Imisumpe presence at centres questioned

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlI

MBABANE

– Are necessary at registration centres?

This was one of the questions some members of the public asked at various registration centres. The registration process began on May 10, 2023 and it is expected to end on June 14, 2023. The registration will be followed by the validation of voters roll and transfers. This will take place from June 22, 2023 until July 12, 2023.

During the registration process, imisumpe, which refers to selected members of the community who belong to the local chief ’s inner council are expected to verify those registering. Imisumpe are usually people who have grown in the area and know the members of the community of that specific chiefdom.

Each registration centre has an umsumpe who attends each day during the registration process.

This followed recent reports that only people with an official identity card (ID) or birth certificate would be allowed to vote. Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials would then use these documents to verify with the information on record and then register a person for the 2023 elections.

Wondered

Some of the members of the public then wondered why imisumpe were present during the registration process if only those with IDs or birth certificates were allowed to register. They said it was a waste of taxpayers’ money by EBC as they had to cater for imisumpe during this process which is part of the 2023 National Elections.

According to the Elections and Boundaries Act, a person is eligible to register to vote when they turn 18 years old. In a case where one does not have an identity document, a competent person is expected to verify such a person as being resident of that area. In this case, a competent person is can refer to an umsumpe. When the would-be voter is identified, it is then possible to register them as a voter.

alloWed

In a recent report, it was stated that people who did not have a form of identification would not be allowed to register, but this then meant that imisumpe would not be necessary. This, however, has not been the case as every registration centre has an imisumpe.

Some emaSwati who asked not to be named, said they should be allowed to register to vote even without an ID. “It is your right as a citizen of the country to vote,” said *Jack.

He said there were some emaSwati who for some reasons had not been able to acquire ID cards but wanted to participate in elections. Jack gave an example of someone who was very old and had never applied for an ID or birth certificate. “There are people who cannot apply at Home Affairs for IDs because it is very late now,” said Jack.

Jack said due to this, such people do not even receive social welfare grants yet they were emaSwati. He said this, however, should not deprive them of the right to register to vote. “They should be allowed to register and vote,” said Jack.

He also said should this change, it would be a violation for those who do not have IDs but once voted.