The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says voters are NOT required to bring proof of residence to the polling station on voting day.
Voters should bring proof of identity, that is a national ID or a valid Zimbabwean passport.
ZEC said this while responding to Pindula News‘ inquiries after a recent report by a local publication claimed that registered voters should produce national identity cards or a Zimbabwean passport as well as proof of residence when going to vote in the 2023 harmonised elections.
The report cited a statement issued by ZEC acting chief elections officer Jane Chigidji on 21 March 2023.
But ZEC has told <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a> that proof of residence is required when one is registering as a voter.
On voting day, one is not required to produce proof of residence but should produce his or her National Identity Card or valid Zimbabwe passport to vote. ZEC said:
<blockquote>
Proof of residence is required when one is registering as a voter so that he/she is properly assigned to a specific polling station and not on the day of voting.
Only one’s proof of identity is required on the day of voting. One has to produce his/her Identity Card or valid Zimbabwe passport to vote.
</blockquote>

Pindula News

Proof Of Residence Is Not Required On Voting Day - ZEC

The government has extended working hours at the Civil Registry Department and also deployed mobile registration officers to issue identity documents to the public ahead of general elections scheduled to be held later this year.
In a statement, the Civil Registry Department said all static registry offices including the mobile teams will operate from 7 AM to 7 PM between Monday to Friday and from 7 AM to 5 PM on weekends.
The Civil Registry Department said the initiative is targeted at 18-year-olds and above who are intending to register as voters. Part of the statement reads:
<blockquote>
Department is conducting a mobile registration exercise from 12 to 21 March 2023 in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Mobile Biometric Voter Registration blitz.
Mobile teams have been deployed across the country to augment the existing static registry offices.
This programme is meant to provide citizens with an opportunity to obtain national identity documents which will enable them to register as voters in the upcoming 2023 Harmonised General Elections.
The exercise is targeting those who attained 18 years of age intending to register as voters, those who lost their identity documents and are eligible to register as voters in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections and those who are 18 years and above who require both birth certificates and national identity document.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Govt Extends Civil Registry Department Working Hours

About one-fifth of Zimbabwean youths aged 16 to 34 do not have National Identity Documents (IDs).
According to Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) Director General, Taguma Mahonde, an estimated 21.1 percent, which translates to 951,994.653 of youths aged 16 to 34 from the 4,511,823 that were recorded during the 2022 population and housing census, do not have IDs.
Mahonde revealed this during the launch of the latest Vital Statics report Volume 1.
<a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2023/03/13/over-900000-zim-youths-aged-16-34-dont-have-national-ids/">Health Times</a> reported that the report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the civil registration and vital statistics situation in Zimbabwe based on available data from the 2022 Population and Housing Census. Said Mahonde:
<blockquote>
Of the 8,721,947 persons aged 16 and above, 87.9 percent were ever issued with IDs.
The proportion of the population aged 16 and above ever issued with IDs was 92.0 percent for urban areas compared to 84.9 percent for rural areas.
In urban areas, the proportion was 91.1 percent for females compared to 93.1 percent for males.
The total number of youths aged 16 to 34 was 4,511,823. Of these, 21.1 percent did not have IDs.
</blockquote>
He said a total of 439,458 live births were recorded during the 12 months preceding the census night, of which 27.6 percent (120,542) were by women aged 20 to 24.
A total of 69,335 adolescent females aged 10 to 19 had live births 12 months preceding the census night.
The national sex ratio at birth was 103 males per 100 females.
A total of 120,070 deaths were recorded during the Census. Male deaths constituted 53.6 percent of the total deaths recorded during the census.
Throughout all age groups, males had higher mortality rates compared to females.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

One Million Zimbabwean Youths Aged 16-34 Do Not Have National IDs

The government says people without national identification documents such as national identity cards and passports should also be vaccinated against COVID-19.
A COVID-19 task force meeting held in Mashonaland West Province saw the Acting Provincial Medical Director, Dr Gift Masocha clarifying the government’s position on the vaccination of people without identification documents. He said:
<blockquote>
Those without IDs should not be turned away but they should be advised to seek some form of identification documents from councillors, chiefs or village heads.
</blockquote>
Speaking at the same event the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/covid-19-minister-says-unvaccinated-civil-servants-must-resign/">Ziyambi Ziyambi urged Civil servants to be vaccinated for their own sake and protecting the people they serve. </a>Said Ziyambi:
<blockquote>
The government says all civil servants who are not willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 must resign so that they do not expose others to the virus.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, in Chikomba District, Mashonaland East Province, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/no-cards-for-vaccinated-villagers/">villagers are failing to get vaccination cards raising suspicion that the cards could have been stolen and sold to the unvaccinated.</a>
Villagers complained that they are still to get their vaccination cards two months after completing their doses.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/gvt-urges-civil-servants-to-get-vaccinated-against-covid-19/">ZBC News</a></h4>

