemed hard for one
to locate the effectiveness of these decentralised centres. The
elderly residents who were hoping to cross check their names or
assist their minors in getting registration certificates, were seated
in the dusty drains of Tafara, their hopes tied to the unconfirmed
fact that an extension was imminent given the number of people who
were outside the centre.
C.J
Hall, Highfields M.V.R.C
In Highfields, our ward
voter club, managed to observe registration at C.J Hall. At 2pm
there were close to 200 people crowded outside waiting to register
to vote. ZEC electoral educators were also seen outside talking
to people in their respective queues. However, between 1 and 2 pm,
there was a huge slow down which could have been perpetuated by
staff lunch breaks. At 5 pm close to a hundred people waited outside
in anticipation of being served as well.
Overall findings as of
the 20th of June:
| Registration
Centre |
Number
of People (Towards Close) |
Comments |
| Kuwadzana
2 Primary |
50+ |
Queuing
system demarcated along service-need improved service time.
There were no clear inscriptions from Kuwadzana
4 shopping centre directing people to the registration centre.
Affidavits were available during observation
periods.
|
| C.J Hall |
100+ |
At C.J
hall there was chaos when it came to organising people in queues
due to the high turnout.
There were no clear inscriptions from the
major highway and Machipisa shopping centre directing people
to the registration centre.
Lunch breaks seemed to frustrate residents
with some going back to their homes without registering
There was a high turn-out of young people
who wanted to register
Aliens were being referred to K.G6 (Military
Centre) to regularise their I.Ds.
|
| Tafara
2 Community Centre |
300+ |
This area
needs at least another 5 days in order for people to fully register
(it closed yesterday).
Queues were very slow.
The card system showing numbers did nothing
to control the crowd as people ended up forcing themselves
inside the centre
Ironically, the local residents, especially
the elderly were contemplating coming back the following day
not knowing that the centre would be closed that day.
The team leader confirmed to the local CHRA
voter club that they would close at 7pm regards less of people
presence or not adding that “his staff needed to rest
for the next deployment".
|
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
