HARARE - The Registrar General’s office has scraped fees for national identification cards replacement, under a massive voter registration campaign in preparation of the watershed election.

Co-Home affairs minister Theresa Makone said with immediate effect, documents lost through arson and  those forcibly removed from the owner through for instance theft, can be immediately replaced for free to enable the owner to register.

Makone said this would remain effective only for the period before the voter registration exercise is closed.

“Further, prior to harmonised elections of 2013, all identity documents shall be availed to citizens free of charge.

“At the same time, those who are not on the voters’ roll can be automatically entered onto it,” Makone said.

The minister also said aliens can now go and swap their IDs for Zimbabwe citizen IDs.

“The current law allows aliens to register as voters right away. If one is born in Zimbabwe, or if either parent is Zimbabwean, they automatically are Zimbabwean.

Aliens with alien ID’s but who qualify as voters must have these swapped for citizen IDs,” said Makone.
However, the $13 million needed for voter education has not been found.

She also moved in to reduce chaos and congestion at the passport office by ordering the quick processing of ordinary passports following complaints from the public.

“With immediate effect, there shall be two separate windows for passport applications, one for the urgent passports and another for ordinary passports.

“The ordinary passport shall be issued no later than four weeks from the date of submission of the application.”

Makone was flanked by acting co-minister of Home Affairs, Emmerson Mnangagwa. - Bridget Mananavire