PRESS RELEASE
VOTER REGISTRATION FOR ZIMBABWEAN CITIZENS WHOSE NATIONAL IDS
ARE MARKED “ALIENS”

It has come to the attention of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC,) that there may be some confusion regarding the rights of certain Zimbabwean
citizens born in Zimbabwe and where one or both of their parents were not citizens of Zimbabwe but citizens of a country belonging to the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) to register to vote in the forthcoming Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise. These have been called “aliens” in
common electoral parlance.

 ZEC reiterates that these Zimbabweans are eligible to register to vote in accordance with the electoral laws like any other Zimbabwean citizen.

The Electoral Laws stipulate that for a person to be registered as a voter on a voters roll for a particular constituency, he or she must:

•  be a Zimbabwean citizen
•  be of or over the age of eighteen years;
•  produce proof of identity in any of the following forms:

  National Identity Card (metal, plastic or waiting pass with holder’s picture) or

  Valid Zimbabwean passport; and

•  produce proof of residence.

ZEC calls on the Zimbabweans over the age of eighteen, wishing to register as voters to have the above documents ready.

If any of the documents required to prove identity and citizenship have been defaced or have become illegible, prospective voters are urged to approach the offices of the Registrar General forthwith and request to be issued with replacement documents.

Only Zimbabwean citizens will be registered as voters. Therefore, persons who, before the promulgation of the 2013 Constitution were issued with identity documents describing them as “aliens” must forthwith proceed to the offices of the Registrar General to have their citizenship regularised and confirmed.

On the dates of the BVR registration exercise, ZEC will not register any person whose citizenship is not confirmed by the National ID or other identity document lawfully issued by the Registrar General. ZEC does not grant or deny citizenship. ZEC can only register adult citizens as confirmed by the Registrar General.ZEC therefore encourages all Zimbabweans especially those hitherto incorrectly referred to as aliens, to have their identity documents regularised now so that they are not disenfranchised in 2018.

C. Chigwamba (Mrs)
Chief Elections Officer
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission