Five million register to vote

By Nqobile Tshili

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has registered over five million people ahead of harmonised elections scheduled for later this year.

In a statement, Zec said 5 021 295 people had registered to vote by 4PM on Sunday.The electoral commission is holding a mobile voter registration mop up exercise to cater for people who failed to register during its mobile BVR blitz that ended on December 19.

The mop up exercise commenced on January 10 and will end on February 8.

“Total voters registered to date is 5 021 295. This figure includes figures from the static registration centres for the period October 18, 2017,” said Zec in a statement.

It said so far, 86 170 people have been turned away from registering after they failed to produce required registration material. The commission however noted that some of the people who were turned away later successfully registered after bringing the required documents.

A valid passport or identity card, long birth certificate for citizens with alien status and proof of residence is required for one to register to vote.

Zec stated that some citizens whose identity cards have alien status are still being turned away because they do not have long birth certificates as required.

The commission said that Bulawayo province still trails in the registration programme with over 400 000 registered voters while Midlands province with over 865 000 people.

Zec said Harare province, with 1 345 818 people, is one of the provinces with the lowest number of registered voters given its big population. The Chronicle