Voter Verification Marred By Low Turn Out

Voter verification exercise has been marred by low turnout in Dedza and Ntchisi districts on the first day.

This is according to MEC stringers who visited some centres in the two districts.

A visit to Mlanda and Chitundu primary schools in Mayani North constituency as well as some parts of Mtakataka found that only four, five and two people respectively turned out for the exercise.

“Some people who were interviewed in Dedza said they were not aware of the exercise as sensitization campaign was not conducted in their areas,” MEC stringer said.

However, district civic education officer for NICE Trust Patrick Siwinda has acknowledged the low turnout but said they conducted several sensitization campaigns on the exercise.

“We reached religious groupings and local leaders in all constituencies therefore we are optimistic that the exercise will gain the much needed momentum as more people will be heading to the centres in the days to come,” Siwinda said.

He encouraged people in the district to embrace the exercise.

In Ntchisi less than 30 people went to verify their names on voters roll on Monday.

Speaking in a random interview at Ntchisi Trading Centre, one of the people registrants, Joseph Kalema argued that he didn’t see the reason to go for verification since the registration went digital.

However, the supervisor at Ntchisi Primary School Hellix Solomon was of the view that the low turnout is due to the fact that this is planting season and most of people were busy in their fields.

Solomoni said “first days are always hard for people to come out in large numbers.”

Concurring with Solomon was Civic Education Officer for National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE), Bester Chikafutwa who said that rains are a contributing factor to low turnout.

“Lack of civic education as another reason that has caused low turnout as their office had no funding,” cited Chikafutwa

However, he was uncertain of improvement in the turnout because of lack of civic education and the rains which has kept people busy.

The exercise is in 4 phases and the first phase comprises 7 districts namely; Kasungu district and municipality, Nkhotakota, Dowa, Salima, Mchinji, Dedza and Ntchisi.

All the phases will run for 5 days and the first phase is expected to finish on Friday, December 14th.