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Africa Moyo

Deputy News Editor

Civil registration documents such as national identity cards, birth certificates, death certificates and cattle brands will now all be free of charge during the ongoing national mobile registration blitz after President Mnangagwa’s intervention following requests by people.

Registration requirements have also been eased to ensure that people can register easily.

The President announced the development yesterday in his 42nd Independence address during the main celebrations at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage through the Civil Registry Department is conducting the national mobile registration exercise from April 1 until September 30, clearing the backlog created by the travel and working restrictions needed to combat Covid-19. At one stage civil registration officers were even closed.

The speed up in issuing national identity documents will also enable citizens who wish to participate in next year’s harmonised elections to register as voters.

Said President Mnangagwa: “The Civil Registry Department is presently undertaking a countrywide mobile registration exercise to issue birth and identity documents.

“As a listening Government, the bottlenecks identified since the beginning of the exercise are being attended to, including the removal of fees and stringent information requirements.”

In a statement earlier yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said Cabinet had approved the scrapping of fees that were initially required to collect the identity particulars to ensure everyone access the critical documents.

The move is in line with the Second Republic’s mantra and the Zimbabwe 42nd Independence celebrations theme of “leaving no one and no place behind”.

Said Minister Kazembe: “To ensure that no one and no place is left behind during this national mobile registration exercise, my Ministry is glad to announce that Cabinet has approved waiver of fees for all civil registration documents that is birth certificates, death certificates, national identity documents and livestock brand certificates are now issued at no costs during this mobile registration period.

“In addition to waiver of fees, Cabinet has also approved relaxation of registration requirements and this is with immediate effect. Provincial and district registrars together with team leaders have been instructed to attend to every person and ensure that they are offered the services they require.”

He advised everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to ensure they were registered. There is a target of reaching at least 2 million people under the registration blitz.