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Dr Sekeramayi

Rutendo Rori
Mashonaland East Provincial Executive Council (PEC) has challenged party members to embark on a massive Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) mobilisation ahead of the 2018 harmonised elec- tions. Addressing a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) meeting at the provincial party office on Monday, Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi  said it was every party member’s duty to mobilise people in their communities to register in numbers.

“As Zanu-PF members let us play our role by urging people to register to vote in numbers. If we mobilise millions of Zanu-PF supporters to register under the Biometric Voter Registration exercise it would be a chance for the party to retain power in the 2018 elections. I’m challenging the Youth League, Women’s League and MPs to mobilise people to register as voters when you go back to your constituencies,” said Dr Sekeramayi.

The same sentiments were echoed by provincial chairman Cde Bernard Makokove, who said the BVR exercise should not be taken for granted.

“In the Provincial Executive Committee meeting, we resolved that party members should go educate and mobilise people on voter registration in their constituencies. Let us take this exercise seriously by encouraging people to register as voters. We cannot expect to win the 2018 harmonised elections when we are not playing our part as leaders to mobilise our supporters to go and register. So when we go back to our constituencies, let’s embark on a massive BVR mobilisation by providing voter education to our people. I assure you that if our supporters register in masses, we’ll surely win the 2018 harmonised elections,” said Cde Makokove.

About 1,2 million people were registered during the first phase of the BVR exercise which ended on October 26. The second phase of the programme got underway on October 29 and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is confident of reaching the targeted seven million eligible voters. ZEC has established 2 508 registration centres countrywide for the massive voter registration exercise ahead of the next year’s harmonised elections.

Potential voters are expected to register anew as a new voters roll is being compiled through the current registration process. The second phase of the voter registration will run until November 13 while the third phase will take place between November 16 and December 1. The last leg will run from December 4-19.