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Bishop Bakare

Samuel Kadungure Mutare Bureau
THE Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise has hit the 500 000 mark in Manicaland amid fears that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) might fail to beat its target to register at least 912 762 people by Tuesday’s deadline.

The low turnout has seen political parties, resident associations and civic society organisations in the province adding their voice to the growing calls for ZEC and Government to extend the registration dates by at least two months to allow more voters time to register.

They said an extension was the only way to allow them ample time to register to vote for the 2018 elections. Provincial elections officer (Manicaland) Mr Moffat Masabeya, said so far 553 184 prospective voters had been registered to vote next year. This represents 60,6 percent of the set target of 912 762 registrants by ZEC.

“We may not attain 100 percent, but we may be close to that (figure) by the close of Phase Four on December 19. Aliens have started registering and we are compiling their statistics,” said Mr Masabeya.

Mr Masabeya said the fourth phase, which began on December 4 and ends next Tuesday, had so far registered 83 745 in Mutare District, of which 36 062 were males and 47 683 were females.

Two Buhera constituencies have so far registered 32 307 of which 12 291 were males and 20 016 were females. Mr Masabeya said ZEC was conducting mop-ups in Chipinge, Chimanimani, Mutasa, Nyanga and Mutare North and the response was encouraging. By the time ZEC finished its registration blitz in these areas, the Registrar-General’s office was still issuing people with national identity cards.

“So far, the mop-up exercise has registered 3 198 in all areas covered under the first and second phases. By the time we finished phases one and two, people in Chipinge, Chimanimani, Mutasa, Nyanga and Mutare North were still being issued with IDs and we had to provide a window for them to register.

“The response to the mobile mop-up registration is encouraging. However, there won’t be any mop-ups in areas covered under the third and fourth phase because the issuance of IDs was completed before we moved in,” said Mr Masabeya.

Bishop Sebastian Bakare of the Anglican Church said Government should listen to the wishes of the people.

“Very few people have registered, and the period should be extended to allow residents associations, civil society and political parties, together with ZEC to mobilise more people to register to vote. The turnout is evidently low and we cannot be rigid on deadlines. People need time,” said Bishop Bakare.

Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) official Ms Getrude Chimanikire said Government should allow more time for voters to register.

“We wish that the on-going voter registration process could be extended to enable all those who qualify as provided for in the Constitution of Zimbabwe to register without hindrances. We wish that the BVR exercise may be extended beyond previously scheduled dates in view of the fact that the turnout in all areas is low,” she said.