HARARE - As stakes get high ahead of a watershed election, the MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is targeting to recruit 1 million new voters in Harare province alone.
Harare, with at least 3 million residents, is by far the largest province in terms of population and is also a stronghold for the MDC.
But turnout in past elections has been a miserly low. However, the province is seeking to turn around the situation by embarking on a massive membership recruitment drive.
Obert Gutu, MDC Harare province spokesperson, said the aim of the voter recruitment exercise specifically targets first-time voters, some who were only 13 when Zimbabwe had its last elections in 2008.
“We are deliberately targeting first-time voters and we are very confident that if we continue to mobilise and organise efficiently as we are currently doing, at least 1 million people in Harare, will vote for the MDC,” said Gutu.
Out of 5,9 million people registered to vote, 2 497 265 turned out in the 2008 polls countrywide.
In the March 2008 presidential election, 315 447 voted in Harare and 517 458 voted in the recently held referendum, now the MDC is seeking to double the figures.
But with many techno-savvy youths less interested in voting and more hooked to social platforms such as Whatsapp they have no time to queue for hours waiting to register as voters.
“The Registrar-General should ensure that voter registration is user-friendly and more efficient.
“Everyday, we get reports of the frustrations that first-time voters experience when they go to register as voters at the various district offices,” said Gutu.
“While voter registration is an on-going exercise, many youths do not have the required documents such as utility bills, resulting in them shunning the Registrar General’s Office,” Gutu said.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, being the supervisor of the voter registration programme, should also ensure that the registration process is smooth because many young people are frustrated by the slow pace of the process,” he added.