Civil Registry To Embark On Mobile Identity Document Issuing Outreach

MAZOWE -The Civil Registry Department is set to embark on a national outreach programme to issue out national identity documents for youths and the general populace ahead of next year’s harmonised elections, Nhau has learnt.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe told Nhau that preparations to roll out the exercise early next year were at an advanced stage.

He said his ministry was prepared to address all the issues surrounding the current inaccessibility of these vital national documents which are a constitutional right.

“This was a directive from His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa and is in tandem with the New Dispensation’s policy of devolution which seeks to bring services closer to the people and facilitate ease of doing business,” he said.

He called on youths to take advantage of the mobile exercise so that they can register to vote and have their voice heard in the upcoming plebiscite despite their political affiliation.

Kazembe said his ministry had plans to introduce offices in all the country’s districts so that distances to these service centres are cut short.

A fortnight ago, his ministry officially opened the Guruve Civil Registry office to cater for people within the district and beyond.

The office will also serve Mbire district where people in areas such as Kanyemba and Agwa still have to travel nearly 300km to Guruve in order to access the documents.

The ministry also confirmed that it had a backlog in the issuing of travelling documents and birth certificates as a result of the past Covid-19 induced lockdown that resulted in the temporary closure of the registry offices.

Recently outspoken Buhera South legislator, Joseph Chinotimba slammed Kazembe and his ministry for failing to avail vital documents like birth certificates, national identity cards and passports to the public.

This was after Home Affairs secretary Aaron Nhepera appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.

If carried out to fruition, the programme will demonstrate government’s commitment towards promoting human rights as the acquisition of national documents is a basic human requirement in Zimbabwe. Nhau/Indaba

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