Zimbabwe’s Mobile Registration Exercise Faces Financial Challenges

The ongoing mobile registration exercise aimed at issuing identity documents, birth and death certificates and enabling voting in the upcoming elections in Zimbabwe is facing financial challenges that threaten to delay the process. Registrar General, Henry Machiri, revealed before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services that his department was facing payment challenges due to delays in the release of funds by Treasury. Despite the financial hurdles, the registration exercise has yielded positive results with 96 491 people acquiring identification documents. This exercise targets people who have lost their national identification cards and other documents. Cumbersome requirements and costs have been waived to allow for smooth acquisition of documents, but there are still concerns that financial constraints may hinder the successful completion of the exercise.