Harare (New Ziana) – The country has nearly 4 000 centenarians on its voters’ roll who are expected to take part in the upcoming general election, an elections official has said.

More than 5.8 million people have so far registered to vote in the elections expected around mid-year, of which 3 988 are centenarians, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

ZEC spokesman, Jasper Mangwana said most of the centenarians registered to vote were from Masvingo, Midlands, Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces, and the figure was as at end of last year.

Among these, the ZEC official said, was a ‘sekuru’ Sithole who was born in 1905.

“The oldest registered voters are alive and we even met their families. ZEC does not create voters. BVR is authentic,” Mangwana said.

In the past, to explain their electoral defeats, opposition parties often accused ZEC of maintaining deceased people on the voters’ roll and giving their votes to ruling party.

ZEC denies this.

New Ziana