Some residents of Lusaka have appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to extend the voters cards replacement exercise for another week.
The exercise to replace lost or defaced voters cards started on December 27, 2014 and ends today with the ECZ maintaining that there will be no extension.
James Kamalanga, a Kalingalinga resident and one of the victim who lost his voters card said the exercise should be extended because people are still flocking to the centres to get new cards.
He told ZANIS during a spot-on check at Kalingalinga Community hall today that people have been at the centre for many hours waiting to be attended to considering that today is the last day of the exercise.
Mr Kamalanga however said ECZ officials at the Kalingalinga centre were doing everything possible to ensure that the large number of people who want to replace their voters cards are attended to before the close of the exercise later today.
And Victor Chinyama, said it was cardinal that the ECZ extends the voter card replacement exercise to enable more people be attended to.
And James Muchula, who was caught up by the ZANIS crew at the Lusaka Show Grounds said although there were few people replacing their lost voters cards at the centre, there is need for the ECZ to extend the replacement exercise.
Mr Muchula said the extension would accommodate people in high density areas who are flocking to the centres in large numbers to replace their voters cards.
He expressed concern that that many people would be disenfranchised if the ECZ does not extend the voter registration exercise for a considerable period.
At the Lusaka Civic centre, the situation was however different as ZANIS found very few people replacing their voters cards by 11: 00 hours.
Veronica Phiri said although there were few people at the centre by midmorning , the trend in the past days had been that they would flock to the centre in the afternoon.
Ms Phiri said there was need to extend the card replacement exercise to cater for more people who have lost their voters cards.
Meanwhile, some ECZ officials found at the centres monitored by ZANIS refused to comment on the exercise.
By Mr.Musonda
In Zambia there is tribalism by law.Our national registration cards are tribalist.Why do you ask me the village I come from and for my chief ? Does it mean to be a Zambian is not enough unless you have a village and chief? In most case someone has never been and will never go to the village.In this way the registration brings with it a sense of tribalism and regionalism which is bearing fruit of conflicts in Western province and North-Western province particularly in Zambezi where the Lunda and Luvale fight.
We need a system in Zambia which identifies us Zambians not of a particular square area in Zambia. My suggestion to concerned Zambians and MPs is to push for registration that will do away with this colonial system which worked then to control the number of villagers…
going town.In colonial times villagers had to get permission from whites to go to town and so needed Icitupa.
Please stop giving people too many numbers NRC number, driving license number,passport number, NAPSA number, Bank number, school Examination number,govt employee number why can’t we just have one number for everything
Every Zambian at birth must be given a number, this can be done at the clinic.This number can then be used for any public service needed.This number should be used for examinations, driving licenses, passports, banks, NAPSA number and in all forms of registration which need to be given a number.All
information of education should be entered at a central database…
@ Mr Scrutinizer
Imagine what would happen if identity fraudsters found your ONE number for everything!
which era do u live in? Have u heard of identity fraud? Do u realise how easy it would be with “one number”?
So that if I apply for a job and they need to verify my qualifications they can just contact the central system. At every city council when giving plots they should know the persons number so that if a need arises they can trace the person so easily.
When a person dies the information needs to be captured by the central system so that at the end of the year its known how many people died in that year.Such a system will also aid in the ontrol of foreigners and corruption. It will be easy to check if a person has a genuine passport in just a matter of minutes.
Please stop giving people too many numbers NRC number, driving license number,passport number, NAPSA number, Bank number, school Examination number,govt employee number why can’t we just have one number for everything.
@ Mr Scrutinizer
Imagine what would happen if identity fraudsters found your ONE number for everything!
@PA,
Our IT friends can take it up from here and get creative with the idea! This would be a perfect opportunity to come up with a unique solution for Africa by Africans!
Thanks!
Why are ECZ officials refusing to comment?
Something fishy here!
Some of these chaps gave away their voters cards in exchange for political gifts!
Of course some genuinely lost them.
This is supposed to be a continuous exercise, why now?
What happens to those that attained voting age between 2011 and 2014?
I second the idea of one social security number from birth!
Africa is widely considered among the world’s most corrupt places, a factor seen as contributing to the stunted development and impoverishment of many African states.
@4 Kachasu Politcians
That’s obviously stu.pid view point.
The West is the most corrupt. Look how they steal from the poor. Slavery, colonialism! All their development is owed to stunting the growth of their fellow humans.
GET AN EDCUCATION MORON. Clearly the problem in Africa is more complex.
If they extend we’l not go into the field these selfish Lusaka ECZ officials sent us into the rural areas and paid us K1100 after spending 7 nights in the bush helping people replace cards we’l sue them for this punishment
HH epela! Aleisa.
in your own dreams,hh will win makaka.
Good idea on one overriding personal number
ECZ should extend by 3 days or so. TO ALLOW FOR AFRICAN TIME KEEPING!