The ManicaPost
By Hatred Zenenga and Luthando Mapepa recently in Chimanimani
CHIMANIMANI residents have implored Government to expeditiously deploy the Registrar General’s department on a mobile registration exercise to enable them replace identity cards and birth certificates that were swept away by Cyclone Idai-induced floods.
They also want Government to facilitate easy access to death certificates for their relatives killed by the cyclone and academic certificates for school leavers.
Residents who spoke to The Manica Post this week said their documents were swept away by Cyclone Idai, which also killed more than 360 people and displaced thousands of people, last month.
Villagers said the Government should relax conditions when replacing lost identity cards and birth certificates.
Mr Alderman Muchadziya (52), of Ngangu, whose family lost all their belongings together with identity documents, said the Government should deal with the issue urgently.
“Five members of my family were left without IDs, birth and academic certificates. These critical documents were soaked in the muddy floods which hit the district, and Government should urgently facilitate replacement of these documents.
“We are appealing for the Government to deploy a mobile registration exercise in Chimanimani to speedily issue new identity cards and birth certificate, while Zimsec should be directed to do the same to those who lost their academic certificates to the natural disaster. This issue is critical because we are currently facing some difficulties when collecting aid due to the absence of identity cards. We are also of the opinion that the RG’s department should scrap any fee because the majority of us are struggling,” he said.
Mr Lazarus, Maregere of Machongwe area said the mobile registration exercise was urgently needed as hundreds of people in Chimanimani have no proof of identity.
“We have nothing to identify ourselves officially, and such a situation is a recipe for disaster. It is a legal requirement for anyone above 16 to possess a national identity card, and here, we are without IDs. After our particulars were swept away by floods, and when we went to Chipinge intending to collect new IDs, we were surprised to be referred back to Chimanimani district. We are facing serious challenges to get to Chimanimani as some roads are still untrafficable. There is no readily available public transport to get there,” he said.
Mrs Margaret Muusha, of Ngangu high density area, said all members of her family lost all their particulars during the cyclone.
“We don’t know where to start from. All my daughters are graduates, but they lost all their academic and birth certificates and national identity cards.
“We do not know how they are going to replace the Ordinary and Advanced Level and college certificates. We do not know how to go about it, and this situation is not only unique to my children, but hundreds of school leavers from Chimanimani.
“The RG department officials had promised to deploy a mobile registration team, but up to now nothing has materialised,” she said.
