Category: Reg Tech

  • No passports, IDs, certificates for you, Registrar’s systems have been down for over a month

    No passports, IDs, certificates for you, Registrar’s systems have been down for over a month

    The one thing that really grinds my gears, and I imagine yours too, in Zimbabwe is the nonchalance with which you will be told, ‘the system is down.’ Usually, there are visible signs of annoyance on the face of the employee telling you that. No doubt exasperated that you’re even bothering them with that when there is a sign on the door that clearly says the system is down.

    The ‘the system is down’ retort invites no further questions. You try to ask, ‘so when do you think it will be back up?’ Before you even finish that sentence, you are shot a look that says ‘do I look like the system to you, how should I know?’ You cower back with your tail between your legs and barely whisper ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’ to which you get a nod that says ‘be off then.’

    Sometimes when that happens you can brush it off but sometimes it happens at the most inopportune of times. For some, the system went down when they were in foreign lands trying to use their Visa cards. It doesn’t get much worse than that.

    System down at Registrar General offices

    There is a contender though. Apparently, the Registrar General’s offices across the country have not had internet access for over a month. As a result, the handy ‘the system is down’ has been in use like never before.

    What that system being down means is that citizens are unable to access passports, national ID cards, and birth, death and marriage certificates. You need a passport so you can take advantage of that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Tough luck my friend, the system is down.

    We all scolded the Registrar’s Offices for adopting technology late. Until as late as December 2021, they still used a manual system for issuing birth and death certificates. We celebrated when they made the transition.

    This is what we get for pushing them to computerised systems. There was a lot to deal with in the manual days but never the ‘system is down’ slap.

    The system is down my friend, deal with it

    Newsday talked to some employee at one of the RG’s offices and they said,

    People are wasting their fuel and money going around the country in search of national documents, but the system is down. We are not sure of what is happening to the internet. We are waiting for instructions from the management on whether we will start doing the documents manually.

    So, not only are people failing to get the documents they need, they are going on wild goose chases around the country, thinking certain branches will be able to serve them, only to waste time and money.

    After that, they hear ‘we are waiting for instructions on how to proceed.’ That is infuriating. So, what does the management that is being waited on to make a decision say about the matter?

    The nonchalance will not shock you. The Registrar General could not be bothered to comment on the matter, instead directing the questions to his deputy. The deputy was not reachable.

    Newsday then reached out to the Home Affairs secretary and he said,

    Where did you get that information? You can talk to the RG, he might have detailed information. I am out of office for now

    Aaron Nhepera, Home Affairs ministry secretary

    Surely the RG’s office and even the Home Affairs ministry could have done a better job at resolving the internet problem plaguing their offices. We are not even sure what the employee meant when they said they don’t know what’s going on with the internet. Surely it can’t be an internet access problem. I don’t see how they could go for over a month without their ISP fixing that problem.

    At the very least they could have clearly communicated that their system is down and not have people making the unnecessary commute to their offices.

    Unfortunately, we got neither. Are we not demanding better service as Zimbabweans or is it a lost cause trying to call for it? I don’t know? But what do you think about all this?

    Also read:

    Everything you need to know about Zim’s new e-passport

    You can now book e-passport applications online. Here’s how you do it

    EcoCash and ZIPIT should know the power they have, these system outages are not acceptable

  • Zimbabwe Married Men Database: Haaa guys, have we failed that badly?

    Zimbabwe Married Men Database: Haaa guys, have we failed that badly?

    We were tagged in a tweet by The App Guy – @zimexapp (real name Washington Mkombodzi) who was notifying us about an application/website in development called the Zimbabwe Married Men Database. Now, the first thing that crossed my mind is that as men in Zimbabwe have we failed so hard that an app developer sees the need to create a database to catalogue married men to be searchable upon command? I’ll let you all answer that in the comments.

    Anyway, since that platform is still in development we reached out to Washington to give us more information about it.

    Zimbabwe Married Men Registry
    via Twitter

    How to register

    According to Washington, when the platform is up and running you can register your spouse by providing their ID, a marriage certificate where available and or pictures from your lobola. So pretty much what we expected to be part of the registration procedure but there are some concerns we had and we shared them with Washington to see how they will be addressing these. I mean… after all this is sensitive information that is going on in a public forum…

    405 USSD for buying Airtime, ZESA and TelOne.

    The internet is filled with people who for a lack of a better term, “have more time than they know what to do with“. We have seen some internet trolls ZOOM bomb government meetings during the pandemic and even impersonate people on social media. The internet is a blessing, but the curse is that the human imagination can play within the bounds of any kind of technology taking what may have been made with good intentions somewhere sinister.

