Data gathered by our correspondents, spread across all the districts that contain municipalities, show that elderly people have been rejected by the machines, particularly in facial recognition. The anger was captured by a note that says “There is a boycott against elderly people. Their pictures do not appear, and so they send them back home. They allege that elderly people vote for the opposition.”
In the last two days, more than ten elderly people were counted whose faces were not recognised by the registration machines. Just yesterday (26 April), in the registration brigade at Djuba B, in the new municipal town of Matola-Rio, four people found that their faces were not recognised, and three of them were elderly. Later, two of the elderly voters succeeded in registering at their second attempt, but one only managed to register at another brigade, in another post, in the same locality.
Breakdowns of the machines and printers have continued to mark the first six days of the voter registration. For example, one of the Djuba B brigades, since the process began, has continued to register machine breakdowns, characterised by failure to print the bulletins and the cards, dark images on certain cards, problems with facial recognition, and even complete non-functioning.
According to the brigade supervisor, Cristina Ribeiro, the machines that print the bulletins and the cards need internal cleaning, which can only be done by technical staff. This was requested several times since the second day of the registration, but up until now (the sixth day) no technician has come to the brigade.
It is a similar story with Brigade 87, at the Bili Secondary School, in the Matola-Rio administrative post, Mulotana locality. The machine prints, but some cards emerge without certain data such as the name of the voter, which means that the printing has to be repeated. Registration thus becomes a slow procedure.
In the same brigade, the solar panel that is being used frequently discharges due to the temperature. This causes the machines to switch off, which makes the procedure even slower. Consequently, the few voters present at the post felt obliged to go home.
Also in Matola-Rio, at the Beluluane C registration post, the cards are being issued without signatures or photographs.
In the post at the 15 August EPC, in Momemo neighbourhood, our correspondent was forbidden from gathering data by a STAE staff member named Arsénio Machava, supposedly because the credential issued by the electoral bodies was useless, and he should present himself at Marracuene district for purposes of observation.
In Xai-Xai city, in the Technical School, not only does the machine not recognise the faces of elderly voters, but it also rejects their fingerprints. Technical staff have been requested, but they have still not come to solve the problem. The work is continuing, even with problems.
Some brigades in Nampula city are demanding a neighbourhood declaration
Our correspondents in Nampula city report that some voter registration brigades are demanding a neighbourhood declaration from voters who want to register. One of these brigades is operating in the Teacane Secondary School (better known as the Mualhaco Secondary School), in the Natikiri neighbourhood. The same is happening with a brigade located at the Maria da Luz Guebuza EPC. According to our correspondents, even when citizens are carrying the documents required by law, the brigade members continue to demand a neighbourhood declaration, particularly from young voters. If not a neighbourhood declaration, they ask the youths to give the name of their neighbourhood secretary and the block they live in. In some cases, they demand testimony from the neighbourhood secretary before registering the voter.
In Manica, the Provincial Director of STAE, Luciano José, has said he has no knowledge of a ban on registering citizens who rent houses in Chimoio. He was reacting to a report here, proved with video interviews recorded by our correspondents, which showed that some citizens are being denied the right to register in Chimoio, because they are living in rented houses, even though they are natives of Chimoio.
Other news about the registration
Six days after voter registration should have started, there are still areas in Manhiça, Maputo province, where the registration has not yet started due to problems of impassable roads. The areas concerned are Calanga, Xihenyise and Dzonguene on Josina Machel island.
In Quissico district, Inhambane province, the registration post at the Chissibuca EPC is obliged to end the day’s registration by 16.30 horas, and this has led to agitation in the queue.
In Vilanculo district, the STAE director, Luís Zunguene, has recognised the existence, in almost all the registration posts, of cases of poor quality of the voter cards, and in some cases the printers have jammed.
In Mutarara, in Tete, Electoral Civic Education agents are facing difficulties in reaching some villages in the Inhangoma administrative post, because the roads were impassable after the passage of cyclone Freddy.
In Manica district, in the Messica-Sede Primary School, the machines also do not recognise the faces and fingerprints of elderly voters.
In the Mozambique Island EPC, this morning (26 April) there was a conflict between the Renamo monitors and the brigade members. The Renamo monitors did not want to remain a metre away, as recommended, but wanted to be closer to the brigade members. The confusion forced the closure of the registration post. The problem was later solved with the intervention of the director of the local STAE.
In the town of Mocímboa da Praia, in the posts at the 3rd Congress and 30 June EPCs, the number of brigades was increased, reflected in the speed of the registration.
At the Michenga Primary School, in Micanhelas, Lago district, four individuals turned up at the post, supposedly mobilised by Frelimo. The four individuals are from Khobwe locality, 110 km from the municipal town.
In Metangula town, there was a clash between Renamo and Frelimo, because the former brought individuals, supposedly from Tanzania to register at the Metangula EPC. Frelimo discovered this, and prevented them from registering them, which caused a row.
CIP
