By Revesai Mavetera

As Zimbabwe gears up for the upcoming elections on 23 August, activist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Freeman Chari is determined to prevent a repeat of the controversies that marred the 2018 elections. Chari aims to address the issue of vote rigging and promote transparency by launching a worldwide initiative called “Citizens Agents.” The initiative encourages individuals to adopt polling stations in Zimbabwe and provide necessary support to the polling agents stationed there.

Chari recognized the challenges faced in previous elections, where some polling stations lacked sufficient agents to monitor and accurately report the results. To tackle this issue, Citizens Agents seeks to secure funding from well-wishers who can donate funds to assist polling agents with essential resources such as food, stationery, and mobile data. This support will enable the agents to carry out their duties effectively and provide real-time vote results for their respective polling stations.

In a comment, Chari explained the functioning of the Citizens Agents initiative, stating that adopting a polling station entails financing the deployment of citizen agents who commit to spending 2-3 nights at the designated station. The aim is to deploy at least two agents per contested rural area. The cost of training, food, and transport for each agent ranges from $80 to $150. Chari stressed that the process of adopting a polling station is private, ensuring the security and anonymity of donors.

Chari further elaborated that interested individuals can adopt multiple polling stations and contribute as little as $5. Multiple donors can also contribute towards supporting a single polling station. Apart from overseeing the voting process, the agents will assist in transmitting polling station results and V11 forms, while also recording the turnout at the polling stations. This comprehensive approach aims to prevent any discrepancies, such as the sudden surge in votes witnessed during the final hour of the 2018 elections.

“We are banking on you. Convince a friend,” Chari appealed to potential supporters. By leveraging smart, technology-based, and data-driven interventions, the initiative aims to achieve substantial impact with fewer resources. Chari believes that while the ruling party may require 1,000 individuals for a similar effort, Citizens Agents can accomplish the same with only 10 committed individuals. Similarly, while the opposition party may require $1 million in funding, Citizens Agents aims to achieve their objectives with just 10% of that amount.

Currently, the initiative accepts support through PayPal, and by the end of the day, they plan to add additional payment options such as Card, Link, and Cashapp. Chari also mentioned that they are working on a model that will enable those in Zimbabwe to use Ecocash while ensuring the security and privacy of their transactions.

To become part of the Citizens Agents initiative and support transparent elections in Zimbabwe, interested individuals can visit the website citizensagents.org and follow the instructions provided.

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