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 Challenges and Issues Faced by Special Interest Groups 4.12 Disaster-Affected Communities – Cyclone Idai Cyclone Idai victims in Chimanimani lost national documents during the floods. Service delivery was disrupted, including the Kopa DRG sub office, which was destroyed. Mobile registration for Cyclone Idai-affected communities assisted at least eighteen thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven (18,477) people in Chimanimani to acquire identity documents (as at 12 December 2019). It was however, hampered by unavailability of electricity due to inadequate power backup. This affected the printing and processing of national identity documents. Shortages of consumables, verification of fingerprints which took longer than expected and overwhelming high demand for documents127 also affected access to documentation for everyone affected by the disaster. The mobile registration programme did not manage to serve all those affected128 since only one mobile registration team was deployed in Chimanimani. The DRG officials still required national identity document numbers and birth entry numbers despite reports by victims that documents were destroyed. Those who had forgotten them could not be assisted on the spot as they needed to first verify in the system or through fingerprints. Those who made initial applications faced less challenges compared to those who sought to have replacements. People who applied for birth certificates and national identity cards at Kopa were told by the DRG mobile registration officials to follow up for collection of birth certificates and national identity cards at the next mobile registration centre. Most people failed to raise the bus fares to follow up and collect their national documents. There were no efforts by the DRG office to come back to centres where mobile registration had been conducted to issue people with the national documents they had applied for. 4.13 Border Communities Communities who live along the country’s borders often find it difficult to establish their actual nationality. In Mashonaland Central, this was prevalent in areas bordering Zambia and Mozambique, such as Mbire, Muzarabani, Mount Darwin and Rushinga129. They travel long distances to health care facilities in Zimbabwe, so they often deliver their children at home, or at nearby health facilities in neighbouring countries, making it difficult to acquire birth confirmation records needed for registration in Zimbabwe. Many women give birth across the borders because of better health facilities, or because they work there. In cases where they obtained a birth confirmation record from the other country, the DRG’s office requested for immigration clearance in some provinces (e.g. Matabeleland South, whereas in Bulawayo this was said not to be a requirement). Some witnesses had health cards, and not birth confirmation records, for a child born in South Africa, and the DRG offices refused to accept these as proof of birth for purposes of birth registration. Intermarriages between Zimbabweans and foreign nationals sharing borders with Zimbabwe create challenges in acquiring national documents such as birth certificates for children where a foreign parent especially a mother does not have national documents. While there is an option for a Zimbabwean woman married to a foreigner without national documents to register their children using her maiden surname, some male witnesses of foreign descent did not accept this option. It was observed that generational challenges of non-documentation are prevalent in border communities. It was gathered that some Zimbabweans who gave birth and immunised their children in Mozambique faced challenges in acquiring birth certificates due to the fact that the DRG’s office inspected them for the Zimbabwean BCG immunization mark which is different from that of Mozambique. Once an immunization mark for Mozambique was located, this category of people failed to be registered as Zimbabweans and were automatically presumed to be Mozambicans. As reported by Provincial RG Manicaland Province. Evidence gathered during the field visits in December 2019 by Commissioners 129 As reported by Provincial Registrar for Mashonaland Central. 127 128 41 41