Pacenet against partisan civic education
The Pan African Civic Educators Network (Pacenet) has urged community-based educators (CBEs) in the country to be impartial when conducting civic and voter education to avoid instigating political tensions ahead of the Tripartite Elections.
Pacenet executive director Steven Duwa made the remarks in Thyolo during day-long issue-based campaign training for CBEs.
He explained that impartiality was primary to the realisation of credible, free and fair elections.
“It is for this reason we are training CBEs, faith and community leaders to ensure a successful civic and voter education at the local level. Pacenet recognises that free and fair elections are a means of peaceful transfer of power [and] the cornerstones of democratic practice,” said Duwa.
The meeting was funded by the Department for International Development (DfID) through the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).
The CBEs were drawn from Chiradzulu and Thyolo districts and are part of the volunteers accredited to provide civic and voter education at the grassroots level.
