ZHRC starts public hearings

Courtney Matende Midlands Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has started public hearings here as part of its national inquiry into access to national documentation.

ZHRC is conducting the national inquiry to establish challenges that Zimbabweans are facing in accessing national registration documents, particularly birth and death certificates, national identity cards, passports and citizenship. The hearings began in Gweru yesterday and will end in Gokwe on Friday.

Briefing the media in Gweru yesterday, ZHRC deputy chairperson Dr Ellen Sithole said the commission had already engaged 1 915 people from all the province’s eight districts to select witnesses to give oral evidence before the commission.

“The total number of citizens engaged during the advance week in Midlands Province were 1915. Of these, 1266 were females and 649 were males. At least 86 stakeholders from Government ministries, Civic Society Organisations, Traditional leaders and Local Government attended the outreach meetings in all the eight districts,” she said.

She added that at least 761 submission forms had been received from individuals and stakeholders throughout the province. The forms outlined the challenges citizens are facing in accessing national documents.

Dr Sithole said the Commission was working together with the Registrar General’s office.

“We are working with the office of the Registrar General who have a desk where those that come for the public hearings can also be assisted to get the documents they want.”

Dr Sithole said preliminary findings from the inquiry showed that most people in Midlands Province were failing to access birth and death certificates, IDs and passports.

“In Gokwe North, it was noted that there is a high number of orphans without birth certificates and IDs,” she said.

ZHRC has already conducted public hearings in Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East provinces and will proceed to Manicaland from October 7 – 11, after completing in Midlands province.

The hearings will run up to the end of November this year.