KATIMA MULILO – Despite the voters’ registration process kicking off at a slow pace due to hiccups experienced with voter registration kits (VRKs), the Zambezi region managed to register about 21 077 by the weekend.
In an interview with New Era yesterday, Zambezi electoral coordinator Sammy Muhau said the region experienced a slow process with voter registration for the past two weeks due to the fact that the VRKs had few hitches.
“The machines were switching themselves off for the past weeks. However, the issue was resolved, and the process has picked up. At the moment, the registration is going very well and even the turn-up is satisfactory. We have registered 21 077 voters so far,” Muhau said.
According to the latest national census results, Zambezi has a population of 142 373.
Muhau also said when the ECN teams started, the turn-up was very slow because they started with the small areas in all constituencies.
“But for now, the turn up is picking up, the reason being we are now working closer to bigger areas within the region,” he said.
According to Muhau, at all registration points, the first-time voters are not turning up in big numbers.
“We do not know whether its because schools are closed or something else. We anticipate that when schools reopen, the number might increase, as for now the people that are coming to register are the elderly,” he observed.
The Zambezi has about 27 semi-fixed teams within the region.
Muhau said most people coming to the registration points had the correct documents although a few did not bring the required documentation.
Asked whether they have registration points to cater and reach the marginalised groups especially the Khwe community living in Bwabwata, he said they have teams in Kongola to cater Chetto, Bwabwata and Pipo.
“At the moment, one team is at Kachenje village, and another is at Mulanga village. In Sibbinda, there is also a team, which also covered Kalemason village. We also have a team which will cover Kahunikwa area,” he said.
In Katima urban constituency, there is also a team that is assigned to cover Makaravani West, where some marginalised people live.
He encouraged all eligible voters to go to the registration points being provided by ECN to register, saying people should not wait until the last day. “The chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia
has categorically made it clear that there will be no extension for the registration of voters after the 01 August 2024 closing date,” he stated. –anakale@nepc.com.na