    Now, imagine someone tries to play a dirty trick on you and registers you as married or in a relationship with someone you don’t know. This could complicate things if this website takes off and people are cross-referencing you and your name pops up as married or in a relationship.

    As I am sure many guys are aware, this is something that will be very difficult to explain to your would-be or present significant other. Even if the verification process requires someone to confirm either via email, SMS etc. Anyone can register you through a dummy number they have because most Zimbabweans have two or more sim cards for a variety of purposes.

    Furthermore, someone can easily fabricate the documentation and sign you up. There are so many low-effort editing tools out there that this is a breeze for most people…

    To this issue, Washington said, “there will be a link to take down a submission“. The process is not long according to what we were told: “if a person proves they are not married to the person who submitted the info, it will be taken down immediately“. Additionally, this is a platform that he says is for couples so if the other party will need to consent to be on the database or they can go through the takedown process.

    And in the event that someone or a couple wants their information taken down altogether they can do so…

    2. Is the information stored on the Zimbabwe Married Men Database safe?

    The question begs yet another question… Shouldn’t this be something the government spearheads? By this I mean if there is anyone who should be doing this then it is surely the government, right? They have this information at their disposal and would be better placed to run something like this. I say this because Tanzania in 2019 was said to be looking into something similar to curb infidelity.

    “I have been receiving complaints from women who have been promised marriage by men, yet the men didn’t fulfill the promise. I know women who have been paying bills yet the men walked away… If possible we will set up a database in the regional commissioner’s office in each region that every man who promises a woman marriage, this should be registered in the database which will allow women to check to see whether the person asking is married”

    Paul Makonda, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (via CNN)

    I am not knocking what Washington is trying to do but leaks have plagued companies as large as Facebook over the years with information as sensitive as contact details of people including Mark Zuckerberg’s phone number making its way onto a forum on the web. The security of any information that is voluntarily offered is an issue that I and many others. To that concern, Washington said that the Zimbabwe Married Men Database will be on Amazon Web Services to store the information. Now, this isn’t an ironclad thing but at the very least using a platform that is tried and tested…

    Let me know what you think

    I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments because the concerns we raised aren’t the only ones…

  • Local digital identity startup FlexID receives funding from Algorand Foundation

    Local digital identity startup FlexID receives funding from Algorand Foundation

    Zimbabwean founded blockchain start-up, FlexID Technologies (formerly FlexFinTx), has signed a Simple Agreement For Equity (SAFE) with the Algorand Foundation, to further develop and scale their Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) platform. The startup strives to make its decentralized digital identity network available in emerging markets where over one billion people are thought to lack formal identification. 

    The funding from Algorand Foundation comes under the Impact category, which identified FlexID as a necessary catalyst for global financial inclusion. Securing the funding deal is a first for the Zimbabwean start-up ecosystem. This funding support follows Flex ID’s Algorand Foundation Development Award which the team were awarded in 2020. 

    Founded by Victor Mapunga, FlexID was formed out of the founder’s frustration with a banking system that excludes those without identity documents. Mapunga, said he was like the over 400 million people in Africa that have no identity documents (IDs), and failed to open a bank account due to laborious paperwork and the identity requirements.

    “Identity is foundational to modern-day commerce. Without an ID, one cannot participate in the economy even at the most basic levels such as access to basic telco services, mobile money and banking,”

    “Without an ID, education and healthcare become extremely difficult to access. On the other hand, the shambolic national records further increase the cost of doing business. With FlexID, even the informal sector can transition from an isolated view to a formalized economy. Farmers can easily access credit and inputs.” 

    VIctor Mapunga, FlexID Founder & CEO

    What happens when someone has access to FlexID? How does this change their life?

    According to FlexID, the startup is essentially building a decentralized marketplace of people. The human is the API you communicate with, and that form of communication can be commerce, education or health-related services. FlexID will build a stack of credentials one after the other allowing social mobility to occur and this will all happen on the Algorand Blockchain. The startup’s platform opens up access to the African market that was not previously available. 

    Incorporating the Algorand blockchain technology

    FlexID, which became the first Zimbabwean start-up to be selected as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, will use the Algorand Blockchain for its decentralized key management system, and to later perform financial transactions.

    “FlexID will perform credential issuance and verification on-chain, allowing a completely decentralized Layer 2 which puts the user in control. The Algorand blockchain allows FlexID to achieve this feat because the chain is the only one that has truly solved blockchain trilemma challenge and has experienced zero downtime since its main net launch in 2019,” 

    Kudzai Zharare, FlexID CTO

    Algorand solves the blockchain trilemma problem:

    1. Security (this is identity and must be highly secure)
    2. Scalability (FlexID plans to handle billions of transactions daily), and 
    3. Decentralization (A platform like this cannot scale whilst it is centralized.) 

