Bulawayo residents, particularly those in peri-urban areas, have raised concerns about the inefficiency of the civil registry office in Bulawayo as they struggle to obtain national documents.
These concerns were expressed during a public hearing held by the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services, and War Veterans’ Affairs on the statelessness of migrants in Zimbabwe.
During the public hearing, many participants highlighted the challenges they face when trying to obtain primary documents, especially those from the outskirts of the city.
A participant, Danford, appealed to the Committee to assist him in obtaining a national identification card.
“Please assist us with obtaining IDs. My ID was ruined by the rain. I have tried to replace it, but they are asking for US$10. Where will I get it?” he said.
John Dube from St. Peters said he failed to vote in the 2023 Presidential elections because he couldn’t obtain an ID.
“My problem is that I took fingerprints on October 22 at Msitheli so that I could obtain a birth certificate and ID to be able to vote. I only managed to get the fingerprints on November 22.”
“My challenge now is that I have a child who is at school. She doesn’t have a birth certificate because I don’t have an ID and a birth certificate. My child is failing to continue with school,” he said.
Dube said obtaining the primary documents at the registry office is a challenge. “They don’t know how to treat people. They assist those whom they know or those with money. Some of us are unemployed.”
He suggested that the registry offices should also go to communities so that residents can get IDs.
“Please assist us with birth certificates and IDs. Also, the registry should come closer to where we stay,” he said.
In addition, Maxwell Khumalo narrated his struggle to obtain his ID as How Mine clinic is failing to give him his birth certificate through his birth record.
“Growing up, I used to see the registry coming to assist people with birth certificates, and I never went closer because I thought it was easy for me to obtain the primary documents. I had a birth record, my parents divorced. I kept that birth record, and in 2017 I looked for my mother to meet with my father so that I could obtain an ID, but I failed,” he said.
“My birth record was lost when my stepmother died. When I went to How Mine Clinic trying to obtain my birth record, they laughed at me and said they couldn’t locate the 1993 file. My firstborn is going to grade 7 next year but has no birth certificate. As old as I am, I have never had a payslip; I have never worked,” said Khumalo.
However, the Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Beitbridge East Member of Parliament, Albert Nguluvhe, said they had requested that the registry office join the portfolio committee during their public hearing so that they could hear what people are saying.
“Unfortunately, they didn’t join us, but we have heard your concern about the treatment at Msitheli. We will take note of that, and we will engage them because they fall under the ministry,” he said.
