NCA takes voter education programme to Zanu-PF strongholds

By Tichaona Sibanda
3 January 2008

The National Constitutional Assembly has sent out what it terms ‘an expedition team into uncharted waters to educate potential voters in rural areas of the need to register for this year’s elections.

NCA spokesman Maddock Chivasa acknowledged the danger of the mission by admitting the whole exercise was being done discreetly so as not to attract the attention of Zanu-PF activists. The ruling party has a history of forbidding opposition election agents and monitors from venturing into rural areas.

‘We are targeting people based in areas perceived to be strongholds of the ruling Zanu-PF party. We are also warning them of the dangers of not going to vote because voter apathy can have serious repercussions for pro-democracy forces in the country,’ he said.

The NCA launched its voter education programme two weeks ago in Mashonaland central province and so far the team has been to areas in Mashonaland East and West.

Chivasa said their ‘modus operandi’ in rural areas includes organizing meetings where people gather for beer drinking sessions and barbecues, where the main business of the day is voter education.

‘It has worked most of the time because whenever police officers approach us they see people drinking and having a meal and they leave us alone. This exercise is very effective because people in rural areas are good at passing on information,’ Chivasa said.

He said they have been successful at informing the rural folk on how government has manipulated elections in Zimbabwe using state resources, and how a massive turnout can make it impossible for the ruling party to cheat.