BULAWAYO - Thabitha Khumalo, MDC MP for Bulawayo East constituency, has proposed the use of national identity cards for voting in the forthcoming elections, arguing the voters’ roll is too trashy to be trusted.

Khumalo, who was addressing journalists during a discussion forum on elections at the Bulawayo Press Club on Friday, said voter registration in Zimbabwe was still a mammoth task and was being used to deny citizens their democratic right to choose their own leaders.

She alleged that though international laws, which Zimbabwe is a signatory to, necessitate the registration of all eligible citizens as voters, authorities in Zimbabwe have ensured that thousands fail to register.

Khumalo claimed that the voter registration exercise “is partisan, non-transparent, biased and prejudiced”.

“We have people who are not registered and sadly voter registration is taking place but it has proved a mammoth task.

“For instance, in my constituency I have tried to take people to where voter registration is taking place and shockingly, the requirements keep changing,” she claimed.

Khumalo said she believed its time national IDs were seriously considered as the only requirement for voting.

“We have proved beyond doubt that we can do it when we voted for the supreme document of this country using our IDs,” she said referring to last month’s constitutional referendum.

“Why then can’t we do it to choose our MPs? What is more powerful, the new constitution or a Member of Parliament?

“It is the constitution so why not allow people to go and vote using their IDs. For the record in 1980 we voted using the same method so why not now,” asked Khumalo.

Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede has repeatedly rubbished claims such as those peddled by Khumalo, claiming that the voters’ roll is one of the best in the world.