    The Algorand Ecosystem is also arguably the world’s most developed blockchain ecosystem which is now getting more recognition. Just recently, Algorand was named the official blockchain partner for FIFA, the world’s football governing body.

    “There are people out there who watch football but lack financial services. What Algorand has done will allow even people in the most remote areas to transition using platforms like FlexID, and we are excited to be building in such a vibrant ecosystem.”

    VIctor Mapunga, FlexID Founder

    FlexID will also invest in integrating its platform with existing Algorand dApps including those in DeFi and NFTs to allow flawless mobility across the entire ecosystem. 

    “We are committed to funding those individuals and entrepreneurs dedicated to using our blockchain as a tool for financial inclusion, and for profound social and environmental impact. FlexID is a perfect example of passionate problem solvers who are using this technology to give the most marginalized people in the world access to a whole host of financial services. This kind of inclusion will help generate revenue and stability for many in the years to come.”

    Matt Keller, Director of Impact and Inclusion, Algorand Foundation.

    You should also check out

  • You can now book e-passport applications online. Here’s how you do it

    You can now book e-passport applications online. Here’s how you do it

    Online e-passport applications are here! Well, not exactly… The express e-passport portal/centre is now up and running but it appears that it is only there for booking appointments according to a report by The Sunday Mail.

    “The main purpose of the Express Centre is to bring convenience to those who need emergency passports. There are a lot of people that might be working but their time is limited, so they can simply book a time and get the passports at their earliest time of convenience.”

    Terence Mutemararo, Express Passport Office Manager

    The primary reason for this platform is to allow people who are in need of emergency or express e-passports a method to do so online. The goal appears to be reducing congestion and wait times at the Civil Registry Building. So if you are in need of an express e-passport, all you need to do is visit expresscentrezw.com.

    Making a booking for an express e-passport online

    Express e-passport online application Zimbabwe

    The website gives you options for the location of e-passport offices (where there is only one for the moment in Harare) as well as contact information and fees. To book an appointment at the Civil Registry Building online for an express e-passport, you’ll need to click “Book Now

    Express e-passport online

    You’ll then be given a list of time slots for the day. And after selecting one of them you’ll then need to enter your name, email address and phone number.

    Express e-passport online Zimbabwe

    According to Express Passport Office Manager Terence Mutemararo, they can serve 20 people every 20 minutes if the booths are manned to capacity. Additionally, Acting Registrar-General Henry Machiri (in the same report by The Sunday Mail) said that e-passports applications and issuing will be available in all the country’s ten provinces by the end of June this year.

    Bulawayo is the closest with Machiri saying “In terms of Bulawayo, the Technicians are working flat-out and before the end of this month Bulawayo will be issuing e-passports“.

    Express e-passport requirements:

    • Your ID
    • Original Birth Certificate
    • Old or expiring passport if you have one
    • Application fee US$220.00
    • Passport will be out in 48-hours

    You should also check out

    Are e-passports another one of those things that are only being done because we are getting into election season? If the government was struggling with conventional passports do we have the materials and suppliers to meet the tsunami applications for these new and complicated e-passports? You can play or download the episode of Technikari where we discussed e-passports with the player below or by clicking the link here

  • [Update] Online e-passport application system 80% complete, expected to be ready in May

    [Update] Online e-passport application system 80% complete, expected to be ready in May

    At this point we are used to being promised things that are not yet ready. The world over, everyone from governments to your local cobbler are guilty of premature promises. I can’t count how many times I have bought stuff only to be told it’s not yet ready after paying. 

    The Zimbabwe government has made its fair share of premature promises. We cannot know the actual intentions they have so we will call the promises premature and not false for now. This applies even more to the issue of e-passports.

    When the Zimbabwean govt announced that we would have e-passports there was general euphoria, albeit cautiously. We are all pleased to see that indeed, e-passports are now acceptable as official documents at all ports of entry. It’s good to see but it’s not impressive as the work to achieve that was mostly sending specimens to border personnel.

    It is the other announcement that they made last year that has frustrated citizens and caused confusion. At launch, the Ministry of Home Affairs said,

    In line with the COVID-19 restrictions and your convenience, issuance of biometric or e-passports is only done online. Anyone can apply for a biometric passport whether your passport has expired or you have it or you have applied before as long as you are a Zimbabwean citizen.

    Min of Home Affairs

    That was not the case on the ground. Citizens have only been able to apply for the e-passports physically in Harare. The perfect opposite of what was promised by the Home Affairs ministry. As we covered earlier, scammers saw this and started tricking Zimbabweans into believing that their bogus sites were the official e-passport online portal.

    Provincial capitals to process e-passport applications soon

    The govt has assured us that we will be able to apply for the e-passport at more locations within Zimbabwe. Bulawayo will soon be able to process the applications. I know, we keep being told ‘soon’ but this time the Home Affairs minister has given a date. 

