A GROUP of Bulawayo-based civil society organisations (CSOs) coalescing under the Ekhaya Vote 2023 banner have reached an agreement with the registrar general’s office which will see more people in Matabeleland regions getting identity documements.
Government last month embarked on a nationwide campaign to provide national identity cards in urban and far flung areas.
A recent baseline survey conducted by a consortium of civil society revealed that an estimated 445 852 people in Bulawayo and Matabeleland South and North provinces do not have birth certificates.
Ekhaya Vote 2023 spokesperson Nkosikhona Dibiti said the meeting was meant to highlight challenges being faced by people seeking to get IDs during the process.
“The purpose of the meeting with the RG’s office come from the backdrop of us working on the ID registration blitz and as well as raising awareness on the issue.
“So you noticed that our teams that were working on voter education are now working on the ID blitz, raising awareness and also engaging citizens and finding out how the process is like.
“So we wanted to give the RG a feedback and also highlight some of the challenges facing people such as long queues,” said Dibiti.
“Our concern is that the blitz is only taking a specific or a certain number at a particular time. The teams are not stationed at one particular area. So these were some of our concerns.
“So it is a multifaceted process that require personal but however they are restricted in terms of their personal but the blitz is going to run until September.
During the meeting, Dibiti said CSO leaders requested a waiver for children whose parents are working in South Africa.
Ekhaya Vote 2023 was launched as a campaign to mobilise citizens in the region to participate in the forthcoming electoral processes.