Govt intensifies civil registration

By The Standard and Newsday | Nov. 10, 2021 | 1 Min read

Kazembe made the remarks last week while officiating at the opening the Guruve Registry Offices in Mashonaland Central province.

BY STAFF REPORTER

HOME Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe has said his ministry will speed up the registration and documentation of all eligible citizens in preparation of the 2023 general elections.

Kazembe made the remarks last week while officiating at the opening the Guruve Registry Offices in Mashonaland Central province.

“The department will soon be embarking on a countrywide exercise to ensure every eligible voter is registered and documented in preparation for the 2023 plebiscite. This will be done in consultation with the traditional and community leadership. Government attaches great importance to civil registration because it captures accurate data necessary for national development,” Kazembe said.

“It is a legal requirement that every child be registered within 42 days of birth. A birth certificate is, therefore, an essential legal document for securing recognition of individuals before the law and safeguards their human rights and access to basic social services.”

But the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday said it had the sole mandate of registering voters.

“Zec is one of the five independent commissions established under Chapter 12 of the Constitution. Section 235 of the Constitution clearly states that as an independent commission, Zec is not subject to the direction or control of anyone,” the electoral management body told NewsDay in a statement yesterday.

“Section 239(c) of the Constitution outlines voter registration as one of the commission’s functions and not that of the Registrar-General’s Office as implied in your newspaper.”