N AT I O N A L I N Q U I R Y R E P O R T ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION For Human Dignity 6.4 Administration of Documentation The multiplicity of players in the administration of documentation is a finding that needs to be highlighted. Various Government Institutions like the DRG and MOHCC to mention a few, are mandated to administer various aspects dealing with documentation but as noted from the findings, most of them have challenges in discharging that mandate. These administrative challenges pertain to human resources, material and financial constraints, internal inefficiencies etc. There is also lack of coordination and collaboration by the various institutions to streamline service delivery and ensure ease of access by citizens and residents. The National Inquiry findings showed that there were loopholes in the cross sectoral approach to documentation. For instance, where applicants were turned away from the DRGs office for failure to meet requirements without being referred to the DSW in cases that required the Department to intervene through investigations and sociological reports. There were numerous cases where applicants were turned away for failure to produce birth confirmation records in instances where the DRG’s office could communicate with health institutions to get the information required. The DSW highlighted instances where acceptance of their sociological reports was at the discretion of the DRG’s office. Additionally, the ZRP and the DRG’s office played a blame game when it came to delays in the processing of fingerprints. The above examples demonstrate the need for institutional co-operation and collaboration to optimise and improve access to documentation. This coordinating function is especially important for holding the service providers accountable where there are delays and challenges. Coordination among institutions in the registration process will speed up and remove red tape in issues where their involvement is required. A one-stop-shop will ease challenges when everything is now available under one roof. The analysis of the impact of administrative challenges on documentation is highlighted in the Table 14 below. Table 14: Impact of Administrative Challenges on Documentation INSTITUTION Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage MANDATE Policy formulation, Implementation and Oversight. CHALLENGES Lack of national policy. POLICY IMPACT National, Internal or Procedure (How people are affected by the challenge) Not available. No national values and principles set on documentation; hence some fail to be registered. Policy overlap with other Government Agencies. 52 52 GEOGRAPHIC REACH National