Online Reporter
Sekai Manyere-Herald Reporter
HOME Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe has officially commissioned 30 vehicles acquired to strengthen the operations of the Civil Registry Department, improve mobility and enhance service delivery to citizens nationwide.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Minister Kazembe said the occasion marked a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to ensure that every citizen has access to efficient, reliable and timely civil registration services.
“The Civil Registry Department has, for some time, faced significant challenges arising from an inadequate vehicle fleet. These challenges have adversely affected its day-to-day operations,” said the Minister.
He said the shortages had hindered supervision and monitoring of districts and sub-offices, slowed revenue collection and affected the timely delivery of services to communities across the country.
“As you are aware, the Civil Registry Department plays a pivotal role in the lives of our citizens, including the registration of births and deaths, as well as the issuance of national identity documents, among other essential services,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said the department’s work is central to national development, governance and the protection of citizens’ rights, describing an effective civil registration system as indispensable for inclusive development and efficient public administration.
“These vehicles will greatly enhance mobility, improve supervision and co-ordination, facilitate revenue collection, strengthen monitoring and evaluation, and enable officers to respond more efficiently to the needs of our citizens,” he said.
The Minister said the voter registration function had now been returned to the Civil Registry Department, increasing the importance of strengthening its operational capacity.
He said the department remained committed to modernising and strengthening civil registration systems as part of its broader public service transformation agenda.
“Improved mobility complements ongoing efforts to digitalise civil registration systems, modernise service delivery, enhance data security and bring services closer to the people through decentralisation and mobile registration initiatives,” he said.
Minister Kazembe reaffirmed the department’s vision of ensuring that no citizen is left behind because of distance, inadequate resources or administrative challenges, emphasising that every Zimbabwean should have prompt access to essential civil documents regardless of location.
“Every Zimbabwean deserves prompt access to birth certificates, national identity documents, death certificates and other civil registration services, regardless of their geographical location,” he said.
He urged management and staff to use the vehicles responsibly, professionally and efficiently, stressing that they are public assets meant strictly for official duties.
“These vehicles are public assets, and they must be properly maintained and used for official purposes only,” he said.
He added that proper stewardship would ensure that they serve the department and the nation for many years to come. Minister Kazembe urged strict observance of road safety standards, compliance with traffic regulations and proper vehicle maintenance.
“Observe high standards of road safety, comply with traffic regulations and maintain the vehicles in good condition,” he said.
“We shall continue to mobilise resources to address the remaining transport gaps and other operational requirements of the Civil Registry Department.”
The Civil Registry Department, he said, should ensure that the investment translates into tangible improvements in service delivery for citizens across the country.
