ZESN Speeds Up Voter Emancipation As 2023 Nears

By Branton Matondo

Zimbabwe Election Support Network has initiated a massive voter education and voter emancipation through available means as 2023 election nears.

ZESN Program Coordinator Ellen Dingani said that the organisation is currently making strides to motivate voter registration and voter education in a period hampered by Covid 19.

“We have since engaged with national radio stations to educate Zimbabwean citizens on voter education. Some of the radio stations include Radio Zimbabwe, Ya Fm, Central Radio (98.4) and NyamiNyami.

We are unable to do physical out reach programmes that insure voter emancipation. Radio is the most effective form of communication and we are engaging with community radio stations in Gwanda and Chinhoyi,” said Dingani.

Programmes are done twice or thrice a week across community and national radio stations. She added that Matebelend has the lowest voter registration percentage as compared to other provinces.

ZESN confirmed that Zimbabwe is currently experiencing a huge inflow of prospect voters who were below 18 years in 2018 and they wish to tap on that.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is also moving in the same line with ZESN.
Dingani indicated that ZESN is currently incapacitated and bemoans lack of proper resources to fully initiate the programme.

“We have been looking for volunteers to disburse our weekly newsletter in moat parts of Zimbabwe bit effort have been fruitless. However, in Harare we have been dispatching the newsletter at Mbare Musika bus tops as a fulfillment of voter emancipation,” she added.

The media fraternity across has been tasked to emancipate voter education and registration, a move which is labelled by Dingani as ‘social responsibility’.

“In the case of the areas lacking proper voter education, the media fraternity should assist in mobilising people on voter registration. Those from 18 years and above should be encouraged to go and register to vote,” she added.