Govt Rolls Out Emergency ID Drive For SA Returnees

Government has launched an urgent civil registration programme to ensure thousands of Zimbabweans returning from South Africa obtain identity documents without delay as authorities intensify efforts to support citizens fleeing a worsening wave of anti-immigrant hostility.

The Civil Registry Department has been directed to place returnees at the top of its priority list, with registry offices countrywide instructed to expedite applications for national identity cards, birth certificates and other critical documents needed for reintegration.

Registrar-General Mr Henry Machiri said the department had activated a nationwide response to cater for the growing number of Zimbabweans crossing back into the country.

He said all provincial and district registrars had been instructed to immediately assist returnees from South Africa and ensure they receive prompt services upon visiting registry offices.

Mr Machiri said registry officials had also been deployed to the Beitbridge Reception Centre, where they are registering returnees, processing documentation and providing information on the procedures to be followed once beneficiaries return to their respective districts.

The intervention comes as Zimbabwe records a steady influx of citizens leaving South Africa following the recent escalation of anti-immigrant campaigns that have created uncertainty and fear among foreign nationals.

Authorities say proper documentation will enable returnees to quickly reconnect with essential public services, including healthcare, education, employment opportunities, banking and social protection programmes.

Government recently announced that more than 60 000 Zimbabweans have returned from South Africa in the wake of heightened anti-immigrant tensions and the June 30 ultimatum issued by pressure groups demanding the departure of undocumented foreign nationals.

The figure comprises both citizens repatriated through Government-assisted arrangements and those who voluntarily returned through the country's border posts.

Officials say preparations remain in place to accommodate additional returnees should the security situation across the Limpopo River continue to force more Zimbabweans to head home.

The accelerated documentation exercise is expected to remove one of the biggest barriers confronting returning citizens by ensuring they are not excluded from economic opportunities and public services because of missing or expired identity documents

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