Kwekwe BVR figures ‘disappointing’

ZANU-PF’s deputy chairperson for Midlands Cde Godwills Shiri has urged party supporters in Kwekwe to go out in numbers to register as voters before the third phase of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise closes on Saturday.

Speaking at an inter-district party meeting at the party headquarters in Kwekwe on Tuesday, Cde Shiri said statistics obtained from Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed that only 70 000 people managed to register in Kwekwe so far, out of a projected 150 000.

The third phase of the BVR exercise in the province kicked off on November 22 in Kwekwe and Chirumhanzu districts and officially ends on December 2.

“The figures coming from ZEC are really discouraging,” he said. “If you are not registered, then what are you doing? Let us utilise the remaining days so that we go out in numbers and register to vote.

“Kwekwe alone has 70 000 people who have registered, but our target is 150 000 and we have a few days left.”

Cde Shiri said Kwekwe should lead by example since it was the hometown of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will be endorsed as the party’s Presidential candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections at the forthcoming Extraordinary Congress.

The BVR exercise’s fourth phase in the Midlands will run from December 4 to December 19 and will be targeting Gweru, Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts.

Meanwhile, Cde Shiri urged party members to work on restructuring of the cell leadership to make it strong in preparation for the 2018 elections.

“As we prepare for the elections, let us restructure our cell leadership and make it strong as those are the structures that deal with people directly,” he said.

“Let us do away with divisions, let us bury the hatchet and work together for the good of the party and the country.”