News / Regional
Get rid of $10 search fee for lost IDs - RG's office told
07 Jul 2015 at 06:21hrs | Views
Registrar-General (RG)'s Office has been urged to scrap the mandatory $10 fee to search for lost identity documents.
Losing 2013 elections MDC Gwanda South parliamentary candidate, Ekem Moyo said the fee is unnecessary as it affects the unemployed mostly.
He said it is a right for every Zimbabwean to have such essential documents.
Moyo argued that the $10 search fees for lost IDs discriminated against the poor and the old, and denied them their right to access identity documents as Zimbabweans.
The MDC official said the search fees should be scrapped in light of the high unemployment rate, adding that he saw no reason why the RG's Office demanded the money.
"I went to the RG's Office to search for a lost ID belonging to my daughter and was told that I would not have recourse unless I paid the $10 to search for the important document. They insisted on the money being paid even after telling them the person who lost the documents is unemployed," Moyo said.
"It's understandable if the $10 was for processing a new ID, but to demand that money just for looking for the document does not make sense. I do not blame the workers because they are just following instructions, but MPs should look at such things since the $10 search fees are just too steep for many and deprive them of their right to having an identity document," he added.
A visit to the RG's Office in Bulawayo proved that the government department does demand search fees citing statutory instrument 140 of 2009, section 11 of the National Registration Act chapter 10:17.
"If these fees cannot be scrapped, legislators should push for the social welfare department to assist people because it cannot be acceptable to have a situation where people do not have documents because they do not have money".
Losing 2013 elections MDC Gwanda South parliamentary candidate, Ekem Moyo said the fee is unnecessary as it affects the unemployed mostly.
He said it is a right for every Zimbabwean to have such essential documents.
Moyo argued that the $10 search fees for lost IDs discriminated against the poor and the old, and denied them their right to access identity documents as Zimbabweans.
"I went to the RG's Office to search for a lost ID belonging to my daughter and was told that I would not have recourse unless I paid the $10 to search for the important document. They insisted on the money being paid even after telling them the person who lost the documents is unemployed," Moyo said.
"It's understandable if the $10 was for processing a new ID, but to demand that money just for looking for the document does not make sense. I do not blame the workers because they are just following instructions, but MPs should look at such things since the $10 search fees are just too steep for many and deprive them of their right to having an identity document," he added.
A visit to the RG's Office in Bulawayo proved that the government department does demand search fees citing statutory instrument 140 of 2009, section 11 of the National Registration Act chapter 10:17.
"If these fees cannot be scrapped, legislators should push for the social welfare department to assist people because it cannot be acceptable to have a situation where people do not have documents because they do not have money".
Source - Byo24News
