By Margret Chogugudza.
Chitungwiza Community Development Network (CCDN) this week trained thirty-five (35) individuals on voter education, mobilisation and election monitoring in Chitungwiza.
The training workshop which saw people from 10 different wards of Chitungwiza attending was convened in preparation of the 2018 elections.
The training equipped the 35 individuals with skills and knowledge on voter education, mobilisation of the youths to register and vote and election monitoring during the upcoming election.
The facilitator Thulani Mswelato from Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe began by taking participants through the legal framework of elections in Zimbabwe.
Most of the youths had concerns regarding the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association and political rights.
Tatenda Choto (25) said “As young people we are the most vulnerable to political violence therefore we need to know about our rights concerning freedom of assembly and association”.
The participants were encouraged to set aside their political affiliations and serve their communities during mobilisation and election observation.
“As election observers you should be aware of your political bias as it might affect your judgement in your documentation of events” said Mswelato.
Mswelanto explained to the participants important concepts on the Biometric Voter Registration and on the upcoming elections.
CCDN project manager Admire Mutize said “The training is meant to capacitate the participants to become voter mobilizers and educators in their communities and to mobilise other citizens to register and vote in the upcoming elections”.
“The participants will become long term election observers during the pre and post election activities. The trained individuals are expected to make use of digital technologies in documenting political violence and human rights abuses” said Mutize.
Mr Mutize also said CCDN together with the trained participants will reach out to the communities providing voter education to the public.