ZEC Says Voters' Roll Is Accessible And Affordable To All
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has rejected reports that the voters’ roll is inaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of citizens.
ZEC spokesperson Jasper Mangwana said any registered voter can walk into their offices and inspect the voter’s roll free of charge.
He said for a soft copy of the national roll any individual or organisation can get it for US$200.
Mangwana argued that the US$187 000 price set for a physical copy of the voters’ roll is meant to guard against the manipulation and abuse of the voters’ roll.
He said the price does not affect any Zimbabwean voter directly or indirectly as anyone can access it even from their mobile phones. Mangwana told The Herald:
Any individual can visit the nearest ZEC offices and be given the voter’s roll for inspection free of charge, taking notes with his or her pen.
Individuals using the NetOne and Econet lines can also freely check on their mobile numbers to see if they are registered by simply dialling *265#.
Mangwana insisted that to avoid tempering and duplication of the voters’ roll, ZEC has created an online portal where one can log in and analyse the roll adding the voters’ roll copy is available in both electronic and hard copy format. He said:
For hard copy it is US$1 per page as it will have security features to avoid tempering and duplication.
Some people have been abusing the voter roll by taking critical personal information of voters including their national identity numbers and addresses.
Some have been duplicating it outside the law. In 2018 a website run in the United Kingdom had a copy of a distorted voters’ roll.
Some have been manipulating the soft copy by editing, deleting, or adding names.
Meanwhile, opposition CCC treasurer-general David Coltart argued that it is unconstitutional for ZEC to demand US$187 000 for a copy of the voters’ role. He said:
So @ZECzim says it will charge US$187,000 to provide a copy of the voters roll. Not only is this illegal it also breaches section 68 of the Constitution. It is clearly designed to prevent opposition parties from being able to audit a fraudulent voters roll. #Zimbabwe
And if the US$187,000 is paid only a paper copy will be provided so it will still be difficult to audit. There is no reason why an electronic copy cannot be provided, it is simply ridiculous to say that it will be manipulated. The original copy stays intact with @ZECzim.
