Story by Courage Bushe
THE establishment of a new Civil Registry office in Zvishavane is transforming access to essential government services, significantly reducing the burden of long-distance travel for residents.
Previously, people from Zvishavane and surrounding areas had to travel to major urban centres such as Harare, Gweru, and Bulawayo to obtain key documents including passports, national identity cards and birth certificates.
The new facility has drastically improved service delivery, with processes that once took days or even weeks now being completed in a matter of minutes.
“This new office is proof of Government’s dedication to protecting every citizen’s right to identity. For years, Zvishavane operated from unsafe and dilapidated structures, which not only compromised service delivery but also endangered vital life records. This milestone marks another significant step in our journey towards infrastructure development and modernising public service delivery in Zimbabwe,” an official said.
Residents have welcomed the development, citing convenience and reduced costs.
“We are happy because services have finally been brought closer to home. Previously, we had to travel to Gweru or Bulawayo to apply for passports. That was costly and time-consuming,” a resident said.
The impact is also being felt in surrounding districts such as Mberengwa and Chivi, where access to civil registration services had long been limited.
“The process of acquiring a passport is now cheap for us, and the process is smooth. I came from Mberengwa, and I had prepared myself for the worst because of the stories we grew up hearing, but I was in and out in no time. The officials were professional, and I only waited for 14 days,” another beneficiary said.
The modernisation of Civil Registry offices aligns with Zimbabwe’s devolution agenda and its broader Vision 2030, which seeks to build an efficient, inclusive and technology-driven public service system.
The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring no citizen is left behind in accessing critical services.
