By Change Radio Admin
Zimbabweans are quick to forget, but what was the Minister of ICT Tatenda Mavetera was trying to say when she spoke on collection of identity information and registering WhatsApp groups last week?
Read this article by one Manicaland based political analyst who uncovers the secrets behind Mavetera’s proposed policies explaining its implications on politics and linking it to FAZ and a planned massive voter rigging scheme that includes masabhuku and the Civil Registry Department.
An insight
What is currently at play is preparation for the 2028 elections. I will outline what is happening on the ground as ZANU-PF launches its groundwork for the 2028 elections whatever they call “2030 achipo!”.
Firstly, during its recently concluded 2024 People’s Conference, ZANU-PF resolved to digitize cell registers. This was no coincidence. In 2023, the Civil Registry Department of Birth and Death Registration began training village heads to issue birth and death records within their respective jurisdictions. All Zimbabwean village heads and their secretaries were trained to capture data.
Let me digress a bit. Our traditional chiefs were given vehicles twice—before the elections and after the elections. Mr Mnangagwa has been on a spending spree to improve the welfare of chiefs, rehabilitating roads leading to their homesteads and building houses for them. This is not without reason. Chiefs who do not follow ZANU-PF’s instructions are either dethroned or otherwise punished. The endgame is becoming clearer. What will happen next?
Secondly, there is now talk of a proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill to relieve ZEC of its constitutional mandate to register voters. Shifting this responsibility to the Civil Registry is the second phase of preparations for the 2028 elections. Already, FAZ (Forever Associates Zimbabwe) members have been recruited into the Civil Registry Department. FAZ, once a CIO shadow organization, still requires funding. How will this happen? All FAZ members will now be recruited into the Civil Registry Department for voter registration and will be paid directly by the government.
There is a connection between the first and second facts. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, individuals will be automatically registered to vote using their ID’s village address. Monthly returns from village heads will provide data shared with the Civil Registry Department to check for deaths. Simultaneously, the Civil Registry Department will transfer data on new voters to specific village heads, enabling tracking through ZANU-PF structures. This move is well calculated, as ZANU-PF seeks to restore the perceived integrity of ZEC by shifting the crucial role of voter registration elsewhere.
Remember, ZEC was criticized in the SADC SEOM report for manipulating voter registration in ZANU-PF’s favor. Now, ZEC must relinquish this mandate through a constitutional amendment spearheaded by Ziyambi Ziyambi. All of this is unfolding before our eyes.
Lastly, let’s consider Mavetera’s statement about “Malicious Fake News.” The claim about government intentions to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or social media administrators with USD 2,500 fines is not applicable to those who do not collect or process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business purposes. PII includes any data that identifies someone, such as their name, address, phone number, passport information, or ID number. Mavetera’s statement was far from malicious; it had a clear target.
ZANU-PF’s intention is to monopolize the collection of data from citizens. By calling for the digitalization of cell registers, ZANU-PF is positioning itself as the sole entity authorized to collect this information. Anyone else attempting to gather citizen data faces the risk of being targeted. In this 21st century, politics is becoming more scientific, hence the push for a digitalized cell database by ZANU-PF. These events and utterances are not coincidental they are calculated steps for 2028.
This is ZANU-PF for you. When we say elections to dislodge ZANU-PF are impossible, this is the current situation unfolding. ZANU-PF is institutionalized within all government departments, and every head of department swears allegiance to the party. The Civil Registry will now effectively operate under the EXECUTIVE. How can one seek accountability in this situation as a political player?
Will we be able to stop massive voter migration when we failed to hold ZEC accountable? Let us come together to save our great Zimbabwe! We know what needs to be done, collectively, as citizens in our diversity.
#ForEveryone
#Godisinit
Champion from the East
Chipinge, Manicaland
