A MATABELELAND-BASED advocacy organisation Habakkuk Trust yesterday said many people in the region failed to vote during the Saturday referendum on the new constitution after failing to produce the right identification documents.
Report by Blondie Ndebele
It attributed the development to “lack of voter education”. In a statement yesterday Habakkuk, which was observing the referendum process, said people were not well educated about the correct documents to take to polling stations to be able to vote.
“Quite a number of people failed to exercise their right to vote,” the trust said.
“Only people with national identity cards and current passports were eligible to vote.
“However, because of lack of voter education, most people were ignorant of the correct documentation needed.”
It said the trend was noted in both urban and rural areas.
“Some people carried birth certificates, photocopied national IDs, expired passports or driver’s licences to try and vote,” the trust said.
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It also observed that some young people below the age of 18 with national identity cards who thought they were eligible to vote were part of the people turned away from polling stations. Those who turned 18 years on or before March 15, 1995 were eligible to vote.
Habakkuk also claimed that other voters in Mpopoma and Pumula suburbs in Bulawayo were being turned away for producing “old ID cards”.
“Aliens were also not spared as they were turned away in most polling stations in Bulawayo and outlying stations,” the trust added. It said about four people had been turned away for having brought letters from their church as they did not have national identity documents.
