Released by: Bulawayo CSOs Zimbabwe Situation Room
Contact: Debra Mabunda: +263 772 217 052 and Jenni Williams: +263 772 898110
Press Statement: Bulawayo CSOs Zimbabwe Situation Room Launch
Zimbabwe elections have a history of being dynamic in that one can never predict how they will be conducted or whether they would be free and fair.
It is in this view that the Zimbabwe CSOs decided to come together and utilize a tool which has been used by the West African countries termed the ‘Situation Room’. This tool has been tried in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Senegal with positive results.
The principles of this tool are:
– It involves all CSOs in the country or at least as many as possible
– Its reports are ongoing. They are not about results, but about the whole process; pre-, during and post elections
– It has a coordinating team in a room. Response is immediate where necessary and possible (real-time).
– It utilizes scientific deployment of observers and monitors
– It is pro-active in crisis management work with other people on the ground to ensure all areas and issues are covered and addressed i.e. faith-based organisations, Government including ZEC, media etc
– It collects, verifies and act on data in real time
Zimbabwe Situation Rooms will be in Bulawayo and Harare to ensure coverage of the country as widely as possible and ensure that issues and incidents are dealt with at the greassroots level in real time.
The Situation Room will be issuing statements and briefs at least twice a day.
The coordinating team will be at the Holiday Inn. It will utilize all forms of communication including social media but will only issue data that is factual and verified.
The Situation Room is open and welcomes other people who have information or seek information about the elections. Members of the public are also welcome to phone or send messages on issues that are of concern to them, both good and bad.
For more information please call Civil Society Representatives on the following numbers;
Public Hotlines: 08080082, 08080034, +263 772 177 077
Visit us on: www.zimdecides.org