ZEC to roll out BVR kits soon

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In its mapping phase, Zec proposed to allocate 700 registration centres in Harare which will be serviced by 200 kits, while Bulawayo would have 400 centres and 105 kits.

ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) has released to civic society organisations proposed allocation schedule of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits ahead of a national blitz that is expected to be rolled out soon.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

The early blitz roll out comes after Zec took delivery of the last batch of 2 600 BVR kits from Laxton Group of Companies ahead of schedule.

Zec vice-chairperson Emmanuel Magade confirmed the delivery of the BVR kits.

“We went through the customs formalities yesterday [Friday] and we now have all the BVR kits. The blitz was supposed to be rolled out mid-October, but we are likely to roll it out earlier because Laxton has delivered the kits to us early. I cannot say the exact dates now but it will be soon,” he said.

In its mapping phase, Zec proposed to allocate 700 registration centres in Harare which will be serviced by 200 kits, while Bulawayo would have 400 centres and 105 kits.

Midlands Province with 1 390 centres and 360 kits will have the highest number, followed by Manicaland Province with 1 310 centres and 345 kits and Masvingo Province will have 1 265 centres and 330 kits.

The Zec national blitz is supposed to last 72 days. Thereafter, continuous registration will take place at district offices until 12 days after nomination.

Magade said in the past week ZEC had been training voter educators who would be released next week ahead of the voter registration blitz.

Independent electoral watchdog Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) has indicated that it would be training 2 000 voter educators and observers from across the country to cover the 1983 wards in the country.

Zesn director, Rindai Vava Chipfunde, said they were waiting for the roadmap from ZEC so that they could effectively deploy voter educators in time for the national blitz.