MDC and Zapu are planning to bring 20 000 Zimbabweans based in South Africa into the country for free to take part in the national elections next week.
Nduduzo Tshuma Staff Reporter
In a telephone interview with Southern Eye from South Africa, MDC secretary for the South Africa branch, Khumbulani Moyo, said they had initially arranged to bring more people, but the Constitutional Court judgment that elections be held on July 31 meant they would not have adequate time to plan.
“This is not a new exercise. We did it in the 2008 elections where we brought 120 000 people,” he said. “This time we were affected by the Jealousy Mawarire court applications that led to the early proclamation for elections.”
Moyo said they had since decided to cut down on the number of people they planned to bring in.
He said the first batch of people was expected to arrive in the country on Saturday.
“Members ready to travel will arrive in Zimbabwe on Saturday,” Moyo said. “Some are still seeking permission from their bosses at their various work places.
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The ones who will delay will get to Zimbabwe at most by Tuesday next week.”
He said they were targeting card-carrying members from the two parties registered as voters.
“We are not targeting all the people based here, but card-carrying party members who are registered as voters,” the MDC official said.
“We compiled names of those who want to go and vote and then checked their names from a website that listed all registered voters.” Moyo explained that when people get to Zimbabwe, they will go to their respective constituencies to cast their votes.
“There were concerns that we would bring unregistered people, but like I said earlier, this is not the first time we are doing this.So all the people we are going to bring will be coming to vote,” he added.
