Biti trims down ZEC budget for referendum

Posted by on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 in ZEC | 6 comments
Finance Minister Tendai Biti

Finance Minister Tendai Biti

By Tichaona Sibanda
12 March 2013

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) $85 million budget to stage this Saturday’s referendum was excessive and government had to scale it down to realistic levels, Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said. He has reduced the budget by $10 million.

Biti told journalists in Harare that he held a lengthy meeting with President Robert Mugabe last week, where they decided to streamline the ZEC budget. Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa also attended the meeting.

The Finance minister emphasized that the economy did not have the capacity to finance the referendum and elections this year. He said they have already given $31 million to ZEC, which was essential to cover all the core costs that will allow the referendum to go ahead on Saturday.

The Minister broke down the money they gave ZEC as follows: $2 million for indelible ink and ballot papers; $2.5 million for voter education pamphlets; $3.5 for referendum materials; $3 million vehicle hire; half a million for training and $20 million for administrative issues, of which $5 million will be used to support the police.

Biti said during discussions with Mugabe and Chinamasa it was agreed to slash the allowances that will be paid to election officials manning the polling stations.

‘We are rationalising, particularly on allowances, scaling down costs to realistic levels. From that point of view, we are ready for the referendum. The bulk of what we have not covered is largely the allowances of the people who will be manning the polling stations,’ he said.

Minister Biti said it was important to streamline the referendum budget as they considered the ZEC budget too excessive.

‘Government recognizes the need for us to operate within our own means with regards to the referendum. A combination of measures to rationalize payment of allowances, containing the period of activities and personnel requirements to the barest minimum will reduce next week’s referendum requirements to under US$75 million,’ he said.

  • Chimbwidos Warvets

    It is still alright if trimming the referendum budget does not stop Zimbabweans in exercising their democratic rights in casting their vote. Once again the MDC officials are now devoid of ideas and are just scratching the surface of issues that really matter to the people. In my view, this is news that should not appear on the front page of any news outlet as it does not change the spirit of Zimbabweans in exercising their democratic rights in voting for what they believe in on the 16 March 2013. For the people of Zimbabwe, this is what is fundamental and crucial here.

  • super mondo

    no radios no phones are they educating those in rural areas by drums.

    • Chimbwidos Warvets

      Do not underestimate the intelligence of people in the rural areas. They no longer lead the lives of the Rhodesia era when people had absolutely nothing. Today our people have those things that matter to them, including mobile phones and radios. As a consequence of technological advancements initiated since ZANU PF came to power and those that have occurred since the formation of the inclusive government, I can now contact my relatives in the rural areas by using mobile phones and I am always kept abreast of the situation.

      • super mondo

        buuuuuuuurp

  • super mondo

    i think this whole so called referendum is fake as the result is already negotiated ,,so people have been conned and public funds wasted ,,,what next,,,

  • mike hondo

    just trim out the whole of the zec they were utterly useless at the last election and they took too long ,five weeks to release the results last time which made a mockery of the whole election. hand the whole thing over to the UN AU OR SADC otherwise we will just be stuck with same over bloated expensive lame duck government