NKAYI Community Parliament has expressed concern over the dilapidated state of a building housing the district’s Registrar-General’s Office, with reports indicating that some rooms have no doors.
The building, located at Skhobokhobo in ward 15, Nkayi district, Matabeleland North province, was offered to the RG’s Office by Nkayi Rural District Council, while the other part of the building is used by Chief Skhobokhobo as a community hall.
NCP speaker Nhlanhla Ncube said: “I was at Skhobokhobo and I saw the Registry Office building. We cannot have ... an office like that (which) makes identity documents in Nkayi (when we are) demanding service delivery to come to the people.
“We will need a discussion on that. If NCP fails to assist in these projects, I will personally propose the closure of the parliament because we will be doing nothing.”
Ncube said asking the government or development partners to assist would not make sense if villagers do not contribute.
A source from the RG’s Office confirmed the matter, saying they share the building with Chief Skhobokhobo.
“Registry was given two rooms and that part which has thorn branches at its two entrances is being used by the chief.”
Nkayi RDC chief executive Silibele Mpofu said efforts were underway to rehabilitate the building.
“We are making efforts to assess the state of the house so that we engage the community and see how best to renovate and use it to the benefit of the community. It’s only that we are currently seized with budget processes which have tight timelines,” Mpofu said.
In an interview, Nkayi North MP Sithembiso Nyoni (Zanu PF) said the building was not under government control and promised to find out about its status.