Zapu urges people to physically inspect voters roll

By The Standard | May. 23, 2018 | 2 Min read

THE opposition Zapu party has urged all Zimbabweans to take advantage of the ongoing inspection of the voters’ roll inspection and ensure their names were properly captured to avoid being turned away on election day.

BY SILAS NKALA

The exercise which started on Saturday and ends on May 29 is meant to enable the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to clean up the voters’ roll ahead of general elections expected later this year.

Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said while they appreciated the introduction of digital inspection system which is done using mobile phones, he warned that the procedure had many limitations such as its failure to give the voters all requisite information such as gender, date of birth and spell check.

“We have received complaints that there are some voters who have failed to physically find their names in the polling stations denoted by the over the phone service, raising fears of mis-positioning of voters from their intended polling stations,” he said.

“Considering that Zanu PF has been collecting registration slip serial numbers since the beginning of the Biometric Voter Registration exercise, we have fears the party could manipulate the resultant voters’ roll by excluding non-supporters through minor mistakes that can only be realised on voting day should voters rely only on cellphone inspection service.”

“The over the phone method must be an alternative that gives similar service and satisfaction as the physical inspection. In light of the above, Zapu reminds and encourages all would-be voters to physically inspect the voters’ roll in the polling stations denoted on their registration slip,” Maphosa said.

“Those who have lost their registration slips can approach their registration centres and polling stations with their valid identity documents or valid passport. Zec will assist them. Those who haven’t registered yet must take advantage of this window period and do register.”