Govt abandons construction of Registry offices in Filabusi

FILABUSI residents in Matabeleland South province have rapped government for delays in completing the Insiza Registry offices 23 years after the project began.

The offices are located in Filabusi town and the project was started in 1998, but was abandoned at window level.

The project was meant to assist the Insiza community access identity documents.

Residents told Southern Eye that they have to travel to Gwanda to get important national documents.

"When the project was introduced, we welcomed it with open hands believing that it would change our lives and bring better services. It is 23 years now since the project was abandoned and people have to travel to Gwanda offices to seek birth certificates, national identity cards and passports," a resident, Freeman Ndlovu, said.

"The building was abandoned at window level and building materials like window frames, door frames and roofing tiles were stolen while others have been destroyed by rust and bad weather conditions".

Other residents blamed the failure to complete the project to corruption.

Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe said government was working to ensure that the project resumed.

"This is one of the projects that government is resuscitating. Preliminary work has also started. The new dispensation is keen to finish all outstanding projects and as you can see, a lot of projects have been resumed," he said.

"A lot of new projects have taken off. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, which is responsible for construction of buildings, is seized with this project."