Isheunesu Tsiga
IT only seems like yesterday when his mother and I welcomed him into this world. Partially aware of the new surroundings but uncomprehending, the trademark cry signalled his arrival to the land of the living as I held him in my arms.
The rock I gave him was a sign of assurance that everything was okay. I remember him sleeping calmly in my hands, as if accepting the fact that at that time, his fate was in my hands. Today however, that’s no longer the case.
My son has just turned 21 and we have given him the keys, as a token of showing that unlike that night, fate is now in his hands. Not only him, based on the memes he gets tagged in daily on Facebook and the number of WhatsApp groups he is in, I can tell my son is very much connected with the rest of the people of his age. What a time it is for them to rise, encourage each other to dictate proceedings of their country by registering to vote for the 2018 elections.
This time around the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is using the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process, and it is not as complicated as it sounds. Biometrics are simply metrics based on human characteristics which are used for identification purposes with finger prints and iris patterns being the commonly used features. Considering the easy access to information today’s youth are enjoying, my son is well aware of these technical processes.
It is however imperative for him to realize the importance of his participation in this process.
Of late most young people have left it to us to do the voting, this will have future long run effects of them experiencing results of the decisions we made for them (good or bad) while we lie in our graves.
Thanks to the Biometric Voter Registration process, one is sure the election result will reflect the true voice of the people as it uniquely identifies a single person and ensures he/she will vote on a single instance.
This eliminates the risk of double voting which goes a long way in ensuring authenticity. While voting on its own is essential for young people, BVR is the tool that then provides the process with the harmony it deserves.
Proof of residence and the national identification card are the only documents needed for registration and that should not be a tall order. This means the process is short, fast and simple a clear definition of today’s youth routine trademark of having things done in the most simplified manner possible.
Simply put, BVR is the tool that gives you the assurance that your vote will matter as it provides the transparency needed hence ultimately making your voice count.
As leaders of tomorrow, make your future jobs easier by making the right choices today. We will die proud grandfathers knowing our children are enjoying fruits of what they wanted, not what we thought they wanted!
The other two shortlisted essays are from Beniah Takunda Munengwa and Tawanda Muzavazi.