    …we are already in Bulawayo and we should start next week and from there, we are going to Gwanda and then Lupane, Marondera, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and the rest of the country.

    Min Kazembe

    He said this yesterday, in Dubai, so we should expect Bulawayo to process e-passports from the 21st of March. 

    The online system is 80% complete

    The platform that was supposed to be the sole platform for e-passport applications is now close to completion. Said the minister,

    The development of the online system is now 80% complete and GP said by the end of April, but I want to say in May, we should have this system up and running and people can apply online.

    Min Kazembe

    The government has “already identified 15 embassies where the online services will be deployed.” South Africa will naturally be first and the minister said the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) will be second.

    This should be all the proof people need that the website promising to handle your applications is bogus. One, the service is not yet ready and when it becomes ready, select embassies will be able to handle online applications.

    [Update]

    On the same day that Minister Kazembe shared the information above in Dubai, an Express Passport Issuing Office was opened at the Registrar General’s office in Harare. This office will handle the upcoming online applications. It is through this office that the whole process of applying and collecting passports will be able to be done in just 48 hours.

    Applicants will not need to visit the passport offices to use the online system and so it should lead to less congestion at the offices.

    That’s all well and good but remember the minister said that the online system is not yet ready. The Express Passport Issuing Office may have opened but the actual online portal that we will be able to use to apply is not yet in place. Unless the Minister is mistaken and the registrar has forgotten to share the links to the portal.

    For now, it appears as if only centres, i.e passport offices or embassies where “online services will be deployed” will be able to handle online applications. For Diasporans in countries where the embassies won’t get the ‘online services’ deployed, they will have to physically visit the centres to apply like always. I don’t get it but it is what it is.

    You should also read:

    Everything you need to know about Zim’s new e-passport

    E-passports: what you need to know before applying

    Beware of scammers promising to process e-passports for Zim diasporans

  • Beware of scammers promising to process e-passports for Zim diasporans

    Beware of scammers promising to process e-passports for Zim diasporans

    When the Zimbabwean government introduced e-passports at the end of 2021, it was met with both fanfare and outcry. The govt listened to its citizens and backtracked on one of the contentious announcements:

    • Old passports will be valid until their expiry dates, not December 2023 as originally proposed.

    The rollout of equipment and the relevant training of Central Registry staff is ongoing and so some of the promises made are not yet in place. For example, the Ministry of Home Affairs said,

    In line with the COVID-19 restrictions and your convenience, issuance of biometric or e-passports is only done online. Anyone can apply for a biometric passport whether your passport has expired or you have it or you have applied before as long as you are a Zimbabwean citizen.

    Min of Home Affairs

    This online registration is still not possible. To this day, one can only physically apply for the new e-passport in Harare at the New Civil Registry Office. Those outside the capital have to make the journey and those abroad have to seek locally based relatives’ help but can only get the old passport. 

    The govt is still issuing old passports and they will be valid until their expiry dates. So, if one cannot make the Harare journey, they can apply for the old passport. At the embassy for Diasporans and at local passport offices for non-Hararians in Zimbabwe. 

    Minister Kazembe promised that the govt is working to decentralise e-passport processing:

    The Bulawayo Registrar-General’s Office is already being equipped with systems capable of processing e-passport applications.

    As you are aware we have a partner we have contracted to issue the e-passport, we want to expedite the process so that everyone is not left behind.

    Minister Kazembe Kazembe

    Scammers saw an opportunity

    Work on the online facility is ongoing and there is no timeline on when that might be ready. This situation has given ideas to some scammers:

    • The govt said we could apply online 
    • The online facility is not yet ready
    • A significant number of people don’t know this
    • Most people won’t know that zim.gov.zw is the Official Portal of the Government of Zimbabwe which is meant to provide a single window access to the information and services being provided by the Government of Zimbabwe for citizens and other stakeholders

    Scammers are creating their own websites and claiming to be the actual Central Registry platform for e-passport applications. One of our readers tipped us to one such website: zimpassports.online (Note you can send your tips to tips@techzim.co.zw)

    Zimpassports.online

    The Zimbabwean govt is not affiliated with this website or any other website claiming to offer e-passport applications. Remember that the govt will most likely utilise the zim.gov.zw portal for e-passport applications processing. 

    We got in touch with zimpassports.online and can confirm they are a scam or at the very least are misrepresenting their relationship with the Central Registry. Said zimpassports.online,

    This is a Central Government website in-tender with the Registrar’s Office

    zimpassports

    This is not true. It is not a ‘central government website.’ They are mostly targeting Zimbabweans in the diaspora, pretending to be the central registry and offering to ‘ease the e-passport application process.’ As a result they will accept payment via instant EFT, PayPal, Mukuru, EcoCash Remit, Western Union, Skrill Moneybrokers and bitcoin.

