Tinotenda Hove – The failure by government to adequately fund key public services has brought the issuance of national identity documents in Chiredzi District to a standstill, Chiredzi Central MP Blessing Ropafadzo Makumire (CCC) has revealed.

Makumire says residents can no longer obtain national identity cards or birth certificates because the Civil Registry Department has run out of basic operational materials, exposing what he describes as a deeper financial crisis within government.

Writing on Facebook on Wednesday, the legislator said he reached out to the Civil Registry Department’s Head Office in Harare to establish why the situation had deteriorated to such an extent. According to Makumire, officials explained that the Registrar-General’s Office and its parent ministry are financially crippled.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is unable to purchase essentials such as receipt books and printer toner because all revenue generated from passports, national IDs and related services is surrendered to Treasury, leaving departments with no working capital.

Makumire said:
“This afternoon, I engaged the Civil Registry Department Head Office in Harare on the stationery shortages that have halted the issuance of national IDs and birth certificates in Chiredzi District.

“From the engagement, it’s now clear that the problem goes beyond the Registrar-General’s Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The ministry has no funds to buy basic supplies such as receipt books and printer toners because all revenue collected from passports, IDs, and related services is taken by the Treasury, with nothing retained by the departments.

“More than 55 districts across Zimbabwe are affected. This is no longer an administrative problem; it is now a national identity crisis, with thousands of citizens unable to access essential documents.

“This same problem is affecting other ministries such as Mines and Local Government. The Minister of Finance must be summoned urgently when Parliament opens.”
Makumire warned that unless Treasury changes its funding model, critical state functions will continue to collapse, leaving ordinary citizens locked out of essential services.