The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) officials were on Friday putting final touches at its polling stations ahead of the by-elections tomorrow.
The country is holding mini polls to fill up vacant local government and National Assembly seats caused by recalls and the death of some of the representatives.
In Bulawayo, the elections will be held in ward 7, ward 9, ward 18, ward 12, ward 20, ward 21, and ward 26.
The vacant National Assembly seats are in Nkulumane and Pumula constituencies.
CITE visited some polling stations on Friday in Mzilikazi, Mpopoma, Magwegwe, Pumula, and Nkulumane and observed that ZEC officials were busy with preparations ahead of the elections.
“A few people are coming to check their names on the voter’s roll, so far, I only saw three people who came here to check their names. I am not sure maybe they will come during the day,” said A. Mango the presiding Officer at Lobengula Primary School in Mzilikazi.
Mango said they were also waiting for the ballot papers and the voters’ roll.
He added that they were also working on ensuring that the political parties remove their campaign posters within a 3km radius of the polling station.
At Mpumelelo primary school polling station, there were only two police officers and two ZEC officials who were on the ground waiting for the material to set up the polling station.
Meanwhile, Magwegwe primary school, the presiding officer, Jane Moyo said they had received 12 people who had come to check for their names on the voters roll.
“Some names are not in this voter’s roll because it’s either last time they voted at Magwegwe Hall but now they are coming here because they assume their names are here since the polling station is closer but their names are not here, so far four people have checked their names in this first room while next door about eight people have visited to check their names,” said Moyo
In Pumula at Pumula High School and Eastrovers ground, the presiding officers said they were almost 100 percent ready.
“We are almost 100 percent ready only that we are going to move to another classroom because this one has a poor lighting system, the other room the lighting system is good,” said Susan Bhebhe, the presiding officer.
“We are working on the final touches as you see that we are recording the material that we just received such as the attendance registers.
However, In Nkulumane, the tent polling stations were not ready as they had not yet been set up.
At Emasimini Polling station, the officers on the ground seemed to be not aware of the processes as they indicated that the presiding officer had gone to collect some material.
“We are waiting for some desks to set up because we will collect them from school, so they had said they will give us today so that we fully set up,” said one officer.
At the Nkulumane terminus polling station, there was one ZRP officer who was manning the station which was yet to be set up as she said the ZEC polling officers were away marking the radius of the polling station.
