have to go through yet in most places, women still face the same challenges they used to before these decisions were made. Corruption The women bemoaned the levels of corruption that have plagued the system of the issuance of identity documents. The forms of corruption reported ranged from individuals selling queue positions, selling access to a registration officer, and selling even the right to be acknowledged and served within the R-G’s office. Most of the corruption was linked to individuals promising swift and speedy processing of documents. The women’s assertions substantiated previous reports in the media about the levels of corruption witnessed at the R-G’s office.11 The complaints reported were as follows: “They let people into their offices through the back door instead of following the queues.” “Some people charge USD3 for a letter of proof of residence. They are agents for those who are inside the offices so they get more money from all the people” “I visited mobile registration centers several times, what I saw was shocking. A lot of our youth in rural areas are failing to get ID’s because the chiefs will demand payment before they issue someone with a letter to show they are resident in that area. These things need to be addressed. In some cases you will find the officials demanding goats or chickens.” “My son lost his passport in Johannesburg. He came back to try and get a 3 day passport. He spent 3 weeks trying to get it without success. He met a young man who pulled him aside and asked for USD50 bribe money. When he paid the bribe he got his passport immediately.” "Those who have money can jump the queue and get their passport immediately. But those without money have to sleep at the offices. Once we solve the issue of corruption it would help." "We can talk about the law, but what works is money, everyone likes getting bribes and at the end of the day it is fairly pointless as everyone is very corrupt. Whether you go to the police or to the lawyers it is an issue...that is where we need to resolve a way forward." the father. She can also apply for a passport for her child and travel abroad with him/her without the father’s consent. The case of Nenya v Gombakomba Case No. HC 10172/02 also confirmed this ruling. 10 As per the decision of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe in the case of Margaret Dongo vs The Registrar General and the Attorney General SC 6/10-Constitutional Application 292/08 in which the court stated that the guardianship role of fathers over their children as prescribed in the Guardianship of Minors Act [Chapter] did not in any way exclude the mothers’ ability to apply for passports on behalf of their children as the act of acquiring a passport fell out of the roles of guardians to perform ‘juristic’ acts, of which applying a passport is not. 11 Jane Makoni, “Corruption at RG’s Office,” The Zimbabwean, http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/news/zimbabwe/56168/corruption-at-rgs-office.html. 8 February 2012