ZEC trains PVOs on BVR Justice Makarau
Justice Makarau

Justice Makarau

Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week held a training workshop in Harare with private voluntary organisations (PVOs) and trusts to educate them on the new biometric voting and registration (BVR) system.

The one-day workshop was attended by officials from various organisations. Speaking at the Pre-BVR voter education workshop, ZEC chief elections officer Mrs Constance Chigwamba said the workshop was designed to capacitate voter educators before they go into the field.

“We are all aware of the electoral cycle phase we are in as a country. I need not remind you that we are already in that time where it has become imperative to prepare voters for the 2018 General Elections. “We are so privileged because the laws of Zimbabwe allow ZEC to collaborate with PVOs and trusts in educating voters on any electoral process,” she said.

Mrs Chigwamba said voter registration needs to be preceded by a vibrant voter education scheme that is specifically meant to ensure that prospective voters are well informed and willing to participate in the exercise.

“This Pre-BVR voter education therefore becomes critical to ensure that both ZEC and PVOs and trusts sing from the same hymn book and indeed sing the same hymn. “The BVR process is a new phenomenon in our country and therefore we all need to be schooled on the process,” she said.

Participants at the workshop represented different groups of the electorate. “This is a bonus for us all as your contributions will cover a wide spectrum of voter registration issues that affect women, the youth, people with disabilities, the faith-based and other members of the electorate,” added the ZEC official.

On Wednesday ZEC said it had started recruiting personnel to educate the electorate on the new biometric voting and registration (BVR) system.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the recruitment was being done at provincial level, with a target of at least four officers per ward.

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