    Wouldn’t that be the day. The Zim govt accepting bitcoin? That right there should be a red flag to all who would use the service. We pressed on this and they said, 

    please understand that, Zimbabwe has got to many limitations when it comes to international trading, due to the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

    zimpassports

    So, they are using the sanctions angle to sell people on the idea that the Zim govt is now accepting bitcoin. We expressed surprise that the anti-crypto govt would have national bitcoin wallets for this process. They replied,

    I actually admire your sense of curiosity, Bitcoin is a very sensitive topic and more especially when it comes to the Government, its unimaginable.

    In contrast to all that, btc is actually the most hassle free with respect to the sanctions.

    The BTC is to be sent to the Central Government’s Wallet. Due to sanctions our government is not allowed to access other financial institutions internationally

    zimpassports

    This is all nonsense. There is no Central Government Bitcoin Wallet in Zimbabwe. 

    Not just zimpassports.online

    Zimpassports.online’s beautifully designed and official looking website has convinced some that they are the real deal. The colour scheme and fonts are not too far off from official Zim govt websites’. The coat of arms was a nice touch, putting a neat bow on the imposter. 

    There are other ‘companies’ offering non-resident Zimbabweans e-passport services. There are several such on Facebook promising that “You can Now Apply For an E Passport While you are Abroad.” 

    The difference between these and zimpassports.online is that these Facebook guys are not claiming to be actual central registry staff. They promise only to submit documents on your behalf. However they are promising what they cannot deliver. They cannot get you an e-passport whilst you’re abroad. So, treat them as scam artists.

    We asked the Central Registry staff and were told that there is no facility yet available for those abroad to apply for the new document, so if you are applying for a new travel document it’s the old passport for now. 

    If you are abroad, go to the Zimbabwean embassy and fill out the forms. Then you send the documents to someone in Zimbabwe to complete the process for you. NOTE that this is for the old passport, but worry not, the old (non-electronic) passport will be valid for a while like we mentioned above. 

    Reminder: TL/DR

    • You currently cannot get an e-passport from outside Harare (other centres will be ready soon with Bulawayo set to be the second such e-passport processing location)
    • If you’re outside Zimbabwe, go to the embassy to renew your old passport
    • If you’re in Zimbabwe, make the journey to Harare to apply for the e-passport, otherwise you can apply for the old passport at your local passport office
    • Old passports, i.e. the non-electronic ones, will be valid until their expiry dates and not December 2023
    • There are scammers online promising to process e-passports applications – don’t believe them
    • The official online facility for processing e-passports that was promised is not yet ready
    • Find out all there is to know about the new e-passports here:

    Everything you need to know about Zim’s new e-passport

    E-passports: what you need to know before applying

  • E-passports: what you need to know before applying

    E-passports: what you need to know before applying

    E-passports are here and we have seen a few people on social media show off the new document which the government said earlier this week will become active internationally next Monday. However, as good as this all is, going to the passport office is not always a pleasant experience. Many Zimbos have an aversion to government buildings because of all the hoops to jump through.

    So to remedy this we took a trip to the Passport Office or the New Civil Registry Office and here are all the things you need to do before you set off so you are at least in the clear with the requirements to apply for the e-passports.

    Who can apply for an e-passport and who can’t

    First off if you are in Harare you have nothing to worry about but if you are in the diaspora, on the other hand, I have some bad news. We were told that there is no facility yet available for those abroad to apply for the new document, so if you are applying for a new travel document it’s the old passport for now. To do this you can go to your local Zimbabwean Embassy and fill out the forms. You’ll then need to send the documents to someone in Zimbabwe to complete the process for you.

    Similarly for those in other cities, you will have to come to Harare to get an e-passport or apply for a traditional passport at your local passport office. As said by the government late last year, they are still issuing old passports. And on the point of old passports, you can still use the one you have until it expires. There was quite an uproar, justifiably so, when a deadline of December 2023 was put on old passports but the government backtracked on that.

    So… if you have a passport that still has a considerable amount of years on it, the document is still valid until the expiration date. The only caveat is if there are some VISA requirements that demand that you have a passport for the duration of the VISA. We were told at the enquiries desk that this instance is the only one where, if you have some years left, you can apply for an e-passport but that’s if you are in Harare.

    Documents and fees

    To apply for an e-passport we were told that for adults you will need:

    • Your ID and copy
    • Original Birth Certificate and a copy
    • Old or expiring passport and a copy

    You will also need to bring with you US$120.00 (US$20 application fee and US$100 for the passport) for the normal e-passport or you can apply for an emergency e-passport that costs US$220.00. The ordinary passport is issued in 7 working days from the date of application while the emergency e-passport comes out in 3 days. However, to get an emergency document you’ll need to make a booking and the Passport Office is only starting that in March 2022.

