BVR exercise on the right track, but . . .
It is the political parties that need the votes so those that do not actively take part in the process will only have themselves to blame when they lose in the much anticipated polls next year.
THE second phase of the voter registration blitz was launched in Murehwa, Mashonaland East province, on the backdrop of increasing confidence by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that it will meet its target of registering seven million voters by the time the process ends.
Mr Speaker Sir, while ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau expressed satisfaction with the 1,2 million people registered in the first phase, political parties are of a different opinion with the major parties saying the requirement of proof of residence is proving a hindrance to many a prospective voter.
Statistics availed by ZEC at the end of the first phase show that just over 18 percent of eligible voters had turned out to register, raising questions on why there has been such a low turnout for the programme.
What is also worrying is that only five provinces, namely Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East, had registered over 20 percent of eligible voters, with the remaining eight all below 15 percent.
What is also disheartening, Mr Speaker Sir, is that there has been a low turnout of women and young people registering to vote, raising questions whether ZEC has done enough to publicise the event.
Critics have argued that the electoral management body has not been visible on the ground, leaving most youths, especially those in rural areas and in high-density suburbs unaware of what is going on.
The Constitution requires that every eligible Zimbabwean voter be given the opportunity to exercise that right but political parties are of the view that a huge chunk of the population may be left out if something is not done to reduce the bureaucracy in registering to vote.
It is commendable that ZEC, Mr Speaker Sir, has engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the granting of Commissioner of Oaths status to its officials as part of easing the challenges that a number of people have faced in trying to register.
It’s incumbent on ZEC to ensure that all prospective voters are registered to eliminate a potential source of dispute come election time.
This should be taken seriously because we have parties that want to find excuses for their failure at the polls so this time around, Mr Speaker Sir, we should deny those that lose scapegoats for their failures.
It is our hope, Mr Speaker Sir, that as the second phase of the national blitz gathers momentum ZEC increases its visibility especially in the areas where the generality of the population resides to prevent possible areas of conflict among political parties as we approach the elections.
Political parties should also play their part in encouraging their members to register and vote as it is in their interest that they register.
It is the political parties that need the votes so those that do not actively take part in the process will only have themselves to blame when they lose in the much anticipated polls next year.
Political parties have to go to the bottom of the issue and find out what the root causes of this apathy are.
Apart from the youths and women, persons living with disabilities have also raised concerns that the set-up at most registration centres does not take their needs into account resulting in most of them failing to register to vote.
It is therefore of paramount importance that ZEC ups its game to ensure that all eligible Zimbabweans are registered to vote.
Meanwhile, the announcement made in the National Assembly on Tuesday concerning measures being taken to alleviate the plight of MPs is welcomed Mr Speaker Sir.
Given the hullabaloo that had been going on in the past two weeks about this issue, resulting in the disruption of parliamentary business, it is commendable that Government has been quick to act.
Parliament has more pressing issues to deal with than the welfare of MPs.
President Mugabe outlined a comprehensive legislative agenda when he officially opened the Fifth Session of the Eighth Parliament that it would be a shame if that work was overshadowed by issues that are peripheral to the business of Parliament.
One hopes, Mr Speaker Sir, that going forward such issues can be avoided and one way is to adequately fund Parliament and as a long-term solution, reduce the size of a Parliament that is too large for a country of Zimbabwe’s size.
It is also important that prospective parliamentarians be schooled that being a legislator, for all intents and purposes, is a part-time job, therefore people should not expect executive perks when they offer themselves for election. It is to serve.
It’s regrettable that some have taken it as a full-time job and abdicated from the primary duty of representing the wishes and aspirations of their constituents.
One area of concern, Mr Speaker Sir, is the enactment of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Bill.
It was disheartening to learn that 38 State-owned enterprises incurred a combined loss of $270 million in 2016 due to weak corporate governance structures and internal control mechanisms.
This is also despite the fact that most executives in these entities earn perks that the majority of us can only dream of.
It is, therefore, Mr Speaker Sir, of great importance that this Bill be passed as soon as possible to ensure that there are mechanisms to deal with this rot as most of the people responsible for this mess have gotten away scot free, with some receiving golden handshakes despite them running down institutions that are supposed to anchor economic growth.
So as MPs finalise the Budget-making process next week, it is our hope, Mr Speaker Sir, that the issue of reforming parastatals and other State-owned enterprises takes centre stage.
At their peak, State-owned enterprises contributed at least 40 percent to GDP and also provided a platform for other privately owned businesses to thrive, a situation that we want to better if we are to revive the economy.