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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
The Registrar-General’s Office will soon open a registry sub-office in Murambinda as part its decentralisation programme which seeks to reach out to a huge population in need of its services.

Addressing journalists at a Press briefing held at the Manicaland provincial registry offices last week, Registrar-General Mr Clemence Masango said the department was working on refurbishing a disused building that had been offered by Buhera Rural District council.

He said the sub office would be operational by January next year.

“We want to decentralise our services as much as possible so that we shorten the distance people travel for whatever requirements.

“Murambinda is probably one of the fastest growing growth points in the country. It has quite a sizable population of citizens who need our services,” he said.

“Arrangements to refurbish the structure that has been offered to the department by the local authorities have started. We are in the process of buying material to get the department of public works to refurbish the building.

“Once we get the material and get on the ground, they should not take more than a month. All things being equal we should have that office officially opened by January 2019,” he said.

He said the building which would house the registry offices needed to be repaired.

Mr Masango said there was need to attend to the floors, ceilings, windows, the grounds as well as repainting.

Mr Masango said his department was working with most of local authorities who were providing them with operating space for sub-offices.

“Councils have been very supportive; they have been offering operating space to the department at no cost for us to open sub offices so that we bring our services closer to the people. We believe we will even be making doing business much easier and responding to people’s needs,” he said.

He called on members of the public to practice early registration to avoid the inconveniencing themselves and the department

“It is unfortunate that up to now, we still get parents who rush to get birth certificates for their children simply because that child now wants to sit for a public examination.

“That is not necessary because birth registration is free up to six years and national registration is also free up to 18 years, so there is no reason for parents not to take advantage of that facility.

“We should not create unnecessary pressure for ourselves as parents and on the department,” added Mr Masango.