With the voters registration for the 2024 General Election set to commence in three days' time, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says all is in place for the exercise.
The IEC will conduct the voter registration from January 5 until February 3, 2024.
According to IEC spokesperson, Osupile Maroba, the process of preparing for the exercise, which also includes replacing teachers, has been ongoing since a new voter registration period was announced.
He said the recruitment of officers who will replace teachers has been ongoing. With the school calendar coinciding with the voter registration, it means teachers will not be able to conduct the exercise due to work commitments, a situation that has forced the IEC to find replacements.
"We had anticipated the situation of the teachers,” Maroba said. “Initially the registration was supposed to start after the Standard 7 exams, but the new registration date coincides with the school calendar, which means teachers can't be part of the officers. “But they have been replaced by non-teaching public officers from other departments. “The recruitment exercise has been ongoing at district levels.”
Maroba told MmegiOnline that they will use the same officers who were initially contracted to conduct the exercise.
"We are ready for the registration which commences on Friday. “The preparations for the exercise have been ongoing since the new date was appointed. “It is a process that I want to believe is going well as I have not received any reports or been told there are problems, so things are going well," Maroba said.
The voter registration for the 2024 general election was thrown into disarray due to a court battle between the IEC and the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The exercise was initially scheduled for November last year, but was halted after theUDC IEC took the IEC to court demanding to be allowed to observe the registration exercise. The UDC wanted its agents popularly known as Madibela Tlhopho to be granted access to names and national identity card numbers of individuals registering to vote and record the serial numbers of the registration booklets for each and every registration day at the opening and closing thereof.
At the heart of UDC’s case is that they believe that transparency and fairness are of utmost importance and the presence of their representatives would help ensure a free and fair electoral process.
The matter was settled at the Court of Appeal, with the apex court deciding in favour of the IEC.
Meanwhile, Maroba urged Batswana who are eligible to vote, to register in large numbers.
"I want to encourage Batswana who are eligible to vote to use this chance to register for elections in large numbers. “They should ensure that they have all the necessary documentation for registration," he said.