    ALL PAYMENTS ARE IN UNITED STATES DOLLARS, THERE IS NO ECOCASH OR SWIPE (Come with twenty or ten-dollar denominations to expedite passage if you can)

    For children and those under 18 years old, if this is their first application for a travel document, they will need to come with a parent and the following document:

    • Parent’s ID and birth certificate and copies of each
    • Birth certificate of the child and or ID if they are of age (plus copies)
    • Old passport expiring passport with a copy of it (if they already had one)

    The e-passport for under 18s lasts 5 years and prices are the same as above.

    For those who have unfortunately had their old-style passports stolen and want to apply for an e-passport, you need to bring a police report for the application.

    Before proceeding, it is recommended that you go to the reception and make sure everything is in order. They will direct you to CBZ Bank to make the passport application fee. The bank has a branch in the mezzanine hall.

    The passport office parking

    When we were at the passport office we saw a few cars clamped by City Parking because they had elapsed the time that they had paid for. From what we saw the process is smoother than the old passport system but you have to be mindful of your vehicle if you are coming alone.

    The guesstimate we were given by those who were there was to pay for two to three hours which is ZWL$360.00 (3 hours) so that you have enough time to complete the process. The preferable alternative is to commute or get dropped off at the Passport Office in order to avoid dealing with City Parking.

    On that note, parking is limited because, for whatever reason, there was no provision put in place for the New Civil Registry Building (Cnr Herbert Chitepo and Leopold Takawira) to accommodate more than a street’s length of parking spaces. So you will have to get there early if you are coming by car and intend to leave it outside.

    You can contact the Civil Registry Office with the following numbers, 0242706311 or 0242702295-8

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  • You will be able to get an e-passport this week

    You will be able to get an e-passport this week

    The fiasco that has been the e-passport rollout is soon to hit its crescendo. According to a report by ZBC News, the company that was contracted to run the project (Garsu Pasaulis) said that all systems are a go for Zimbabweans to start applying in the next three days.

    “We are going to start issuing the passports within the next 3 days and training of staff was key to come up with a seamless process.”

    Chukkri Assal Managing Director Garsu Pasaulis (via ZBC News)

    The changeover from the old passport system to the new one is said to have been completed with the Registrar’s Office staff prepped and trained on how the e-passport system works. A simulation of the new system was conducted to assess its capabilities and all parties involved seemed to be happy with the outcome.

    “The change over from the old to the new system requires extensive training of personnel and we are happy that we have completed the process as you can see our workers are being educated by the trainers on how the system works,”

    Chukkri Assal Managing Director Garsu Pasaulis (via ZBC News)

    This report follows shortly after the scrapping of the US$20 application fee (mainly because of public outcry) that was set to be paid through CBZ Bank. If the application fee stood then it was going to make what was already a difficult process even more arduous because everyone would have to queue at CBZ in order to start the process.

    With the way queues were over the festive season when Civil Servants got their bonuses, it was going to be pandemonium out there. Thankfully the government saw the light and removed the application fee.

    Now we wait to see what the process is actually like because an “all-clear” in Zimbabwe usually comes with its niggles and issues.

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  • Govt scraps CBZ US$20 e-passport application fee

    Govt scraps CBZ US$20 e-passport application fee

    It looks like the government has come to its senses and scrapped the US$20 application fee for e-passports according to Statutory Instrument No. 3 of 2022.

    The SI reads as follows:

    Statutory Instrument 3 of 2022.

    [CAP. 4:01 Citizenship (Passport Fees) Regulations. 2022

    IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has, in terms of section 22 of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 4:01]. made the following regulations:—

    1. These regulations may be cited as the Citizenship (Passport Fees) Regulations, 2022.

    2. For the purposes of these regulations—”passport” means a machine-readable passport or an electronically-readable passport.

    3. The Minister has fixed passport fees as specified in the Schedule.

    SCHEDULE

    FEES

    The fees payable for obtaining one’s passport shall be—

    (a) passport issued on non-emergency basis……………………USD$100,00

    (b) emergency passport ……………………………………………………….USDS200.00.

    4. The Citizenship (Passport Fees) Regulations, 2021, published in Statutory Instrument 273 of 2021, are repealed.

    Via Pindula News

    The nominal fee of US$20 has been removed from what we saw in SI 273 of 2021

    So, if you were for some reason unaware, there was a US$20 application fee for the new e-passports that had to be paid to CBZ Bank. This fee was shrouded in mystery because no one understood why we had to make the e-passport application process even more cumbersome by adding an unnecessary step.

