Zimbabweans To Vote On August 23

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has finally proclaimed the long-awaited date when the country’s harmonised elections will take place.

According to Proclamation 4 of 2023 which has been gazetted, the fixed date for this year’s elections is August 23 while October 2, 2023 has been set as the date for a run-off if need be for such an election.

The announcement is set to escalate political activity in the country as political parties embark on campaigns countrywide with only three months to go.

Mnangagwa’s announcement comes in the wake of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) opening the voters roll to the public for inspection last Saturday at its 11 289 inspection centres countrywide, a process expected to end this tomorrow.

Initially, the inspection was expected to end today, however, ZEC announced a one-day extension “owing to logistical and other unforeseen challenges” in some provinces especially in remote areas.

Mnangagwa himself and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa inspected the voters roll for their details at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe constituency over the weekend.

A short survey by Nhau/Indaba at ZEC’s inspection centres in Harare, mainly Mbare and Highfield areas showed very little activity despite numerous calls by Mnangagwa and main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa for voters to go and inspect the roll.

It appears most members of the electorate failed to heed the call, especially youths as only the elderly were visibly checking their details. Most youths appear not concerned about the exercise raising fears of escalated voter apathy which has dogged previous elections in the country.

Nhau/Indaba witnessed that despite ZEC’s highly publicised option for voters who are Econet or NetOne subscribers to check their names using the USSD code *265# or through its website (www.bvrinspection.zec.org.zw), the process seems flawed with updating errors.

Some voters who used the platforms told Nhau/Indaba that their names appeared electronically on the roll only to find them missing on the physical voters roll on the ground while the opposite is also true.

Those who transferred their votes or changed surnames also faced challenges in locating their names on the hard copy voters roll at the various centres. Nhau/Indaba