Emthonjeni campaign seeks to enhance women’s access to documentation

THE Emthonjeni Women’s Forum has launched a campaign aimed at improving women’s access to documentation in the Tsholotsho District of Matabeleland North.

This initiative builds on the Government’s previous access to documentation programme. The project, which began in June and runs for one year, covers 10 wards in the district and will conclude next year.

In 2022, the Government launched the mobile registration exercise aimed at issuing 2 million identity cards under a relaxed regime, which waived many of the requirements needed to access them.

The San community also benefited from a special blitz that saw them receive identity documents for the first time. The Emthonjeni Women’s Forum, through its programme officer, Mrs Nozithelo Mapholisa, has trained 35 community members from Wards 2, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. The trained community members will educate other community members and help them to obtain the necessary documents.

“We received funding from DAI and ZIMACE to conduct the awareness on the importance of access to documentation and encourage community members to seek identity documentation,” she said.

“From our interactions with community members, we have realised some do not have information on the requirements for one to access identity documentation.

“We also have a large number of children born in South Africa sent back to the country without requisite requirements like birth records for them to get identity documentation.

“Some of these children are sent to their paternal grandparents who by law cannot apply for identity documents on their behalf,” said Mrs Mapholisa.

She said they will lobby the Government to relook into the law that only allows the maternal side of the grandparents to assist in applying for identity documents as it was prejudicing children’s access to identity documentation.

With only three registry offices in the district where documentation can be applied for, distance has become another challenge hindering access to documentation.

“Distance is another factor because, besides the main office in Tsholotsho town, you have two sub-offices at Nkunzi and Siphepha. Some are even referred to Lupane, the provincial capital, when their documents cannot be found on the system, which creates a financial burden for villagers,” said Mrs Mapholisa.

“Even when the Government conducts mobile registrations you find some with complicated cases which cannot be addressed,” she said.

Mrs Mapholisa said they are also capacitating community leaders to take an active role in addressing the challenge of identity documentation within their areas of jurisdiction.

She said the community carders move around the villages checking documentation and assisting them by addressing challenges they may have.

“Some who lose their identity documents do not report to the police which affects them when they want a replacement.

“You also have young boys coming from other districts for employment who cannot get identity documents as they do not have relatives to assist them,” she said. —@themkhust