Shoddy job haunts ZEC

MOSES MATENGA

Parliament has come out guns blazing at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for a shoddy job in the delimitation preliminary report that has been subjected to attacks from across the political divide.

Contributing to the debate on the delimitation report in Parliament yesterday, MPs from across the political divide shredded into ZEC saying the document was flawed.

Mberengwa North MP Marko Raidza said ZEC did not do a proper job in the report.

“In this country we have some aspects that we think ZEC really did not do a proper job,” he said.

“When delimitation is done, the main purpose is to inspire and encourage our people to participate in the electoral processes of this country.  Even the ordinary people of this country have a number of questions that we think ZEC needs to really look into so that at least at the end of the day it becomes an all-encompassing and all consultative process,” he added.

“If the report is adopted in its current form, it will leave our people walking very long distances.  ZEC ended up taking people from Ward 7, like some polling stations from Muchipisi area that will cause those people at the end of the day, when we look at post-delimitation effects, to end up walking an average of about 30kms to make sure that they receive services from their representatives like councillors,” he said.

Raidza said the report was also a challenge to traditional leaders whose areas of jurisdiction will be affected.

Mwenezi West MP Priscilla Moyo said the elderly will be the most affected in her constituency.

“The elderly who cannot climb mountains – they should look at those mountains geographically because in Mwenezi there are mountains and rivers which are not passable during the rainy season. These areas should be really looked at especially when it comes to the polling stations,” she said.

Kadoma Central Muchineripi Chinyanganya said: “…the Delimitation Report as tabled by our Ad Hoc Committee, I observed that the Delimitation Report was not in compliance with Section 161of the Constitution.”

Southerton MP Peter Moyo said the ZEC report is offside.

“ZEC report is offside and it is not in line with the Constitution. We want the Ad Hoc Committee Report to be adopted and presented to ZEC as it is, so that ZEC will start to do their job afresh,” Moyo said.

“They should start afresh and comply with the law to come up with a pleasing report. The ZEC Report is not pleasing to anyone including the Church, politicians and NGOs.”

“We want to go for elections to please who? It is like we are doing this report so that we go for elections, but who do we want to please? No one is pointing a gun at us so that we conduct elections. As we speak, our elections are already disputed before we even hold them and this means we do not have time to rebuild our nation.”

Glen Norah MP Wellington Chikombo said ZEC did not do their job according to the Constitution.