Zambezi regional governor Lawrence Sampofu said the supplementary registration of voters was well on course in the region, with no challenges experienced during the first day of the process amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The supplementary voters’ registration is necessitated by the upcoming regional council and local authority elections in November.
“The voters’ registration process started and it is going well. I spoke to the ECN regional coordinator this morning and he said all the materials are gone to the constituencies – and everything is going well. There have been no issues reported and they started very well,” Sampofu noted.
According to him, the regional councillors have been hard at work in ensuring residents are educated on the importance of the supplementary voters’ registration.
He said the community understands the process, as the messages have been widely reported through the radio in local languages.
On Saturday, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) informed the public it has finalised its preparations for the supplementary voters’ registration, which started yesterday and is expected to end on 15 September.
The ECN said it is cognizant it will be conducting the forthcoming electoral process against the backdrop of Covid-19.
“As we prepared for the supplementary registration voters, our foremost preoccupation was not only relating to the logistical and operational preparations but on how we can conduct this process while ensuring the safety of all stakeholders against this invisible threat – that is Covid-19 pandemic.”
As per the Electoral Act of 2014, a supplementary registration of voters is to be conducted before any election in accordance with Section 38 (1) read together with Section 25 (2) of the Act.
ECN announced a total number of 4 078 registration points have been identified and secured across the country for the supplementary voters’ registration – spreading over 14 regions, 121 constituencies and 57 local authority areas.
There are 554 teams, of which 116 are semi-fixed and 438 are mobile.
The purpose of supplementary voters registration is to include in the voter’s register persons who have since turned 18 years of age after the last voters’ registration exercise, persons who have moved from one constituency to another, persons whose voter registration cards are reported lost or damaged, or any other applicant who qualifies for registration in terms of Section 22 (1) of the Act.
– anakale@nepc.com.na