Epworth residents have approached lawyers seeking legal counsel to compel the Registrar General to allow them to replace lost identity documents free for them to register to vote in next year’s elections.
The residents said they were too poor to afford the $5 fee charged by the Registrar General’s office to replace lost identity documents hence the need to have them free of charge.
Zivai Mhetu a representative of the residents told zifmnews.com that they have approached the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to assist them in filing court papers.
“Epworth residents are among the poorest in Zimbabwe but we know there are many others like us in the country who cannot afford to part with $5. We hope the RG’s office will allow the public to replace identification documents for free during the voter registration process,” Mhetu said.
The RG’s office last week deployed mobile voting registration centres in all the country’s districts in preparation for the 2018 elections.
There are claims that residents with metal identity documents and worn out birth certificates would be turned away, claims dismissed the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
“We were turned away and told to go to Makombe with $5. We were really hoping the Registrar General’s office would allow those who cannot afford the fees to be given a chance to get through this process,” a resident identified as Tawirirana Kapoto said.
The Registrar General’s Office charges $10 to replace a lost identity documents and $5 for a birth certificate which is said to be too high a fee for ordinary Zimbabweans. zifmnews.com
