Muntuloko Mwembe
VICTORIA Falls residents yesterday felt short changed after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) cancelled its mobile Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) on the last minute without stating any reasons.
The mobile exercise was a response to concerns by residents that they were being forced to travel to Hwange, which is about 100 kilometres away to register.
In Matabeleland North province ZEC only have offices at Hwange, Binga, Bubi, Lupane, Nkayi, Tsholotsho and Umguza districts
However, ZEC confirmed the new development.
“The ZEC registration that was scheduled for Mosi High has been rescheduled for another date to be advised. Sorry for the inconvenience caused,” reads a statement from the electoral management body.
The statement was however not distributed to residents in time as they turned up for the exercise only to be disappointed.
Residents who spoke this publication said it was unfortunate that ZEC can cancel such a crucial exercise at the last minute.
“ZEC should take serious these national programmes, already we are disadvantaged by not having a ZEC office here despite that we now a city and not a town. Hwange has been far for some of us travel and now this,’ fumed one resident who identified himself as Mandla. Government last year gazetted the Census and Statistics Amendment Act to allow an early population census and pave the way for delimitation of constituencies ahead of the next election
