In Zimbabwe last year, the Electoral Commission (Zec) spent more than $100 million during the election process. This huge amount covered various items, from voter registration kits to non-flushable toilets. Here’s a breakdown of where the money went and how it was spent.
The biggest portion of the budget, $40 million, was for biometric voter registration kits. This was split into two nearly equal parts: the first being around $19.96 million and the second similar in amount. However, leaked documents reveal some concerning figures. The total cost mentioned in these documents adds up to $69 million.
These documents outline the various payments made under the $69 million, which includes individual amounts like $2.67 million, $4.92 million, and goes up to $5.99 million. Altogether, these large sums covered different election-related expenses.
Apart from these big-ticket items, Zec also reported spending an additional $21 million on essential election materials like tents, ballot papers, solar lights, and ink pens. The breakdown shows that $21.15 million went into importing these materials which are crucial for conducting the elections.
Interestingly, there were more costs hidden in the details. For instance, Zec ordered 2,000 non-flushable toilets right before the elections in August 2023, costing a staggering $7.6 million. These toilets, priced at an exorbitant $3,800 each, were only delivered eight months after the elections. To put this into perspective, the same toilets cost about $300 in neighboring South Africa.
Moreover, Zec spent another $5 million on high-tech gadgets intended to display voting results. Unfortunately, these devices, purchased at inflated prices, were also delivered well after the election was over.
When we add up all these costs, it totals more than $100 million. This figure was part of the national budget for the elections, which Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube set at around $116 million back in November 2022.
This extensive spending highlights not just the financial outlay of conducting elections in Zimbabwe but also raises questions about the efficiency and transparency of the process. The significant delay in delivering crucial election materials and the high costs associated with some of these items suggest that financial management and planning could be improved to better serve the electoral process and its integrity.
The investment in biometric voter registration kits shows a commitment to modernizing the electoral process in Zimbabwe. This is a step in the right direction towards ensuring that elections are fair and transparent.
What’s the point of purchasing high-tech gadgets for displaying election results if they’re going to be delivered well after the elections are concluded? This not only wastes money but also makes one question the effectiveness of planning and execution by Zec.
Spending $3,800 on non-flushable toilets that cost $300 next door in South Africa is nothing short of outrageous. This is a glaring example of resource misallocation that could have been used to improve more critical infrastructure or services.
The discrepancies between the leaked documents and the official figures are alarming. It seems like there’s a serious issue with financial transparency at Zec. How can we trust the electoral process if the numbers don’t even add up?