The Voter Registration which started yesterday countrywide began on a slow note in Chavuma District of North Western Province.
A check by ZANIS yesterday, found some people complaining of the process taking more than 30 minutes before obtaining a voter’s card.
Elijah Sapindalo, Deputy Village Headman of Maseka complained that the process was taking too long to register one person.
“I’m complaining about the system of registration because it is taking 30 to 50 minutes to register one person, now how many people are going to register in a day, so we are asking the government to increase the number of days. I think 30 days is not enough to register all the people, people are willing to register but the period is too short, so please were are asking the government and ECZ to give us more days so that all of us can register,” lamented Sapindalo.
And District Electoral Officer Kennedy Bwalya said by close of the day yesterday, 356 were recorded from 10 centers while 56 were registered at the central station.
Eng. Bwalya also noted that ECZ is targeting to register 30,000 eligible voters within the District.
“As of yesterday, we registered 365 people and we will keep on updating you on the numbers from time to time. For the station here at the town centre yesterday we registered 56 meaning on average registration time it’s taking 10 to 12 minutes. We expect an improvement in the time as we progress in the exercise,” he said.
Eng. Bwalya encouraged the people of Chavuma to pay attention to all announcements being disseminated in the district.
I really don’t understand this country in a technologically advanced world! It is taking 30 minutes for one person to be registered and issued with a voter’s card! Come on Zambia why should we lag behind in almost everything?
THIS IS TRUE MY SON TOOK HIM THE WHOLE DAY TO COME HOME WITH A VOTERS CARD FROM 06 HRS AROUND 1930 HRS
So ECZ decided to do away with the voter register we used in 2016, just 4 years ago in preference for us to go and line up in the hot sun for the all day, whats wrong with us kanshi?
I dropped my workers very early in the morning (Chilanga area) so that they can all register before we embark on our new project. There were only about 20 people already in the queue. They failed to register. For the whole day, ECZ registered only about 16 people at this station. This is the worst performing ECZ in the history of our country. When was it ever a problem in this country to register voters?
The problem is that ECZ wants to talk to us but they don’t want us to talk to them. Where I was the program started at 7.00hrs but the machine broke down just after a few people were registered. We waited for close to 2hrs before somebody came to attend to it. There was confusion at the re-start of the exercise. The person in charge asked for the NRCs for senior citizens but there was commotion after he collected a few. We settled for the list so whoever came would write their name on that list. In no time yesterday’s incomplete list surfaced and names were called out. As at 12.00hrs that list wasn’t yet exhausted so I left. People didn’t have kind words for the area MP and the PF. There are very few registration centers so people have to cover longer distances
ECZ what is your response?
They shorten the period and are then pathetically incompetent. What’s the plan? To create a mess?
Dununa reverse at it again. If ECZ is that slow then increase the registration process to 3 months otherwise NO DEAL. Think before you act bane.