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Ms Talent Mutsiki of Zec in Masvingo helps a voter to register using a BVR machine while another Zec officer, Ms Stella Zirima, monitors the process on a laptop at Masvingo provincial registrar’s office yesterday

Walter Mswazie Herald Correspondent
SOME Masvingo residents yesterday failed to register in the new biometric voters registration exercise as their wards did not appear on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s records.

Masvingo Ratepayers and Residents Alliance spokesperson Mr Godfrey Mutimba yesterday said some residents had reportedly failed to register as their wards were not appearing on ZEC’s records.

“We have received reports that some residents were turned away without registering at the Registrar’s Office because their wards do not appear in ZEC’s system. I know of residents from Ward 7 who were turned away over the issue,” he said.

Mr Mutimba added: “We therefore urge the powers that be to attend to the problem so that every resident willing to exercise his or her democratic right to vote gets the opportunity to register.”

Masvingo Residents’ Trust coordinator Mr Prosper Tiringindi also alleged that some residents who did not have proof of residence had to pay for the certification of their affidavits.

“Those who did not have proof or residence in the form of lodgers’ cards or water bill statements had to pay for the certification of affidavits.

“The ZEC Commissioner of Oaths was said to be away and yet they should have the affidavits certified at no cost,” he said.

A visit to the offices yesterday afternoon, however, showed that the exercise was being done smoothly and there was a short queue.

A Commissioner of Oaths was there in Room 9 certifying voters’ affidavits without any challenges.

ZEC provincial election officer Mr Pudurayi Zirabada said the exercise was going on well as planned but acknowledged the problem in Ward 7.

“The BVR exercise is going on well. We are, however, sorry for the mix-up which occurred on coding the polling centres and that has affected residents in Ward 7.

“The ward is there in our records but it is the coding that is wrong where the Rujeko code was put on Shakashe and vice versa. Those voters under Rujeko have to be registered under Shakashe instead of remaining in their polling stations.”

He said efforts to rectify the problem were underway.

“We have contacted the technician to correct that mix-up as we want voters to vote at the nearest polling station. However, it is the same ward but that will be rectified soon,” he said.

On the Commissioner of Oaths, Mr Zirabada said every district election officer is a Commissioner of Oaths.

“I am also sorry with those who had to pay for the certification services of their affidavits. Actually our district election officers are Commissioners of Oaths that they should commission residents’ affidavits,” he said.

Mr Zirabada said the Commissioner of Oaths could be overwhelmed but they were readily available at the centres.

“We will also put the affidavits at all Government offices for easy access to the services and voters can have them certified at the centre,” he said.