The Sunday Mail
Precious Masakara
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has come up with recommendations to various stakeholders following their public hearings on access to documentation.
The recommendations were directed to the Registrar-General’s office, Zimbabwe Republic Police, The Parliament of Zimbabwe, Ministries of Finance and Economic Development; Primary and Secondary Education and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services.
During a provincial stakeholder feedback meeting held in Harare, the ZHRC acting executive secretary, Mr Vengesai Eric Mukutire, said workers from the Registrar-General’s office should continuously have customer care lessons as members of the public complained that they were rude.
“Last year we conducted public hearings of the national inquiry on access to documentation and we managed to come up with (several) recommendations,” he said.
“The Registrar-General’s office is to conduct continuous refresher lessons for its personnel on customer care. The RG’s office is also to train staff in sign language and improve infrastructural accessibility to people with disabilities.”
The objectives of the meetings were to share preliminary findings and recommendations on challenges of accessing documentation obtained from public hearings conducted in the province last year.
Mr Mukutire said the Parliament of Zimbabwe should adjust the Birth and Registration Act.
“The Parliament of Zimbabwe is to amend the Births and Registration Act to make it easier for fathers and paternal relatives to register children in the absence of mothers or maternal relatives,” said Mr Mukutire.
“We also recommend them to expedite the alignment of the citizenship laws of the Constitution.”
It was also recommended that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development allocate more financial resources to the Registrar-General’s office department in order to increase efficiency.
“During the public hearings it was noted that most children failed to enjoy fully their right to education due to lack of birth certificates or national identity cards,” he said.
“We then managed to come up with a suggestion that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should ensure that Government schools allow enrolment without birth certificates.”
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services was recommended to come up with a strategy where prisoners can register while in prison.
