Youths use Poetry Slam to encourage voter registration

Crafts and visual arts play an important role in terms of information dissemination in Zimbabwe. It is against this background that Women’s Institute for Leadership Development conducted a Poetry Slam which was meant to disseminate information about the importance of registering to vote.

The Poetry Slam was conducted at Sokusile Shopping Centre in Nkulumane. The event was a competition in which poets performed spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. Poets managed to disseminate information about the importance of registering to vote before the 2023 election.

“Voter registration is intended to ensure that everyone entitled to vote can do so, to prevent ineligible persons from voting, and to guard against multiple voting by the same individual” said Cwebile one of the poets.

Many participants articulated that voter registration systems should be designed to ensure that women and young girls are not disadvantaged or disenfranchised, as can easily happen.

During the Poetry Slam, one of the poets alluded that voter registration should begin with the premise that all citizens who have reached the required age and eligible have the right to vote.

“People should not be denied registration as voters on the basis of such factors as race, sex, language or religion” said one of the poets.

The activity also provided an opportunity to educate citizens that elections are a cycle and discussions on voting should not only focus on election day but should focus on the pre-voting process which is voter registration.

“Don’t let others decide for you because if you do not register to vote, you are letting others decide who wins and what issues matter,” said one of the poets encouraging everyone to register to vote.