Hopewell Chin’ono pushes voter registration drive, ‘to get rid of failed govt’
By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |
Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono is urging youths in Zimbabwe to register in their numbers to make it difficult for the next election in 2023 to be tampered with.
Zimbabwe is set to hold it’s harmonised elections in 2023 but the fallout from the last election in 2018 is still being felt with allegations President Emmerson Mnangagwa rigged his way to victory.
Chin’ono who has been arrested several times by the regime on ‘trumped up charges’, is urging youths in the country to register in large numbers to make rigging by Zanu PF difficult.
“This lady asked me about the voter registration process. She has taken 14 of her nephews, nieces and their friends! They are registering as you read this!
“Those are the votes that will help STOP rigging and also change the destination of Zimbabwe from a basket case to a bread basket!” he said.
“The youths are paying attention, they understand that their power to transform their lives lies in their voting in huge numbers to STOP rigging!
“Zanu PF is angry with the registration campaign because it knows that it makes it difficult for the captured State institutions to rig!”
Some of the positive replies he got:
“Appreciated I have taken 14 of them with friends from a shopping centre to the district office and will wait for them till they are done. Appreciated”
Another respondent said: “I’m inspired, where do we go for registering, how do we go about it.”
Chin’ono has also shown appreciation to the adults:
“I am glad that adults are also helping the youths to get registered to vote. Check whether ALL the youths in your family are registered to vote.
“It is us the adults who are having to pick up the pieces of a FAILED Government by looking after our youths. Help them help themselves.”
He added: “Thank you Zimbabwean Youths for making #2023IamVoting the number 1 issue in Zimbabwe this morning!
“We will demand Political Reforms whilst we are registering to vote. A soldier doesn’t buy a gun the day when war is declared, they are always ready,” he said.
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said encouraging people to vote is a necessity.
“Registering to Vote and Voting are democratic exercises, they are not at par with guaranteed security of the vote and or the electoral outcome – Thus encouraging people to vote is a practical necessity. Voting is a constitutionally guaranteed right!” he said. Nehanda Radio
