ZEC Demands US$187 000 From Watchdog For The Release Of The Voters' Roll

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has demanded US$187 000 from a local independent election watchdog for the release of a hard copy of the voters’ roll.

Election Resource Centre (ERC) director Babra Bhebe told stakeholders at a delimitation conference in Bulawayo yesterday that they received the invoice after requesting a quotation from the electoral management body, NewsDay reported. Bhebe said:

As ERC we submitted a request to Zec to have access to the voters roll that it is going to use for the delimitation process. We received a response that it can only give us the hard copy. We then went ahead and requested an invoice and we got a quotation of above US$187 00 for us to be able to access the voters roll.

We think that this is way too much. Given the cost of the hard copy, it will be difficult for any stakeholder to acquire it and this puts into question whether Zec is willing to have anyone scrutinise the voters’ roll.

ZAPU election secretary Kevin Mapanda said the fee was too high for any political party adding, “The problem is that ZEC only engages the ruling Zanu PF party and this delimitation process is going to cause confusion.”

MDC Alliance national deputy organising secretary Mukombwe Dube echoed Mapanda’s remarks saying ZEC’s fees were meant to deprive other political parties of access to the voters’ roll.

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national deputy secretary for elections Ellen Shiriyedenga also said ZEC should have consulted before gazetting the fees.  

CCC leader Nelson Chamisa said only a credible, auditable and affordable voters roll would lead to a free and fair election. He posted on Twitter:

A credible voters’ roll is non-negotiable. By all means necessary, getting a verified, certified and audited copy of the voters’ roll is a must. By law, the voters’ roll is biometric. Levying a cost to limit access is unacceptable. It’s a fight for a credible election.

ZANU PF director of commissariat, mobilisation and elections Kizito Kuchekwa said they respected the independence of ZEC despite having their own concerns against the electoral management body.

ZEC spokesperson commissioner Jasper Mangwana, however, said a cheaper electronic format would be available “soon”.

Mangwana said there were currently no legal provisions on how the independent audit demanded by CCC could be done, he told NewsDay.

He added that the “alleged facts around rigging are impossible.”

ZEC chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said the prices are not set by ZEC, “but they are gazetted by the laws of Zimbabwe. Zec simply follows the rules.”

This comes as data analysts are calling for the inspection of the voters’ roll amid reports that there are anomalies that can affect the credibility of the 2023 elections.

Election stakeholders including Team Pachedu claim that ZEC intends to manipulate election processes in favour of the ruling ZANU PF.

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