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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
THE Civil Registry Department has extended working hours at its Bulawayo passport office which will also see the facility open on Saturdays as part of measures to meet demand following a surge in the number of applicants.

The civil registry office in Bulawayo will now be operational from 7AM to 7PM during weekdays while on Saturdays the business hours run from 8AM to 3PM.

However, other vital civil registration documents such as national identity cards, birth and death certificates and will continue to be issued during normal weekday operating times.

Since the onset of the festive season, winding queues have become a common sight as hordes of people, among them diasporans, apply for travel documents.

Some applicants are spending over 12 hours in queues waiting to get the service while others claim corrupt officials are cashing in on the situation by demanding bribes to speed up the process.

An ordinary e-passport, which costs US$120, takes seven working days to be processed while the emergency one costs US$220 and is out within 48 hours.

In a statement yesterday, the department urged citizens to take advantage of the extended operating hours to apply for their passports.

“The Civil Registry Department wishes to advise its valued clients and stakeholders that in addition to the Harare Passport Office, the Bulawayo Passport Office will now be operational from 7AM to 7PM during weekdays and on Saturdays between 8AM and 3PM,” read the statement.

e-passport

The department said the new measure is meant to assist all persons applying for e-passports.
“This window has been specifically opened for the convenience of clients applying for the e-passport only. All other vital civil registration documents will continue to be issued during normal weekday operating times,” read the statement.

“As the department continues to devise strategies to enhance service delivery, we anticipate that these extended operating hours will tremendously facilitate efficient e-passport services in response to the high demand for the service.”

The Civil Registry Department has also opened e-passports centres at registry offices in Beitbridge, Hwange, Lupane; Gweru, Chitungwiza; Murehwa, Marondera and Chinhoyi.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe

“These centres are meant to decongest Harare and Bulawayo passport offices and should be utilised by all citizens for their convenience. The department reaffirms its commitment towards improving service delivery through the issuance of vital civil registration and travel documents for the benefit of all citizens,” said the Civil Registry Department.

The e-passport bio-enrolment centre in Bulawayo was officially opened by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe at the Bulawayo Provincial Civil Registry offices as the Second Republic moves to decentralise access to travel documents in line with the devolution thrust.

President Mnangagwa

Prior to the opening of the facility in Bulawayo, e-passports were obtained in Harare only.
The e-passport scheme was launched by President Mnangagwa in December last year after the Government entered into a partnership with a Lithuanian company, Garsu Pasaulis, on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis to produce new passports that meet modern international standards and allow Zimbabweans to travel without additional complications.

The implementation of the e-passport project resonates with the National Development Strategy One (NDS1) objective of  modernising the economy through the use of ICTs and digital technology, as the country rallies towards the attainment of Vision 2030. — @thamamoe