By Br. Alfonce Kugwa
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has been going around the Archdiocese of Harare encouraging the youth to vote under the new Biometric Voter Registration (BVR). CCJP has been going around the diocese meeting the youth to discuss the BVR process and encouraging young people to exercise their right to vote in forthcoming harmonized 2018 election.
The program dubbed “Teach one, Teach Twenty, Youth Voter Education Programme” started in October 2017 and has seen CCJP meeting youths in parishes such as Rhodesville, St. Fidelis, Mabvuku, Uganda Martyrs-Mufakose and St. Patricks Epworth.
The National Coordinator for the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Mr. Paul Muchena said: “CCJP intents to roll out the programme in other dioceses and the CCJP team will be meeting the youth in Hwange on 23 February, Bulawayo 24 February and in Gweru on 26 February 2018. The programme is meant to advance the knowledge about Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) among the young people in our society. The programme demystifies misconceptions and myths around the electoral processes.”
CCJP hopes that the programme will help the youth to be committed to register to vote and to make independent political choices. Muchena said the youth wanted to understand the need for using the BVR process in the forthcoming election among other concerns like the limited number of registration centers, fear of political cohesion, intimidation and threats.
“In all the areas we have had workshops, the youth also raised concern over issues to do with proof of residence and its repercussions on voters especially aliens,” Muchena said.