By Elvis Dumba
Raffingora – Zvimba North Costituency Legislator and Local Government Deputy Minister, Hon Marian Chombo hailed the government’s national registration outreach programme for allowing residents easy access to national registration documents.
During a visit to two registration outreach centres at Raffingora and Yomba Schools in Zvimba North, Hon Chombo said the exercise will go a long way in ensuring that no person or place is left behind in inclusive community development.
The lack of identity documents was affecting some people’s involvement in various government initiatives which require registering and producing one’s identity documents.
Interacting with hordes of people who were getting free birth certificates and national identity documents, Hon Chombo said it is government hope that every person who was facing challenges in getting national registration documents gets them during the exercise.
“As a listening government, we realized that some of you were not able to take part in various programs due to lack of birth certificates and identity documents so the government through the department of the registrar general (RG), is giving you this opportunity to everyone to get easy access to these documents as some of you were facing transport challenges in traveling to the registrar-general’s office,” she said.
Hon Chonbo urged the public to report any corrupt activities during the exercise to ensure that no one is denied the chance of accessing the national registration documents.
In some areas, reports of people demanding money to get access to documents like affidavits have been cited.
“This program has been brought for you and is free and the process easy for you unlike in the past. If anyone demands you to pay, please report it as we want every person to have the documents,” she urged.
Some of people who spoke to this publication hailed the program and appealed for the extension of days for the exercise in the communities.
“I am 54 years old and I am glad that I got my first birth certificate last week. In the past, I faced challenges as I didn’t have my parents’ identity documents. Due to financial challenges, I could not afford to travel to Murombedzi RG office located more than 100 km from here. The requirement was that I had to travel with at least two witnesses but here the process is not complicated. I am now able to participate in government programs like command agriculture as well as voting since I now have a national identity document,” Farai Marijani said.
Marijani’s three children also managed to obtain birth certificates on the day.
The outreach registration teams are going around communities offering national registration documents for both first-timers and replacements for lost documents.
“I used to be left out in many programs including receiving agricultural inputs, voting, or having a bank account as I did not have the national identity document. I am thankful for this program. I am 54 years old and now have got a national identity document. The RG staff members are professional,” John Kimbini said,