The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has raised concern on the failure by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube to allocate funds towards mop-up mobile registration.
Most young people in Zimbabwe have struggled to access national identity documents that could enable them register to vote and also access other services.
This has seen the Civil Registry conducting mobile registration exercises around the country towards elections, so that people can get the opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights.
However, with the 2023 general elections coming around July and August, where young people are expected to carry the deciding vote, Mthuli Ncube did not allocate anything for the exercise.
The Committee told the National Assembly that failure to allocate funds for the exercise will result in some people being denied the opportunity to vote.
‘’The impending 2023 mop-up mobile registration requires a budget allocation of $29.8 billion yet nothing was allocated hence it will not kick-start. Some citizens will be denied their constitutional right to access certain services and the right to vote.
‘’Domestic travel expenses and allowances to be incurred during the mop-up mobile registration exercise was allocated $0.6 billion against a requirement of $53.1 billion,’’ said the committee.
The committee also registered concern over the non-payment of allowances to people who participated in the 2022 mobile registration exercise, adding that it has the effect of derailing future programs.
‘’Outstanding mobile registration allowances for the years 2022 which require an ideal budget of $15 billion yet Treasury allocated $3 billion only.
‘’These outstanding balances will negatively affect staff morale who participated in the 2022 mobile registration exercise. This will affect even the upcoming 2023 mop-up mobile registration exercise,’’ said the committee.-
