By William Milasi

THE Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has said registration slips will not be used on the election day, condemning to an exercise in vain efforts by some traditional leaders and members of the ruling Zanu PF party who are collecting serial numbers of the documents.

ZEC voter education director Taurayi Gavi told journalists in Gweru last week that the registration slips are only a transaction between the voter and ZEC.

Gavi was speaking at an election reporting workshop organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)

Opposition political parties have been raising concern over the alleged coercive collection of the Biometric Voter Registration slips of registrants by Zanu PF officials.

“The registration slip is just a proof of transaction between the voter and ZEC,” Gavi said in his address to journalists, “You might not use the slip on the day of voting.”

He said documents needed on the election day are national identity cards and a valid passport as he dismissed the slips as, unimportant and useless on the day.”

“The slip is useless and not important the; traditional leaders who are doing it are doing it in vain. The serial numbers which they are taking down are nothing,” he said.

Gavi added that ZEC has registered 118 political parties to contest in the forthcoming harmonised elections.

“To date, we have 118 political parties that have written to ZEC expressing willingness to take part in the forthcoming elections,” he said.

Meanwhile ZEC commissioner Qhubani Moyo dismissed allegations of bias against the electoral agency.

“ZEC not is not choosing people on patronage but capacity for instance I was a fierce critic of the government and even ran for a political office under the Welshman Ncube-led MDC but today I am a commissioner,” he said.

In February this year ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba said the elections management agency was partly staffed with people from a military background.