    Furthermore, CBZ Bank’s commission for handling the transaction was not disclosed. This was worrying because there are millions of Zimbabweans who are flocking to get passports meaning that CBZ Bank was going to make some serious money off the application fee commissions.

    No prizes for guessing that 2022 would kick off with 2020 and 2021 walk backs on policies that should have been put to the public before passing them…

    Update 10/01/2022: A previous version of this article read that First Capital was also an e-passport application receiving bank. This was incorrect you can click the link *here* for more

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  • e-passports: govt “breaks” CBZ monopoly, plus expiration date for old passports

    e-passports: govt “breaks” CBZ monopoly, plus expiration date for old passports

    Update 10/01/2022: First Capital Bank reached out and said that the report by NewsDay was incorrect. First Capital was not part of e-passport application fees process before and after the Statutory Instrument

    First Capital Bank has been anointed by the government as the second preferred bank, along with CBZ Holdings, that anyone looking to get an e-passport (or biometric passport) can make their initial US$20 application fee payment according to a report by NewsDay. Now, this whole bank application fee thing is baffling because why should we have to pay twice when all of it can be handled at the Department of the Registrar General?

    Moreover, the inclusion of the banks brings the fear of charges… What are CBZ and First Capital’s commissions for this service because there is no bank in the land that is going to dedicate resources and man-hours for nothing? This question hasn’t yet been answered either by the banks themselves or the government.

    On the bright side, if you can call it that, the US$20 looks to be a static fee and there were no Ts and Cs that suggested that the banks themselves will be taking a handling fee above the price listed for the e-passport application.

    Old passports will work until they expire?

    In the same report by NewsDay, The Home Affairs Ministry reportedly said

    “The normal passport application procedure is going on and non-biometric passports will work until they expire”

    Ministry of Home Affairs (via NewsDay)

    So that answers that but why keep applications for old passports going when there was a whole song and dance for the new biometric or e-passports?

    “In line with the COVID-19 restrictions and your convenience, issuance of biometric or e-passports is only done online. Anyone can apply for a biometric passport whether your passport has expired or you have it or you have applied before as long as you are a Zimbabwean citizen.”

    Ministry of Home Affairs (via NewsDay)

    The entire biometric passport announcement was not followed or accompanied by an e-passport application portal and if you go to the Registrar Office’s website they are still showing the prices for the old passports.

    Department of the Registrar General (accessed 29/12/2021)

    Furthermore, a Google search for an application portal doesn’t bring up any results for Zimbabwe (or maybe I am missing something). All of this suggests that whatever the plan was for these e-passports, it was half baked. A proper roll-out plan would have included the online application portal and the passport on the same day.

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  • Zim’s e-passports: does the govt have enough material for the tsunami that is to come?

    Zim’s e-passports: does the govt have enough material for the tsunami that is to come?

    The e-passport rollout is so confusing. When should we start applying for them? What about those who got regular passports recently? Why should we have to pay at CBZ and then at the Passport office? Is this another one of those things that is only being done because we are getting into election season? If the government was struggling with conventional passports do we have the materials and suppliers to meet the tsunami applications for these new and complicated e-passports?

    We tried to make sense of these questions and more…

    You can listen to or download the podcast with the link below. Alternatively, you get a copy by sending the message “podcast” to 0717 684 274 on WhatsApp

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  • Everything you need to know about Zim’s new e-passport

    Everything you need to know about Zim’s new e-passport

    So it looks like Zimbabwe is finally moving towards e-passports according to Statutory Instrument 273 of 2021,

    IT is hereby notified that the Minister has in terms of section 22 of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act (Chapter 4:01), made the following regulations:

    … The Minister hereby notifies that henceforth the Government will cease the issuance of the current type of passports and in place thereof will be issuing electronically readable passports (e-passports) whose charges are as specified in the Schedule.

    The current type of passports, issued before the date of operation of these regulations, will cease to be acceptable internationally by 31st December 2023, and will therefore need to be replaced by e-passports in terms of these regulations.

    The Citizenship (Passport Fees) Regulations, 2021, published in Statutory Instrument 201 of 2021, are hereby repealed.

    SI 273 of 2021

    Old type passport holders have until the end of December 2023 to make the switch and the new e-passport which to be honest is kind of inconvenient if you spent a day plus in a queue for a conventional passport and the government wakes up and decides to make this change.

    What is an e-passport and what are its advantages?

    An electronic passport or e-passport is a conventional passport with the addition of a readable electronic chip that carries the same information that is printed on the physical document. On top of the conventional information, some e-passports also have on their digital record, biometric data, the bearer’s photograph and in some cases the holder’s iris pattern.

