Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), on the 2nd of March 2018, conducted the third “IBVA” Street and Constituency Conversations in Harare South Constituency at Rising Star Primary School. The Street Conversation was led by facilitators who were drawn from Hopley High Density Suburb, Mbudzi Roundabout Bus Terminus, Ushewokunze High Density Suburb and Mazvimbakupa Shopping Center with over 55 participants attending. The conversations revealed that a great number of youths and people living with disabilities failed to register during the blitz because they did not have National Identification Cards. The was reported to more pronounced in Hopley where most youths who have turned 18 but do not have a parent or birth record to be used when acquiring the National ID. Some other members also mentioned that they had registered to vote but have since lost their IDs.
The trained VISET Vendors Voter Educators were then given the responsibility to compile the names of those that need to be assisted to obtain the National Identification Documents and then VISET will facilitate transport for them to go and obtain the same. The statistics recorded in the meeting showed that over 70 vendors have relevant documents and are interested in registering to vote, a process which VISET is going to assist. It was also report that over 17 people were assisted by the VISET Vendors Voter Educators to get registered since the campaign was launched three weeks ago.
The Street Conversations are platforms for the vendors to discuss amongst themselves their experiences of the previous and coming week regarding voter registration, exploring on the challenges they will have encountered and harnessing the opportunities emerging. The meetings allow the vendors to think and plan about new strategies and methods they can engage to get more vendors to register to vote. VISET invited Community Radio Harare (CORAH) to be a part of the meeting as a way to find a platform were issues coming out of the meetings can be broadcasted and reach a wider audience.
Source: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET)
