Eligible voter may not vote in forthcoming election in Gwembe

Eligible voters in Hamatuba and Kkutwa areas in Gwembe District are likely not to participate in the forthcoming general elections because officers who conducted the national registration exercise did not reach the area.

This came to light when the District Voter Education Committee (DVEC) members carried out the voter education monitoring programme in the area.

Many eligible voters complained to the committee that they were unable to register as voters because they did not have national registration cards.

They said the mobile national registration card exercise did not reach their area hence their predicament.

The mobile national registration card exercise only reached Siampande and people from Hamatuba and Kutwa were expected to cover a long distance to Siampande to be issued with green National Registration Cards.

Kota-Kota Ward Councilor, Kenneth Siavundu told ZANIS that many people could not walk to Siampande to be issued with an NRC because of the long distance involved.

Siavundu feared that many eligible voters will be disfranchised and appealed to individuals to ensure that they obtain green national registration cards before the voter registration exercise came to an end.

And the police in Gwembe have run out of police reports issued to people seeking to replace their lost voters cards.

Gwembe police officer-in-charge Tundwe Chisanga disclosed to ZANIS yesterday that the police was overwhelmed with the number of people seeking to obtain police reports to replace their lost voters cards during the on-going registration exercise.

He said his office was working towards having more police reports reproduced to ensure the continuation of the exercise.

By press time yesterday, Hauma registration centre at Hauma Community School had only 15 police reports remaining.

Meanwhile, faulty generator sets are threatening the success of the voter registration exercise in Gwembe District.

Gwembe District Electoral Officer, Fred Mooya told ZANIS recently that his office had continued to receive reports of faulty generator sets at some registration centres.

He said Malilasuntwe registration centre had captured less new voters due to faulty generator sets used in the production of voters cards.

He explained that about 3 faulty generator sets had been withdrawn for repair and feared that the pace of the exercise could be slowed down if the situation persists.

[ ZANIS ]