Branton Matondo
MUTARE – Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is set to kick start a voter education and awareness campaign in Mutare, a programme meant to heighten the right to vote among workers in the informal sector.
The outreach programme slated for major cities across Zimbabwe including Masvingo, Bulawayo, and Harare is meant to encourage vendors to vote as the nation prepares for August 23 elections.
Speaking to TellZim News VISET Executive Director Samuel Wadzai said informal workers need to vote because the final result affects their industry.
“We launched this year’s project because we want to encourage informal economy workers to go and vote since the voting registration process for this year’s election has already closed. We are encouraging them to vote through our structures called social economic champions,”
“It is important for them to vote because the quality of leadership that we have affects their lives as traders, their businesses as entrepreneurs and their general well-being as citizens of this country. We have met our social economic champions here in Mutare and we have shared tools and information that they need so that they encourage them to go out and vote.” said Wadzai
He went on to say from Mutare VISET delegation is heading to the ancient city of Masvingo to congregate with social economic champions.
“From Mutare we will head to Masvingo and engage our social economic champions with the idea of sharing with them what they will expect and what they need to do. Basically we want them to share information on the importance of going out to vote,” said Wadzai
He said they were expecting a huge voter turnout from people in the informal sector on the Election Day.
“We are expecting a huge turnout from the informal sector come the 23rd of August. It’s important for them and the country for development that we want to see.” he said
A 12 member delegation consisting of vendors and informal workers across Mutare were selected to push the project meant to start on 10th of July.
One local vendor who refused to be named said the exercise was relevant and acute amid a situation where vendors make up the bigger chunk of the informal sector.
“We welcome the exercise by VISET, it’s good that vendors realize their right to exercise to vote because they are contributing to Zimbabwe’s economy. Their voice needs to be heard by through voting and we are glad that this exercise will buttress that.”
VISET, which has so far amassed 8 years of experience has become a platform of engagement for workers in the informal economy and the actual authorities, be it government, municipalities and all government agencies.
The exercise is also meant to influence policy frameworks that will suit the current informal sector.
