The government has announced that the registration of the San community in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North, will commence next week.
Children born to San people in the area have been struggling to obtain birth certificates, with the Tsoro-o-otso San Development Trust director, Davy Ndlovu, having said in April that a total of 168 pupils at Mtshina Primary School needed assistance in securing the documents.
The majority of San people found in both Tsholotsho and Bulilima remain stateless as they do not have national identity cards and live in abject poverty.
Most of the elderly do not have formal education.
“Pursuant to a recent Cabinet decision on ensuring that the previously undocumented citizens among the San Community are catered for, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage was directed by the President to go and engage the community and Traditional Leadership on the issue,” said Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-cabinet brief Tuesday.
Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe recently visited Tsholotsho to engage with the San community.
“There are about 3 000 San people in the Tsholotsho area,” said Mutsvangwa. The 3 000 unregistered people should be registered without any hassles; the registration process will commence on Monday, 13 September, 2021; and the chiefs will assist in the registration process, and nobody should be turned away.”
The latest development will enable members of the San community to exercise their democratic rights and participate in the 2023 general polls.
