Perpetua Murungweni
Chiredzi women complained over lack of information on electoral processes that help them to make informed decisions and choices on who to vote for saying candidates across the political divide are reluctant to go public with their manifestos.
This came out at a dialogue meeting organized by Zimbabwe Centre for Communication Research and Public Opinion Survey Trust in a bid to address lack of access to credible information and reliable sources of information by women, youth and people with disabilities in Chiredzi.
United Chiredzi Residency and Ratepayers Association (UCHIRA) Constance Chikumbo said residents were getting insufficient information from candidates contesting for this year’s election.
“As a youth, as a woman and a resident representative, I say we are no satisfied with the information that is being availed to us by the candidates who are contesting for parliament and local authority seats,”
“The information is not sufficient and is not going to be enough for us to hold them to account when they are voted in. We want something to use as a note board, and maybe as a reference point for what they are going to do once they are in office.
“Of all Chiredzi candidates only two presented their manifestos to the public and we appreciate it because some of the issues affecting residents were presented. One of them is Mr Makumire who availed his manifesto and we are happy that in his policy making job he promised he is going to solve one or two,”
However, we are yet to get other candidates’ before we go for polls,” said Chikumbo.
Tapiwa Shumba of Youth Perspective said the youth needed adequate information so that they can relate the information to what they want as a society.
“The information that we are getting from the contesting candidates is inadequate and as a youth I think there is need for them to give us full information. As far as I am concerned all political parties who haven’t showed us their manifestos that shows that they want to empower youth or that enhances the problems faced by youth. I don’t think they are the rightful candidates we want because they do not share the same vision that we have as youth.
“We need that information so that we can relate to what we want as a society and politicians are very ignorant of the issues that concerns us as youth,” said Shumba
Bernadette Chipembere of Women and Girls Matters said there is need for candidates to give out sufficient information so that women will make right decisions and choices.
“We are not getting enough information, we don’t even know what they are going to do for us if voted in. We have tried reaching out to them but they are silent, fliers are all over but they lack information that satisfies us. As women we need more information so that we make the right decisions and right choices,” Said Chipembere.
