Voters dampened by missing names

Kundai Marunya

Harare—A large number of voters in various constituencies failed to cast their votes as their names were missing on the voters’ roll.

This is despite the fact that most of them had confirmed their names during the voters’ roll inspection carried out by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission recently.

Some had previously confirmed their names and polling stations via the mobile phone verification process.

A Harare resident from Warren Park who only identified himself as Richard said his name was missing from the list at his previously confirmed polling station.

“I went to the Warren Park 1 Primary School polling station where I registered to vote and checked for my name on the roll displayed on the walls but could not find it,” he said.

“I checked during the voter inspection exercise and also using my phone a few days ago and my name was there.

“When I asked the officials for an explanation, I was told to go and check at other polling stations in the constituency,” said a distraught Richard.

Goromonzi South Ward 25 resident, Adam Wiski’s name was also missing on the roll when he tried to vote yesterday morning.

“I had registered to vote at Ruwa Primary School but I could not find my name, so I was instructed to check at other polling stations,” he said.

In Goromonzi South Ward 17, Tinashe Mikuti also could not find his name and, after checking with other polling stations, gave up on voting.

Also from the same constituency, Gift Maraidza said his name was missing.

“Yesterday (Tuesday) I wanted to verify my name using the mobile phone platform and found that I’m is now appearing in Rusike, which is in a different ward, and I’m not even familiar with the polling station so I ended up not voting,” said Maraidza.

“I had previously confirmed my polling station so I really do not understand how now my name is appearing somewhere else,” he added.

In Goromonzi North, a voter who preferred anonymity said: “I registered to vote at Peter Claver School in Chishawasha but when I went to vote I could not find my name,” he said. “I had my registration slip with me which did not help either, so I was told to check my name at St Joseph School in Shawasha Hills but still I couldn’t find it.

“After checking another polling station I gave up the search”.

ZEC has been accused of deliberately failing to provide opposition political parties with a copy of the final voters’ roll for inspection prior to the elections.