Coronavirus: People Without IDs Should Be Vaccinated - Govt

The Registrar General’s Office says it has cleared close to half of a 200 000 backlog of passport applications since the introduction of night shifts for round-the-clock production two months ago.
Speaking on National ZBC’s current affairs programme on Wednesday night, Deputy Registrar General Ben Mpala said since the double shifts were introduced, 94 000 out of over 200 000 passports have been issued.
He said the Civil Registry Department is processing 5 000 passports each day and was hoping to clear the backlog if resources are availed. Said Mpala:
<blockquote>Since 26 April we started working double shifts to clear the backlog. We are now working overnight processing 5 000 passports per day and we have cleared 94 000 applications. About 105 000 applications are left out of about 200 000.</blockquote>
Mpala said only the emergency passports which cost US$318 are being issued while work is being done to resume issuing of the ordinary passport.
He said a Statutory Instrument is in the pipeline for the production of ordinary passports.
Some citizens have been waiting for over a year to collect their passports as the Civil Registry Department has been experiencing challenges in procuring consumables.
The backlog dates back to March 2019 and has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Polythene-synthetic identity documents are also in short supply and thousands of GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level students may fail to register for the 2021 public examinations as they are still to obtain the documents.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/rgs-office-halves-passport-backlog/">Chronicle</a></h4>

Registrar General’s Office Halves Passport Backlog

Zimbabweans seeking national identity documents or birth certificates in Harare will have to wait for at least three months to acquire the documents due to a “network failure” at the Civil Registry offices, it has emerged.
The Civil Registry offices at Market Square and at Makombe Building are reportedly booking people for proper application of an ID for August and September respectively.
A source at Market Square told NewZimbabwe.com that the network at the registry offices had been down over the past two weeks, and there was no update as to when the issue would be addressed. Said the source who requested anonymity:
<blockquote>Our network is down and there is no way we can serve so many people manually because the job will still be half done on our part.
We are yet to get an update from our seniors on when it will be up and have been prioritising students, especially those in examination classes.
Bookings are made to everyone seeking an ID or birth certificate and right now the queue is up to August and approaching September each day.</blockquote>
However, efforts by NewZimbabwe.com to get a comment from Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe were fruitless.
Meanwhile, thousands of students who intend to register for their final Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examinations this year are stranded as there is a reported shortage of processing material in most districts.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/citizens-to-wait-3-months-for-ids-as-registry-machines-breakdown/">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

Citizens To Wait 3 Months For National Identification Cards

The government has suspended, with immediate effect, a special exercise by the Civil Registry Department to allow exam class students to acquire national identification documents this weekend.
All Registry Offices across the country were, this weekend (Saturday, 26 June and Sunday, 27 June 2021), supposed to issue national IDs to students who will be sitting for their Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations later this year.
However, in a statement this Saturday afternoon, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage said the exercise has been suspended due to rising COVID-19 cases. It said:
<blockquote>Members of the public and all our valued clients are kindly being advised that the exercise which the Civil Registry Department had availed to allow GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates for the November 2021 examinations to apply for IDs between the weekend of 26-27 June 2021 has been suspended forthwith, owing to the rising COVID-19 cases.
As such, ALL Civil Registry Offices countrywide will be closed tomorrow, 27 June 2021. Fellow citizens, kindly be guided accordingly. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.</blockquote>
On Thursday the Home Affairs Ministry announced that all  Registry Offices across the country will be open from 8 AM to 3 PM on Saturday and Sunday to cater for learners.
<a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/06/24/registry-offices-to-open-this-weekend-to-allow-o-and-a-level-students-acquire-ids/">READ MORE: Registry Offices To Open This Weekend To Allow O’ And A’ Level Students Acquire IDs</a>
It said this was made possible by the recent receipt of consumables required for the securitization of ID’s, which had been dispatched to all provinces and districts.

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