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EFF urges Mnangagwa's govt to expedite issuance of IDs
30 Nov 2021 at 05:29hrs | Views
ECONOMIC Freedom Fighters (EFF) Zimbabwe says government must urgently capacitate the Registrar General's office for it to resume countrywide issuance of national identity cards which will enable first time voters to register to vote.
Hundreds of people seeking national identity cards are being forced to sleep in the open hoping to access the documents, only to be turned away in the morning by officials for different reasons.
Last week Home Affairs ministry permanent secretary Aaron Nhepera told parliamentarians that the government is facing challenges in processing identity documents due to lack of consumables. He admitted that most registration offices were not operating except Harare, Mashonaland central province and the Mpilo sub-office.
"It is a human rights issue for every eligible Zimbabwean to get national documents such as national identity cards. In fact, an ID is an integral part of the national electoral processes. So a person without an ID is clearly deprived of his or her right to vote," EFF Zimbabwe president Innocent Ndibali said in an interview with Newzimbabwe.com.
The EFF president said his party was expecting the Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube to allocate more resources to the production of national identity documents as well as resources to ministries mandated to embowers the locals.
"It is not enough for the treasury to just allocate $7,75 billion to ZEC without allocating adequate resources to the production of IDs. These two components are interlinked because one cannot vote without any ID. We are appealing to the government to consider channelling more resources to the RGs office so that all those people who are eligible for the documents can get them," said Ndibali. ZEC was allocated a total of $7,75 billion for preparatory works for the 2023 elections while $3,25 billion was for holding of by –elections.
The United Kingdom based politician also revealed that his party will early next year launch a massive voter registration campaign in Bulawayo province where the province risks losing some constituencies due to the low number of registered voters.
"In January next year, EFF Zimbabwe will be launching its voter registration campaign in Bulawayo. Under this campaign, we are mainly targeting first time voters and those in the diaspora," he said.
Ndibali is believed to be eying the Magwegwe National Assembly constituency where he has been sponsoring some development projects.
Hundreds of people seeking national identity cards are being forced to sleep in the open hoping to access the documents, only to be turned away in the morning by officials for different reasons.
Last week Home Affairs ministry permanent secretary Aaron Nhepera told parliamentarians that the government is facing challenges in processing identity documents due to lack of consumables. He admitted that most registration offices were not operating except Harare, Mashonaland central province and the Mpilo sub-office.
"It is a human rights issue for every eligible Zimbabwean to get national documents such as national identity cards. In fact, an ID is an integral part of the national electoral processes. So a person without an ID is clearly deprived of his or her right to vote," EFF Zimbabwe president Innocent Ndibali said in an interview with Newzimbabwe.com.
"It is not enough for the treasury to just allocate $7,75 billion to ZEC without allocating adequate resources to the production of IDs. These two components are interlinked because one cannot vote without any ID. We are appealing to the government to consider channelling more resources to the RGs office so that all those people who are eligible for the documents can get them," said Ndibali. ZEC was allocated a total of $7,75 billion for preparatory works for the 2023 elections while $3,25 billion was for holding of by –elections.
The United Kingdom based politician also revealed that his party will early next year launch a massive voter registration campaign in Bulawayo province where the province risks losing some constituencies due to the low number of registered voters.
"In January next year, EFF Zimbabwe will be launching its voter registration campaign in Bulawayo. Under this campaign, we are mainly targeting first time voters and those in the diaspora," he said.
Ndibali is believed to be eying the Magwegwe National Assembly constituency where he has been sponsoring some development projects.
Source - NewZimbabwe
