The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has started to compile the final voters’ roll following the conclusion of the inspection exercise that ran from May 27 to June 1.
ZEC deputy chairperson Ambassador Rodney Kiwa told The Sunday Mail that the commission is currently cleaning the voters’ roll by correcting anomalies that were picked up during the inspection. Kiwa is cited as saying:
The commission would like to assure members of the public that it will rectify any anomalies that were observed during the voters’ roll inspection.
This will be done during the compilation of the final voters’ roll that shall be provided for free to prospective candidates after June 21, 2023, the day that has been fixed for nomination courts.
More than 1.17 million people physically presented themselves at over 11,000 centres to inspect the voters’ roll during the six-day nationwide exercise, while others checked their registration details virtually. Many people found their names missing from the voters’ roll upon verifying at ZEC centres or via mobile phone platforms, and others discovered that their names were moved from the polling stations in which they registered. Some have viewed these glitches as part of structural vote rigging.
Kiwa said after the Nomination Court sitting, ZEC will publish the final list of all contesting candidates on June 30, with the final figure of registered voters to be revealed after the cleaning process. Amb. Kiwa stated that the voters’ roll inspection aimed to enable verification of details and correct anomalies.
Opposition parties and civil society organisations accuse the ZEC of manipulating the voters’ roll to benefit the ruling party, ZANU PF.