I went to vote yesterday. Early to avoid the crowds! I got ink on my left pinkie finger, all the way up to the second joint. Seems they have a lot of ink, and don’t expect many people to come to put it on. I bet they were right.

There was no trouble voting. Metal ID (which says citizen of course), they wrote my name, next desk gave me a voting slip, next desk inked my finger (the only desk with only one person on it), I went to the booth and marked my paper (my vote is secret), went to the ballot box, showed the next desk the folded slip with the stamp on it and put it in the box.

Before lunch, I went to my afternoon engagement. Spotted several polling stations along the way. One had six people waiting, another had 20 people. I am guessing the station I voted in might get 1000 voters. There are three polling stations in my ward, and 18 000 voters. If each station gets 1000, that is 3000 voting out of the 18000. That is a 16 percent turnout, by very rough guess, and nothing scientific about it.

No one came for a nothing document.

Some queues were short and some were very long and tiring because of the heat. Though in some areas reports of voter apathy marred the Saturday referendum. Where I voted it was peaceful and I only spent a couple of minutes before I left the polling station. At times like these usually you would find people walking in pairs or groups to cast their votes. Maybe there is comfort in numbers or it’s just the fear of being left out in a national event like this, as people will be flashing the pink finger with pride to anyone who cares to see. As everyone was looking forward to going to the polling stations I felt sorry for my fellow citizens who were born here but are still regarded as Aliens. My father helped me to fight that battle some years back before the rejected 2000 referendum polls and that is the reason why I was showing the finger to whoever. This was my second time taking part in a referendum and I got worried when I had to show the back of my folded ballot paper to the polling agents so that they see the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission stamp. My vote is supposed to be a secret but when the ballot paper is so transparent to an extent of revealing where I had put my X I get worried about what it means to whoever sees it. So the after poll chat is always about when the results will come out. Instead of worrying about the implications of the pink finger of the just ended referendum maybe the real worry is now on upcoming presidential polls and if the pink finger will be visible to anyone to see. I hope when that time comes, this constitution we just voted for would have passed, and Aliens will be citizens and pink fingers will be shown without fear.

Here is some more crowd sourced citizen reporting from around Zimbabwe. For consolidated citizen feedback please click here.

Chimanimani – Court House next to the DA’S office. It was well sign posted. There was nobody in the queue ahead of us at 11.45hrs. Three police sat at a pleasant distance under a tree. The process was easy and quick. Four people in the queue by the time we left. The process took 4 minutes.

Some observations 16/3/13 Mbare
8.00am Stodart Hall: about half a dozen people waiting to vote, moving slowly
9.00am St.Peter’s school (next to Shawasha flats): yard full of four queues
4.00pm St.Peter’s: eight police, no voters Musika 1, a police tent on 20th St: one or two voters, very slow Musika 2, a police tent near Mbare PO buses: half a dozen police, less voters; very slow
4.30pm Gwinyai school: little activity visible from outside the gate; very few voters
4.40pm Harare Sec Sch: little activity visible from outside the gate; very few voters

With the exception of St.Peters School in the morning, where the impression was that all the flats residents were voting together, there were as many or more cops at each polling station as voters at any time. The police were all very young, in fresh new grey uniforms displaying no Force numbers.

In walking around I saw few inked fingers, but people were not displaying them as they would after voting in an election. One woman washing fish showed that the ink was almost washed off her finger.

I am in Ward 15 Mutare South Constituency, Dangamvura people are not coming. It looks like there is vote apathy.

Voting was done peacefully though most people do not know what is in the proposed constitution. Ruwa.

Am in town of Redcliff, Kwe Kwe. Voting was peaceful though it was characterised by voter apathy.

Big turnout at Dzivaresekwa.

I am quite disturbed by Justice R Makarau’s statement on ZTV that some polling stations across the country opened a bit late due to shortage of fuel and late pitching of tents. Isn’t that poor planning on the part of ZEC or perhaps it’s lack of funding by government.

Generally no incidence of violence so far. People didn’t come in volumes as expected. I voted at 0700am we were only 5 men and 2 women. Voter apathy is expected since most people said they never saw the draft document. Gweru Mkoba.

I got the copy of the constitution at my school where I teach on time b4 I voted. Generally most people didn’t see the final draft constitution. This has caused confusion among people. I overhead 3 ladies asking each other whether to vote yes or no.

In Gokwe South gwehava area no voter education so they voted for something else other than a good constitution.

In Mat South, Matobo, Cyrene. Drove across 2 Mat North, Umguza, WestAcre 2 cast my vote. Lots by the shopping centre with red fingers, none eva seen a draft const!

NCA & Zimrights well known members denied access polls around Kariba. ZANU PF members going door 2 door writing names of those either voted or not. People were put on polling stations jotting down names.

People voted here at Zvishavane but almost everyone said we had voted for what we have not knowin’ but they vote in peace.

Majority do not know what YES/NO is all about hence a very low turn up.

From Bulawayo Agenda:

Most people interviewed were not aware of what they are voting for especially those in the rural areas. They never had access to the draft constitution and were told by opinion leaders in the community to vote “YES” without full understanding of the document. One man from Mangwe District said they were told to vote “YES” at a meeting organised traditional leaders. Some people even thought that this was a registration process ahead of elections to be held later this year.

Having noted the above observations and while greatly appreciating the patience of Zimbabweans during the entire constitution making process, Bulawayo Agenda is deeply concerned with the manner in which the awareness campaign and referendum were organised and conducted. We believe that citizens must be given a fair opportunity to exercise their rights through proper organisation and availing of information on time.

As the country awaits the counting and announcement of the 2013 referendum results, Bulawayo Agenda hopes the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and other stakeholders drew lessons from today’s polls and that Zimbabweans will not experience the same problems in the general elections slated for later this year.

Presidential Motorcade

Masi, Jamu and I
wave our hands to the President.
The windows of his limo
are tinted
and are always closed.
The motorcade travels fast
but Masi and Jamu say
the President waves back.

We wave our hands
every time the motorcade passes
in the hope it will stop
to drop a coin.

But we hear
the chauffeur does not know
the ‘Give-way’ sign
nor the ‘Stop’ sign.

© 1996, Julius Chingono

Credit: Mark Attwood