RG’s Office complies with Cabinet resolution

Registrar General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede yesterday also said his office was putting in place logistics to comply with the resolution and implement it with immediate effect.
“My office has called up all provincial registrars to give them instructions regarding the (Cabinet) statement,” he said.

“We are discussing the implementation matrix because it has to be done properly and carefully. This is the reason why we have called these provincial registrars here.”
A snap survey at the Registrar General’s Office yesterday revealed that those who were replacing lost identity documents were still paying to get replacements amid indications that the resolution could not be implemented instantly. It is understood there are other logistics like accounts balancing that should be done before the execution of the policy.

Those who lost birth certificates and national identity cards were paying US$10 while those who wanted to change from the paper IDs to plastic ones paid US$5 and those getting them for the first time paid US$2.

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Several people who spoke to The Herald at the offices said they were yet to get replacements for free but hailed Cabinet for coming up with the position.
“We obviously didn’t expect the registrar general’s office to immediately issue these replacements free of charge right away because there are logistics that we expected to be put in place first,” said a middle-aged man who was replacing his lost ID.

“However, whenever this is going to be implemented it will help a lot because putting a cost on an important document like an ID is disenfranchising citizens. We welcome the decision and we hope that the Registrar General’s Office will be given all the support it requires to implement this resolution.

Added another source: “We are still paying to get our IDs replaced. For instance I have just paid US$10 to replace my ID. Next time it will be wise for ministers not to rush to claim that new policies are with immediate effect when in actual fact there are logistics that are supposed to be put in place first before the implementation.”

Cabinet resolved that after closure of the voters’ roll, the Registrar-General would reduce the replacement cost of identity documents lost through negligence from US$10 to US$5. Those who lose the documents through circumstances beyond their control, Cabinet said, would get replacements free of charge even after closure of the voters’ roll.