Zimbabwe's leap towards identity for all

UNICEF Zimbabwe Chief of Child Protection, Nyasha Muyanga.

Tobias Mudzingwa

It's a quiet revolution, but a powerful one. Zimbabwe’s government is finally getting the praise it deserves for its computerization program at civil registry offices, a move that’s slashing red tape and making vital legal identity documents accessible to everyone.

This isn’t just about putting computers on desks; it’s about giving people their right to an identity.

With crucial backing from UNICEF and funding from the Swiss government, this program isn't leaving anyone behind. It’s hitting both rural and urban areas, ensuring you can get a computerized birth certificate or national ID with a speed that used to be unthinkable.

Mr. Phineas Sithole, the director of Operations at Mpilo Central Hospital, sharing the advantages of syncing maternity birth systems with the civil registry department’s computerised office.

Over twenty civil registry offices across all ten provinces are already online, and that’s just the start. The real game-changer? You can now grab a birth certificate or national ID from any computerized registry office in the country. No more trekking back to your birthplace just to get a piece of paper.

Take someone from Sinamusanga, Binga. If they lose their ID but are now working in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Bubi, or Harare, they can simply walk into any of these new electronic offices and get a replacement. Before, that was a whole nightmare of travel and expense.

To make it even easier, some civil registry offices have popped up right inside health facilities, like Gwanda Manama Mission Hospital, Mpilo, and Parirenyatwa. And that’s where you see the real, tangible impact.

Just ask Enia Moyo. She gave birth on the 6th, and barely five days later, before she even left Mpilo Hospital, her daughter had a birth certificate.

"My baby is five days old and she already has a birth certificate, thanks to this computerisation programme," Enia beamed. "It was not this easy for my previous five children. Today I literally walked less than 100m to collect this birth certificate, something I am happy about.” That's the difference.

Then there’s Evidence Mwende, from Binga, who picked up his birth certificate and national ID at the Bubi District registry office, a location far more convenient than his hometown.

"My employer needed my computerised identity documents, so instead of going to Binga to collect the same, I just came here to Bubi which is closer to my workplace and I got what I needed without any hassles. I shudder to think of the cost and time demands I would have had to meet if I needed everything to be done in Binga.” You can hear the relief in his voice.

More than half of those twenty digitized offices are sub-offices tucked away in hard-to-reach areas – places where services like these were simply unheard of. This is where the program truly shines.

Henry Machiri, the Civil Registry Department Director General, wasn't shy about crediting collaboration.

"We appreciate the assistance we are getting from UNICEF for us to computerise our sub-offices in distant and difficult places to reach. Working together, we can be able to achieve set goals in Vision 2030, which are to register everyone by the time we reach year 2030. We are in line with the thrust of leaving no one and no place behind.” It’s a powerful vision, and they’re walking the talk.

The government isn't stopping here. The commitment to continued digitization is clear, aiming to slice through the burden of acquiring legal documents.

Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, laid it out: “… this digitisation will not only modernise our service delivery, but will also strengthen national planning and policy formulation by relying on specific and reliable data on the birth, death and other events in line with best practices in our international obligations.” Smart.

Take Kariangwe, in Binga district, Matabeleland North Province. This computerised civil registry office, over 100km from Binga town, went digital in 2024. It’s now serving thousands of villagers, slashing their transport costs by over 80% – a huge financial relief for families.

At Mpilo Hospital, Director of Operations Mr. Phenias Sithole underscored the synergy.

“You will realise that the registry office is only 200m from the maternity ward. This makes it easy for the parents to get their child a birth certificate as soon as the mother is discharged. This also means that chances of children growing up without this important document have gotten slimmer.”

Nyasha Muyanga, UNICEF Zimbabwe’s Chief of Child Protection, sees the bigger picture.

"We believe that such collaborations are a game-changer in increasing universal birth registrations across the country through decentralisation. This also means digital inclusion of systems and lays the foundation for systems integration.

Birth registration records can easily be shared with the civil registry department for flawless availing of birth certificates.” This isn't just about efficiency; it's about building a better future.

Right now, the country's birth registration coverage for infants 0-5 years old sits at 57%, according to the 2023-2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey. The hurdles have been clear: lack of awareness, offices that are simply too far, and the crushing financial costs of travel.

But UNICEF isn’t finished. They’re installing solar-powered electricity in all digitized sub-offices. That means no more inconveniencing the public when they desperately need a service.