Zec relaxes voter registration requirements

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has relaxed voter registration requirements and now allows for “aliens” to participate in next year’s general elections.

BY RICHARD CHIDZA

Zec chairperson Rita Makarau

In a statement yesterday, Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said Zimbabwe-based citizens of foreign descent, commonly referred to as “aliens”, would be allowed to vote.

“It has come to the attention of Zec that there may be some confusion regarding the rights of certain Zimbabwean citizens born in Zimbabwe and where one or both of their parents was not a citizen of Zimbabwe but was a citizen of a country belonging to the Sadc to register to vote in the forthcoming biometric voter registration exercise. These have been called ‘aliens’ in common electoral parlance,” she said.

“Zec reiterates that these Zimbabweans are eligible to register to vote in accordance with the electoral laws like any other Zimbabwean citizen.”

Makarau added that the “aliens” would, however, need to “regularise” their status with the Registrar-General’s Office.

She also confirmed that Zec would allow for citizens to register as voters from anywhere in the country as long as they could present any documentation showing their residential address.

The required proof of residence would include hospital bills with a residential address, or a letter from a relative who owns the property. The commission indicated that people would be allowed to register from anywhere in the country as long as they provided the correct address, which would be used to transfer their names to the right polling station.

“It has always been our policy that citizens can register from any part of the country as long as they can provide any proof of where they live,” Justice Makarau said.

Zec is under pressure from pro-democracy groups and opposition parties to scrap the requirement for citizens to provide proof of residence before they can be registered.