Ward 24 Councilor Arnold Batirai has urged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to release the dates for voters’ roll inspection early so that eligible voters won’t miss the opportunity to inspect their names ahead of the 2023 general elections.
ZEC is set to carry out the last inspection of the voters’ roll which will take place after closing the voter registration process.
Voter registration is still ongoing and will be closed two days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaims the election date.
According to the latest council minutes, the Director of Housing and Community Services reported that an application letter dated 4 April 2023 had been received from ZEC requesting to use council premises as inspection centres.
“In preparation for the forthcoming harmonised elections, the Commission is going to conduct a voter registration exercise and is therefore requesting to use your premises as inspection centres,” read the letter.
Responding to the matter, Councillor Batirai said the Commission should be given permission to use the premises.
“I want to applaud ZEC for seeking to utilise our premises, let’s give them these premises for voter inspection because we want them to be near the citizens so that at least every citizen will have an opportunity to inspect, to know where he is going to vote, the place, the polling station,” he said.
Councilor Batirai said this will be an opportunity for community leaders to encourage citizens to participate in the process.
“I also ask ZEC to give us dates in time so that we will be able to mobilise people to go and inspect the voters’ roll, this is a very important chapter in our country, voter inspection,” he said.
He said some residents have missed the voters’ roll inspection before due to lack of information.
“It has passed so many, some didn’t even know but because we now have a new generation of leaders, let’s try to mobilise people so that at least everyone will participate in this forthcoming elections,” said Batirai.
