The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has invited local and international observers and journalists to be accredited with the commission to cover the August 23 harmonized elections.
All journalists, both local and foreign, will be required to apply for ZEC accreditation in order to be allowed to capture the proceedings in and near polling stations and be able not just to access polling stations, but also the ZEC command centers, observer briefings and to observe elections.
Local observers will be charged a fee of US$10, observers from the rest of Africa US$100, those from foreign embassies in Zimbabwe US$300, and observers from any country outside Africa US$400.
For the media, local journalists pay US$10, Zimbabwean journalists accredited with the Zimbabwe Media Commission and working in Zimbabwe for foreign media houses will pay US$100, and media practitioners from Africa will be charged US$100.
The deadline for accreditation is July 22.
The accreditation process is currently being held at Belvedere Technical Teachers Training College in Harare from 8 am to 4 pm daily.
President Mnangagwa recently made it clear that Zimbabwe had nothing to hide as the country had put everything in place to ensure the elections were free, fair, and transparent.
The EU has welcomed the invitation to observe the elections and is expected to send a team of at least 150 observers.
The accreditation of observers and journalists is an important step in ensuring that the August 23 elections are free, fair and transparent. By allowing independent observers and journalists to monitor the elections, ZEC is demonstrating its commitment to transparency and accountability.
