daniel chigunwe
Remember Deketeke
Herald Reporter
HOME Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe yesterday officially handed over 36 brand new vehicles to the Department of Immigration which will go towards combating irregular migration and enhancing joint border patrols with other stakeholders.
The drive is part of Government’s pledge to make sure that immigration officers are empowered in executing the National Migration Policy which seeks to respond to emerging global migration issues of human smuggling, human trafficking, refugee flows, xenophobia, brain drain, irregular migration and mass repatriation of Zimbabwean nationals, among others.
Present at the ceremony in Harare was the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana, the Commissioner General of Police, Tandabantu Godwin Matanga, a representative of the Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs Ms Catherine Kamumbira and the Chief Immigration Officer Mrs Respect Gono, among others.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Kazembe said the vehicles would help the department to implement the migration policy.
“This momentous occasion signifies a great milestone in the Second Republic’s commitment to providing efficient and effective service delivery.
“The vehicles being handed over today will enable flexible mobility and timeous attendance to the call of duty by immigration officers,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said they continue to improve migration services through the finalisation of a robust integrated Online Border Management System (OBMS).
“The OBMS consists of features which include biometric identification, online visa application and approval, automated border control kiosk, integration with watch lists and data analysis and reporting,” he said.
“This system has a plethora of benefits such as increased efficiency, enhanced security, improved revenue collection, reduced costs and improved traveller experience.”
Mrs Gono thanked the Minister for the timely donation.
She said the vehicles would significantly increase the productivity and accuracy of immigration officers’ work.
“Allow me to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion for helping the department acquire these cars. We had been waiting months for this day,” she said.
“These vehicles will go a long way in improving efficiency and effectiveness of operations by immigration officers, while the Toyota Landcruisers will play a pivotal role in our joint border patrols.”
Online Reporter