By Takudzwa Changadeya
As Zimbawe gears up for the 2023 general election, residents in Victoria Falls are crying foul over the decentralisation processes of districts by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which have placed the nearest voter registration centres 100 to 200 km from the resort town.
This, in turn, has affected hundreds of potential voters who are yet to be registered and they are unlikely to get to the polls.
Game ranger Samuel Chivhenku from Victoria Falls told Bustop TV that he is unable to travel to Hwange, which is over 100 km away, just to register to vote.
“Hwange is over 100 km away from us, the bus fare of a round trip is exorbitant. I just can’t afford to commute to Hwange to get registered,” he said.
Speaking to Bustop TV, another resident from Victoria Falls, Sinikiwe Ncube, condemned ZEC for depriving them the right to vote, arguing the election body is just being negligent.
“We are being deprived of our constitutional right and if this issue remains unresolved, a lot of people are not going to vote because not everyone is able to go to Hwange for voter registration.
“I don’t understand; I am not even sure if ZEC is aware of this. We thought they would come and address this issue but till today, people are still forced to travel to Hwange to get registered,” she said.
ZEC commissioner Jasper Mangwana confirmed to Bustop TV that there is no permanent registration centre in Victoria Falls and that the centre is situated in Hwange.
The situation is the same in Chikombedzi where the centre is 200 km away in Chiredzi.
“What we can say as a commission is that we are aware that we decentralised to 63 districts. It will also be part of our intentions and plans to ensure that we decentralise further so that people are able to register without difficulties,” Mangwana said.
“However the commission will be appraising the public pertaining to its plan and strategy on voter registration tools, and areas where there are challenges.”
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday gazetted the constituency Delimitation Report by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) setting the stage for general elections expected later this year.
In an extraordinary government gazette: Mnangagwa declared;
“Now, therefore, under and by the virtue of the powers invested in the President, l do by this my Proclamation declare the names and boundaries of the wards and he House of Assembly and Senatorial Constituencies as finally determined by the Commission, which names boundaries are set out in the schedule to this Proclamation, to the wards and National Assembly and the Senatorial Constituencies of Zimbabwe for the purposes of the forthcoming and any subsequent general election.”
