BULAWAYO – The Civil Registry Department has begun a mobile registration exercise for the issuance of IDs and birth certificates to complement the ongoing voter registration blitz which ends on March 21.
The first mobile registration was conducted last year from April 1 to September 30 during which three million people managed to get their identification documents free of charge, according to official data.
In a statement, the civil registry department said the exercise will run from March 12 to 21, the same as the voter registration.
“Mobile teams have been deployed across the country to augment the existing station registry offices. This programme is meant to provide citizens with an opportunity to obtain national identity documents which will enable them to register as voters for the upcoming 2023 general elections,” the department said.
The civil registry said the exercise is targeting those who have attained 18 years and intend to register as voters, those that lost their identity documents and are eligible to register as voters, and those who are 18 years and above who require both birth certificates and national identity documents.
In addition, all static registries will be operating from Monday to Friday from 7AM to 7PM and from 7AM to 5PM on Saturday and Sunday.
A large number of Zimbabweans have been struggling to attain important identity documents and in response to this, the civil registry has relaxed its requirements in an effort to ensure no-one is left behind in the exercise, said home affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe.
Zimbabwe has been failing to issue plastic identity cards, officials say due to a shortage of materials.
BULAWAYO, MANICALAND, MASHONALAND CENTRAL, MASHONALAND EAST, MASVINGO: March 2023 ID and Birth Certificate Blitz
HARARE, MASHONALAND WEST, MATABELELAND NORTH, MATABELELAND SOUTH, MIDLANDS: March 2023 ID and Birth Documents Blitz
