The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says additional voter registration teams have been deployed to assist in the ongoing intensive voter registration exercise.
In an interview, ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the teams were deployed effectively on Saturday.

“The registrar general has deployed additional teams to beef up the ones which are on the ground.

“An additional six teams have been deployed in Harare, one in Bulawayo, one in Marondera and Chipinge respectively,” she said.

There have been reports that the voter registration, which ends on 9 July was slow raising fears that many people would fail to register before the deadline.

According to ZEC over 500 000 first-time voters have registered to vote in the 31 July harmonized elections over the last three months.

The figure also accounts for those who had registered since the beginning of the intensive voter registration exercise on 10 June.

The 30-day ward-based mobile voter registration is provided for in the Sixth Schedule Part 3 Section 6(3) of the new Constitution.

Over five million people are now on the voters roll with the figure expected to swell as the voter registration exercise continues.

Zimbabwe has gone into election mode following the successful sitting of nomination courts countrywide last Friday.

The Presidential race will see five candidates contesting namely President Robert Mugabe of Zanu-PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC-T, Dumiso Dabengwa of Zapu, Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube of the MDC and Kissinoti Mukwazhe of the Zimbabwe Development Party.

The voting will begin on 31 July 2013 and is expected to end within the day. The election is expected to choose one president from five candidates. The term for the president is also five years. The office of prime minister will be abolished once the new government is formed.

If no candidate manages to score 50%-plus one vote, a presidential run-off would be held on 11 September.

There are 210 National Assembly seats and 1 958 local council seats up for grabs.

Analysts and independent surveys have predicted a victory for President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party after the MDC-T and its leader lost much of the popularity they used to enjoy.

Numerous sex scandals have damaged Tsvangirai’s reputation while his party officials have been involved in corruption activities in local authorizes that they lead.