'Bulawayo RG's office issues 40 IDs per day'

BULAWAYO residents have accused  officials at the Registrar-General (RG) Office in the city of poor service amid claims they were only processing 40 national identification documents per day.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) chairperson Ambrose Sibindi said residents were facing serious challenges in acquiring identity documents.

"The issue of acquiring national IDs is a matter of serious concern that needs to be addressed as the offices here only process IDs for less than 40 people per day," Sibanda claimed.

Sibindi said it was the right of every citizen to have an ID, adding that the poor service was promoting a culture of corruption as desperate residents were now forced to pay bribes to access the documents.

BPRA secretary for administration Thembelani Dube said residents were being robbed of their right to own national documents.

"The level of underperformance by the department in issuing IDs is alarming. Residents are being disenfranchised from their right to have identity documents.

"This snowball effect affects private candidates who intend to sit for examinations and new prospective voters as they fail to register at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission," Dube said.

Contacted for comment, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe said the ministry would look into the matter.

"I will ask the RG to address the situation as a matter of urgency," he said.

Recent reports said the RG's Office had stopped issuing plastic identity cards due to lack of materials.