Access to Voter Education: Minimal and Partisan Under the ZEC Act, the ZEC has responsibility for providing voter education and controlling voter education by all individuals and local organizations, other than political parties. Only the ZEC may receive and distribute foreign funds for voter education, and approve the participation of local organizations registered under the NGO Act, which awaits the President’s assent to become law.44 Because the ZEC was formed so late, it and any organizations to which it may have subcontracted have provided minimal voter education for this election. According to a spokesperson for the South African Solidarity Network which recently completed a nine-day mission in Zimbabwe: “There is a very low level of voter education going on, estimated to be happening in only 11% of Zimbabwe.”45 The ZEC, as already noted, is a partisan body and ought not to exercise monopoly control over who provides voter education. Independent Observers and Monitors: Only Government Invitees The Electoral Act provides for the ESC to establish a committee to accredit observers, foreign and local.46 The committee is composed of the ESC chair or vice-chair and four other government appointees.47 Prior to accreditation, foreign observers must receive an invitation, either from the Foreign Affairs Minister or, in the case of other electoral supervisory organizations in the region, from the ESC.48 Local observers must receive an invitation from the Justice Minister.49 ESC accreditation, for which there is a prescribed fee, is necessary for observers to be allowed to enter a polling station or constituency center.50 The fees are Z$100,000 for each individual representing a local organization, US$100 for an observer from an African country, and US$300 for all other observers.51 For local NGOs, these fees are high, especially since there is no guarantee that an application will be approved. The assignment of the important function of accrediting observers to the ESC rather than the ZEC points again to the confusion of having two supervisory bodies. It seems 44 Zimbabwe Electoral Act, 2005, sections 14 and 15 cover voter education. section 15 refers to the NGO Act. However, this Act has not been assented to by the President. 45 Sunday Argus (South Africa), March 6, 2005, Christelle Terreblanche, “Submission to the authorities has been internalized.” 46 Section 14(5), Electoral Act 47 Section 14(2), Electoral Act 48 Section 14(5), Electoral Act 49 Section 14(5), Electoral Act 50 Section 14(6), Electoral Act 51 The Daily Mirror, February 15, 2005, “Chinamasa invites local observers for accreditation”; Electoral Regulations, 2005, section 27. 12