COMMENT: Streamlining of requirements to get national documents welcome

A simple definition says “a national identity document is an identity card with a photo, usable as an identity card at least inside the country, and which is issued by an official authority.”

Scholar Francis Fukuyana says national identity not only enhances physical security, but also inspires good governance, facilitates economic development, fosters trust among citizens and engenders support for strong social safety nets.

It is for that reason that the Government has streamlined requirements for the issuance of national civic documents to make it easier for those who have been facing challenges. There were concerns that some people were failing to get national identity documents because they had long lost their parents who would have otherwise provided the necessary information, among other reasons.

Addressing members who had gathered for the ruling party’s National Cell Day in Kwekwe last Saturday, President Mnangagwa said there was no longer need to pay for the vital documents.

“In the past, when one went to apply for these documents, they were asked for their exact dates of birth. And when they failed to give the exact dates they were asked to bring along a close relative to vouch for them. We then realised this was problematic and changed the rules. Now we have put in place new regulations that have removed all of those requirements. We also said there is no longer need to pay for that document. You now get it for free; everything is now free . . . So we have streamlined everything. Those who do not have IDs and birth certificates should seek assistance from their local leadership and get the documents for free.”

Furthermore, it is important for one to have a birth certificate and a national identity document so that they are captured in the national data system. Once they are in the national data system, it means they are in a position to benefit from Government programmes and services, as bona fide nationals. Furthermore, birth certificates are a must have when a child is getting enrolled at school, so parents and guardians have to make sure that children have birth certificates.

It is also good for planning purposes for the Government to know how many people have been documented in the country for planning purposes. It is for that the reason that the Government is rolling out a national identity cards (IDs) and birth certificates registration blitz targeted at about two million people.

It had been noticed that some people with no national documents were also failing to register to vote during the voter registration exercise.

In addition, birth certificates and national IDs are crucial to obtain other documents such as passports and driver’s licences.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe last week said more than 500 000 people have obtained birth certificates and national identity cards in the ongoing mobile blitz for civil registration ongoing countrywide.

Media reports said the minister added that the Government was not going back on its commitment of leaving no one and no place behind. Minister Kazembe said birth certificates and national identity cards were vital documents, hence the Government’s desire to ensure everyone that was entitled to have the documents, gets them. He urged people to continue obtaining national identity documents so that they could register to vote.

Minister Kazembe is on record as saying the national identity documents registration blitz, which started on 1 April will run until 30 September.

“The exercise will mainly focus on the issuance of births and deaths certificates and national identity documents. In addition to mobile teams, all static registration offices will remain operational during this period . . . The President has always said no one should be left behind. We are going to ensure that we cover each and every part of this country. We had our backlog sitting at around one million but we know probably there are some people who have not even attempted to apply for these documents.

We are targeting at least two million, more than double the number that we know,” he said.

Minister Kazembe said President Mnangagwa ordered the relaxation of requirements to get national documents to ensure that citizens benefit from the mobile exercise.

“We have also been asked by the President that ‘please make it as easy as possible for Zimbabweans to get their IDs because they are Zimbabweans’, so in that regard, we had a meeting a couple of weeks back with the provincial registrars to discuss the challenges that they were facing or the challenges that people were facing in as far as the required documents or information that is required.”