STAFF WRITER
AT LEAST 4 169 people including the marginalised San community were among those who were issued with national identity documents during the just ended mobile registration exercise in Tsholotsho district.
In her post-Cabinet briefing, minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa said her Home Affairs colleague Kazembe Kazembe had reported on progress made in the mobile registration exercises undertaken in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province and other provinces.
A considerable number of people in Tsholotsho were without national identity cards due to among other reasons, the 2017 floods which displaced many people in the district, the Gukurahundi atrocities which claimed many parents in the district as well as the San people who traditionally have been marginalised.
“In Tsholotsho, a total of 4 169 national identity documents were issued broken down as follows: 3 542 initial birth registration for children under the age of 16 years; 600 initial birth registration for persons above 16 years of age; 46 duplicate birth certificates were issued to children under 16 years of age; 625 duplicate birth certificates were issued to persons above the age of 16 years; and 58 death certificates,” Mutsvangwa said.
She added: “The Bikita mobile registration programme commenced on 6 September, 2021, and ended on 5 October, 2021, while the Tsholotsho exercise ran from 13 September to 12 October, 2021. The services availed during the mobile registration exercises in the two districts covered birth, death and national identity registration.”
“Government commends the Civil Registry Department for the stakeholder participation approach which it adopted in implementing the exercises, which resulted in effective coordination of the project. Together with the awareness campaigns undertaken through rural district committees, traditional and community leaders, and local radio stations, huge turnouts were witnessed at mobile registration centres from the first day.”
