-as E-passport office for Chiredzi almost ready
SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO-As the government continues its trajectory of leaving no one and no place behind, plans are at an advanced stage to construct a modern one stop all registry office for Masvingo Province at Benjamin Burombo Complex.
The construction of the new modern registry office for Masvingo Province is one of the main reasons why the Government started opening e-passport offices in outlying areas while waiting for the completion of the provincial centre.
Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe told The Midweek Watch that Masvingo is the next Province to get a modern provincial registry office after Manicaland in Mutare which is already nearing completion.
“Masvingo is the next province to get a modern provincial registry office after Manicaland in Mutare which is already underway
“Masvingo provincial modern registry office has been budgeted for next year, but work on Chiredzi e-passport office has already started,” said Kazembe.
Masvingo’s registry facilities are housed at the district development coordinator’s office as well as the other government offices near Chitima Green Market where birth, death certificates and passports are collected respectively.
The opening of Chiredzi e-passport offices will bring relief to the people of lowveld and surrounding areas who were travelling to as far as Harare, Chipinge, Zvishavane to access the document of choice in Zimbabwe due to economic meltdown and lack of job opportunities for youths.
E-passports are currently being issued in Harare, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo, Gweru, Beitbridge, Zvishavane, Marondera and Chipinge.
Masvingo Provincial Registrar, Sithembeni Chitsa also said that there are no time frames yet as to when the e-passport office is going to be opened in Masvingo.
“As of now we are only issuing passports to those who had applied some time back and were affected by the backlog.
“As of the e-passport issuance there are no concrete developments in that direction yet and we do not have a timeframe of when we will start the process, we will advise the public when there is any progress,” said Chitsa.
Medlin Kwangwari, a cross border trader from Masvingo said the absence of an e-passport office in Masvingo has greatly affected her business since her passport expired some time back.
Kwangwari said the fact that she has to travel out of Masvingo twice to acquire the document is a big inconvenience to her work as she has to wait longer unlike a situation when the facility was housed in the ancient city.
“I have been delaying a lot on the process of getting my passport renewed because of transport expenses and time spent on the road since here in Masvingo they are yet to get a facility to issue e-passports. It has affected my business because I need to do my orders, but I can’t do that without my passport to cross the border,” said Kwangwari.
Several people who spoke to this publication complained about the time it is taking for the Government to construct a modern registry office in Masvingo.
“One would naturally assume that since the e-passport is expensive and is available in hard currency, the Government is no longer subsidizing the document hence it should be able to fund itself and the construction of a modern registry facility should be expedited.
“The e-passport is self funding therefore, there is absolutely no reason why more machines should not be acquired as well as the construction of new registry offices,” said a Great Zimbabwe University graduate who preferred anonymity.
An electronic passport contains an electronic chip. The chip holds the same information that is printed on the passport’s data page: the holder’s name, date of birth, and other biographic information. It also contains a biometric identifier.
The e-passport enhances security by preventing identity theft and forgery.
An ordinary e-passport costs US$120, while an emergency passport is pegged at US$220.
