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Whinsley Masara Chronicle Reporter
OFFICIALS from the Registrar’s Office and the Ministry of Health and Childcare are taking bribes to issue forged birth, identity and death records to the public, a senior official said yesterday.

Home Affairs Deputy Minister Cde Obedingwa Mguni said the practice was killing the economy.

He told scores of people at a Home Affairs awareness campaign in Ward 18 at Nkunzi Area in Tsholotsho South that the law was closing in on culprits.

The deputy minister said forgery was rife in Plumtree and Tsholotsho due to a number of reasons influenced by movement to neighbouring countries.

“Parents with children born outside Zimbabwe and transported back need to be honest and write an affidavit where required.

“Start at the immigration offices before coming to the Registrar’s offices. Do not attempt to liaise with hospitals for forgery of birth records to acquire birth certificates,” he said.

Cde Mguni urged locals to always ensure they get receipts for services.

“Where there is a charge for a service offered and there is no receipt book, then no service should be made as records of payment can’t be kept. On the other hand, you the public should desist from corrupting officials and offering bribes, it is killing our economy.

“This type of crime is most common in Matabeleland because there is a lot of movement to South Africa and such crimes can get us, as a ministry, sued for trafficking of humans under the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Act,” said Cde Mguni.

He said sometimes people pump out monies that are unnecessary simply because they don’t know their rights, want shortcuts or have become habitual bribers.

“It is every citizen’s right to have identity documents and the government’s priority is to ensure that everyone has an identity document. This is why as a government we have planned that by November, our registration teams will travel to South Africa and Botswana to issue all Zimbabweans there without identity documents, the requisite papers.

“We want to allow them to be able to acquire the proper documents of their correct nationality. This service is an initiative to maintain good relations with our neighbouring countries as well as to provide easy access of identity documents to our people,” Cde Mguni said.

“Large posters, written in various languages should clearly highlight price lists and requirements on different issues. They should be pasted at registry centres for avoidance of sending people to and fro, as well as reduction of corruption through overcharging and collection of bribes.”

The San people, said Cde Mguni, are in his heart as he holds such awareness campaigns as most of them do not have identity documents.

“I know for a fact that they are very behind and ignorant on such issues. I therefore, promise to come back to this district specifically for them at a place closer to them to conscientise and educate them on the importance of taking identification documents.”