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 3.1.9. Lack of Birth Confirmation Records “We have St Alberts Hospital which is close to Centenary and 132km from Kairezi. If a mother fails to leave with a birth record, they have to travel back to St Alberts to collect it in order to facilitate registration. The distance makes it expensive for people to travel which results in people not being registered and children not sitting for grade 7 because of lack of birth certificates” 78-year-old male Councillor, Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central Province. “I gave birth at Mpilo hospital in 2010 and owed hundred and something dollars and could not pay it so I failed to obtain a birth record. I went back and I was asked to pay the money I owed and a search fee, last year in November which I did not have” 29-year-old witness, Khami, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. 3.1.10. Cumbersome Process for Home Birth Registrations “My challenge is my sister’s son who is 19 years and was born at home. I went to a mobile registration to acquire the birth certificate for him but they said they wanted birth records or health card and witnesses. The witnesses were there but the challenge is the lack of clinic cards.” 42year old Male witness, Mashonaland Central Province. 3.1.11. Centralisation of National Documentation Services “Some members of my community are requested to get letters from the Councilors but it takes long to receive assistance and they end up giving up because the distances are long and people get there late when queues are already long and the number to be served for the day already reached. Most people coming from outside of Kwekwe do not have relatives in Kwekwe where they can put up so they return home and end up giving up. In Mupani, they travel about 80km to go to the RGs office and most people cannot afford the bus fares which at the moment costs $40 to and from.” Male Councillor Representing Zibagwe Rural District Council, Kwekwe District, Midlands Province. “The passport office is situated in Lupane. The distance from Siabuwa to Lupane is too long and the queues at Lupane are long. We need a passport office in all our sub offices. The whole community is affected. We need a passport office near the people because people are travelling many kilometers to one passport office. The issue is not the passport forms but the passport office.” Male Councillor from Hwange District, Matabeleland North. 3.1.12. Mobile Registration Challenges “Mobile registrations are just conducted during elections and it is a challenge because the time is not sufficient.” Chief, Kwekwe District, Midlands Province. “There is need to establish more sub-offices and increase mobile registrations. In Chirumanzi they are just conducted every 5 years.” Assistant District Development Coordinator, Chirumanzi District, Midlands Province. 3.1.13. Costs of Accessing Services and Payment Modalities. “…people were saying the cost of travelling to Gwanda is more than the cost of the passport. They gave us an example of someone staying in Chikwalakwala there they said it was R100 going to Beitbridge another R100 from Beitbridge to Gwanda which is R200 plus food so it becomes too expensive and that same person will have to come back again to collect the passport. Provincial Registrar, Matabelenad South Province “I stay in an area which shares a boundary with Buhera. When I travel to the RG office in Marondera in order to apply for a passport I travel from Wedza and arrive at the RG office at 11am and the RG officers would have already reached the number of applicants for the day (15 – 20 people). I would have travelled far; I pay about ZWL35 oneway to Marondera. By the time they close their offices it’s late I would either have to find accommodation in Marondera or travel back home late in the evening”. 65-year-old female witness, Wedza District. Mashonaland East Province 85 85