By Kelvin Kasiwulaya
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced the rollout of a countrywide voter edutainment roadshow, set to take place from 29 July to 06 August 2023. The roadshows will cover all provinces and offer a chance to engage with ZEC officials.
The roadshows promo, titled “Vote Not Fight, Make Peace Win!” aims to inform the public about the 2023 harmonized elections and promote peaceful and transparent voting processes.
ZEC has encouraged all Zimbabweans to attend the roadshows to be fully informed about the forthcoming elections.
To kick off the initiative,ZECs’s Team A, B, and C will visit Bulawayo Central, Egodini, and Sekusile-Bulawayo on July 29th. Meanwhile, Chigovanyika Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza will welcome Team A, and Mhangura Shopping Centre will host Team B on the same day. Southlands in Harare Metropolitan and Domboshava Showgrounds in Mashonaland East will also serve as important locations for the initiative.
On July 30th, Team A will visit Mashonaland West while Team B and C will travel to Bulawayo and Harare Metropolitan, respectively. Then, on July 31st, Guruve Growth Point in Mashonaland Central will be visited by Team A, while Team B and C will go to Mamina Growth Point Mhondoro, and Silalatshani Bus Center in Insiza-Matabeleland South, respectively.
Furthermore, on August 1st, Ingwizi Growth Point in Mangwe-Mat South, Muzarabani Growth Point in Mashonaland Central, and Mtoko Centre in Mashonaland East will receive visits from Team A while Team B will be in Tsholotsho Growth Point-Matabeleland North.
On August 4th, Neshuro Growth Point in Mwenezi-Masvingo, Hauna Growth Point in Manicaland, and Hwange in Matabeleland North will host Team A, B, and C, correspondingly.
Finally, on August 5th and 6th, the districts of Chivi, Gaza Township Chipinge, Numbudziya-Midlands, Mataga-Midlands, and Hwange in Matabeleland North will welcome the ZEC roadshow.
Through the campaign, ZEC seeks to encourage Zimbabweans to exercise their democratic right in a peaceful way and to counteract the practice of violence during election periods.
The initiative promises to offer valuable information to citizens, thus enabling them to make informed decisions during the forthcoming election.
ZEC’s edutainment roadshow campaign comes after the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) ,which advocates for democratic elections in Zimbabwe, launched it’s series of “Vote in Peace” concerts meant promote peace ahead of the 2023 harmonized elections on 1 July.
The vote in peace campaign which is ongoing has seen ZESN taking their crusade to Hopely, Nkayi, Gokwe Centre, Magunge Growth Point, Hauna Business Center and recently at Chivi Growth Point.
ZESN’s campaign is targeting geographically marginalized communities and communities of interest, and the main thrust of the campaign is to educate citizens on the negative effects of electoral violence and the need for peaceful, free, and fair elections free from violence and electoral malpractices.
“The campaigns are amplifying Constitutional provisions on holding elections. Section 155 (1) (a) and (d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that elections must be held regularly, and referendums must be peaceful, free, and fair and must be free from violence and other electoral malpractices,” ZESN stated in it’s vote in peace campaign program statement.
Zimbabwe has experienced electoral violence in the past, most notably in the 2008 presidential runoff, which saw widespread attacks and killings of opposition supporters.