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Harare Bureau
THE Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda on Wednesday urged legislators to speed up the establishment of the Citizen and Immigration Board through an Act of Parliament, to effectively handle applications and enquiries concerning citizenship.

Speaking at the launch of a handbook for parliamentarians titled: Nationality and Statelessness Handbook for Parliamentarians, Cde Mudenda said the delay in the establishment of the board had devastating repercussions on individual liberties and human dignity.

He said: “As parliamentarians, I implore you to speedily ensure that the Citizenship and Immigration Board is established through an Act of Parliament as provided for in the Constitution.

“The Board has a responsibility to grant and revoke citizenship by registration and to permit persons other than citizens, to work and reside in Zimbabwe.”

Cde Mudenda also expressed concern over the time people spend tyring to process their passports and other personal documents at the Registrar’s Office.

“As elected representatives of the people, you should advocate and push for the speedy processing of passport applications for our citizens,” he said.

“The long queues that start in the early hours of the day are an affront to human dignity in the cumbersome processing of passport applications and other identity documents.”

Cde Mudenda said the country was a signatory to the United Nations Protocol on Internally Displaced Persons so it was duty-bound to fulfil legal obligations and responsibilities.

The handbook provided information on internal legal doctrine and possible solutions to the global issue of nationality and statelessness.

“Legislators must encourage the government to adopt laws that conform to international norms and standards. This is consistent with section 34 of the Constitution which states that the State must ensure that all international conventions, treaties and agreements are incorporated into domestic law.”