BVR, IDs mobile registration: Citizens speak

The Registrar General’s office on September 4, 2017, launched a nationwide mobile exercise for people to acquire identity documents (IDs), death certificates and birth certificates. The process will last three months. The Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has also commenced a mobile Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) process, which will run from September 14, 2017, to January 15, 2018, ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections. Below is part of the feedback the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has been receiving from citizens in different parts of the country about the two processes that are happening concurrently. ZimRights is mobilising people to register as voters through a nationwide campaign called #10×10, which was launched on Saturday, September 16, 2017.

Chitungwiza Council Head Office 14/09/2017

The mobile units which have been set up by the Registrar’s office are not being effective. My son went to acquire his national ID last week on Thursday and finally collected it this week on Tuesday after a series of trips. This happened at Chitungwiza council head office. They are taking days to issue these documents. The other thing is they are issuing temporary paper ID and you have to go to the Registrar’s office to obtain the plastic ID.

Chitungwiza Council Head Office 16/09/2017

Greetings. I went to the Municipal Head Office yesterday and the Registrar General’s staff at the reception told me there were not issuing IDs or birth certificates and other documents for free as reported in the press since they have not received any official communication to that effect!

Gwanda 18/09/2017

In Gwanda today BVR started on a very low note. The first person got to the centre at 11:48 am and was through at 12: 00 pm it took her 12 minutes to finish. By 12:50 pm only 6 people had registered. A vigorous voter education is needed. At the registry there is a feeling that citizens are not coming in good numbers despite the reduction of distances, where every primary school is a registeration centre. Every citizens has an obligation to choose a government by voting. Therefore, let us all be voter educators in our own right.

Chipinge Government Complex 18/09/2017

There is need for vigorous voter education. I went to the registration centre at 11:00 am at Chipinge Government complex. There was no one at the centre. Three people came after me.

Buhera South, Ward 33, in Birchenough Bridge. 19/09/2017

The current mobile national identification cards registration by the team from the Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede’s office has left us with a lot of unanswered questions. My ward 33 was not allocated a centre according to the Buhera District registry’s mobile registration 2017 itinerary. We did not launch an early complaint since we thought we could make use of the sub office at Birchenough Bridge. But after visiting the sub office at Birchenough Bridge, I learnt that the office was only open for the issuing of death certificates. I talked to one of the official who told me that they will resume the issuance of births and identity cards in December. We feel disenfranchised from this national exercise especially the free of cost obtaining of births and identity cards. Most people could not afford the transport charges to the centres with such services. The private transporters here are charging unaffordable fares given the ugly state of our gravel roads. I am pleading with the Zimrights to confront Mudede and force him to order his Birchenough Bridge sub office to start issuing birth certificates and identity cards.

Masvingo District Administrator’s office 18/09/2017

Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) started on 18 September 2017 at Masvingo District Administrator Offices. Everyone aged 18 years and above is encouraged to go and be registered as voters. Required is your metal or plastic ID and proof of residence. If you do not have any proof of residence. You just go there at the Offices and you will be given an affidavit to declare your residence. We managed to register without any difficulties.

Ekusileni Hospital Tent Ward 4, Bulawayo 19/09/2017

Now I am a registered voter, but the process is very low. By 1:00 pm they had registered 60 people. I went without proof of residence, filled in the VR 9 form and the commissioner stamped it and I registered.

ZimRights Hotlines: 0773789874, 0733606797, 0718928611

Source: ZimRights

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