Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has announced plans to computerise Civil Registry Department sub-offices across Zimbabwe, a move expected to transform service delivery, enhance data protection, and bring essential services closer to citizens.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe said the drive to modernise civil registration is aligned with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, which seeks to build an empowered upper-middle-income society.
He said the computerisation of sub-offices will ensure that Government services are more efficient, transparent, and accessible to every Zimbabwean, regardless of where they live.
“By computerising our civil registry sub-offices, we are safeguarding citizens’ records, improving security, and ensuring every Zimbabwean has their rights protected. This reflects the Second Republic’s broader vision for good governance, a vision where Government services are accessible, transparent, and efficient,” he said.
Minister Kazembe explained that the Civil Registry Department is, not only central to issuing essential documents such as passports, birth and death certificates, and national identity cards, but also a custodian of the national citizens’ database.
He said protecting this data through modern digital systems is now a national priority.
“The protection of this data must be treated with utmost care and confidentiality.
My ministry remains fully committed to implementing robust measures to safeguard our information systems and processes. Computerisation will play a key role in this regard, making sure records are well documented, accurate, and secure,” he added.
Minister Kazembe said a well-functioning and digitised civil registry system will also provide reliable population data, which is vital for economic planning, governance, and monitoring of development goals.
“Civil registration is not just about documents – it is about people. It connects them to education, healthcare, banking, and other critical services. Through computerisation, we are ensuring no one is left behind,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said Zimbabwe’s obligations under various international protocols,including conventions on children’s rights and International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, demand secure and modern systems.
“Zimbabwe is bound by regional and international protocols which require us to adopt secure, modern, and machine-readable systems. Computerising our sub-offices will, not only uphold the integrity of our national documentation process, but also ensure our documents are recognised globally,” he said.
The Minister said decentralisation of services will be reinforced by computerisation, allowing citizens in remote and rural areas to access e-passport services and other key documents without travelling long distances to provincial offices.
He also pointed out that computerisation will reduce fraud and illegal practices linked to manual processes, strengthen national security, and create a seamless system linking citizens to government services and international travel requirements.
Registrar-General, Mr Henry Machiri said the department is also expanding its physical presence by establishing additional registry offices across the country.
He said the expansion drive complemented the computerisation initiative by further improving access to essential documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, national identity cards, and travel documents.
He stressed that civil registration is at the heart of national development because it unlocks legal identity, enabling citizens to claim their rights and access opportunities.
“Civil registration is more than just documents. It is the foundation of a person’s legal identity, which is required to access education, healthcare, social services, banking, and many other opportunities,” he said.
Currently, the Civil Registry Department has offices in all the 10 provinces and 63 districts.
However, Mr Machiri said Government remains committed to extending access even further.
“There is still work to be done in extending access, especially in remote areas. In order to improve the ease of doing business and ensure inclusivity, we are working on establishing more registry and labour offices countrywide,” he said.
The combined approach of computerising sub-offices while expanding the department’s physical footprint is expected to revolutionise civil registration in Zimbabwe, cementing its role in governance, service delivery, and national development.
