Zimbabwe: Opposition takes voter mobilisation to volatile mash central
By Own Correspondent – As the 2018 elections beckon, an opposition party here has upped its voter mobilization by bravely reaching out to ZANU PF’s strongholds.
In an interview with this publication, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume said in a bid to address the sickening voter apathy, the party is on a mass voter mobilization drive and was in Mashonaland Central recently.
“As a party we have set up a committee of the youth which is going out to schools to encourage young people to vote.
“We have been to Mukumbula, Dotito and Muzarabani South where we also have organized soccer tournaments where young people will come and socialize and we seize the chance to encourage them to register to vote so that they can participate in the forthcoming elections,” said Ngarivhume.
Mashonaland Central has been over the years known as one of the political hotbeds where opposition supporters are subjected to assaults, intimidation and in some instances killed. In 2015 the First Lady Grace Mugabe remarked that Mashonaland Central province should be declared a no – go area for the opposition and this irked many civil organizations involved in peace, tolerance and reconciliation like Heal Zimbabwe Trust which felt her sentiments was likely to incite violence.
Meanwhile, the Transform Zimbabwe leader has defended the continued demonstration against ZEC saying the pressure has seen the electoral body changing or reforming some of its propositions.
“Demonstrations have been very effecting in piling up pressure on ZEC to reverse some of its decisions and should continue when the need arises,” added the Transform Zim leader who also head the ZINERA youth committee.
Opposition parties have been clamouring for ZEC to speed up the voter registration process and iron out irregularities that can disenfranchise potential voters particularly the issue to do with the Proof of Residence for urban voters.