    All of these features are meant to protect citizens from identity theft because it is very difficult and expensive to steal the information stored on the document’s encrypted digital record. E-Passports also allow for faster passage through transit at your home border post. I am sure that many of you who have travelled abroad were green with envy at EU citizens skipping through customs while even at the Harare International Airport returning residents have to queue for some time to be cleared. Local Airports will need to be fitted with eGates (Automated Border Control) that will scan the passport and or the document holder’s face.

    Image Credit Left: Financial Times
    Image Credit Right: Great Zimbabwe Traveller

    Only when an automated crossing doesn’t check out will the traditional manual crossing with a border control officer be necessary.

    How much are the e-passports going to cost and drawbacks?

    According to SI 273 of 2021, an ordinary e-passport will cost US$100.00 and an emergency one will be US$200.00 which is pretty pricey. The only drawback might just be implementation. If the government has dotted its “i” and crossed its “t” as far as the competence of border control staff and robustness of security of both the encryption and the readers at the terminal then we might be alright with this one…

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  • Why isn’t ZINARA using number plate recognition tech to replace vehicle & radio licence disks?

    Why isn’t ZINARA using number plate recognition tech to replace vehicle & radio licence disks?

    A little while the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) announced that it would be deploying number plate recognition cameras at tollgates to expedite passage on the highways for exempted residents and vehicles.

    The system was said to have been already deployed in a test and at the time there were plans for it to be extended to the Plumtree-Mutare highway. Now, thinking about this the technology, if it works as well as it should, will most certainly reduce the queues at tollgates. However, in saying that there are wider applications for ZINARA’s system one of them is the quarterly issue of renewing vehicle and radio licences.

    I am one of those people who hates having to cut out licence disks. The process is incredibly wasteful when it comes to paper because hundreds of thousands of motorists have to do this at varying intervals throughout the year. ZINARA’s licence plate recognition system is already in place and should be used to streamline this process and bring greater convinience.

    This will not only reduce waste but will mean that motorists don’t have to travel to ZINARA booths to get their licence disks and insurance. Furthermore, it will be in line with the push to digital that every entity under the sun has been making.

    All anyone needs to do is pay for their vehicle and radio licence as well as insurance over the internet or any of the WhatsApp bots that offer the service and that’s that. ZINARA will now have it in their system that “Vehicle A” has paid. The only headache for the authority would be deploying more of the cameras, which I have to admit will be a hefty investment.

    The cameras will only be the start as there would have to be a centre that can quickly process vehicles as they traverse Zimbabwe’s motorways. In saying that there is an alternative. The local authority could start with or just use QR codes which would be a lot easier to get readers for officials (if they aren’t using smartphones) as well as come at a cheaper price.

    It is worth that mentioning that licence disks have had QR Codes since around 2012… Why we haven’t seen a further development to this since then is anyone’s guess…

    The QR Code or number plate recognition system can also be integrated with City Parking so that we don’t always have to print receipts whenever we are parking in the CBD. Lastly, the number plate recognition system could be further widened not just for exempted vehicles and residents. Meaning ZINARA could completely abandon its plans for RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Technology) e-tolling. Why have two systems that essentially achieve the same end?

    It’s strange that the technology already exists in one shape or form within ZINARA but we are yet to see it being used to bring greater convenience to the motoring public…

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  • It’s high time voter registration became available online

    It’s high time voter registration became available online

    2018 feels like an eternity ago after the year and some change we have spent cooped up in our homes. Since then we have learned and done things we never thought possible. If you told someone in 2018, that several banks would zero-rate their platforms or that those same banks would make it possible to open an account via USSD no one would believe you.

    Much of the way we do things has become remote. The internet and all things digital rule the day and even the government is seeing this trend. Just this month the government said the national registry and the 2022 census would be digital and paperless respectively.

    Yet, the one thing that has been excluded from the drive to digital has been voter registration. Now in all fairness, Zimbabwe has some degree of digitisation for the process. Those who registered to vote in the 2018 General Election could verify their registration details on USSD.

    Ways of checking your Voter Registration details:

    – Visit your allocated polling station and check

    – Receive an SMS with your details

    – Press *265# and follow the commands

    – Use the link; http://bvrinspection.zec.org.zw and check

    Various online or digital voter registration and verification methods

    The SMS, USSD and online verification process is, according to the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), one of four ways voter registration and verification can happen online or digitally. The other three ways are:

    • assigning polling station using online interface (registering yourself to a polling station online)
    • confirmation of registration using online interface (confirming your details via the online platform like you can in Zimbabwe)
    • assigned polling station using mobile phone

    Unsurprisingly Africa ranks lowest when it comes to the countries that don’t have any form of digital voter registration or confirmation.

    ContinentNoYes, confirmation of registration using online interfaceYes, assigned polling station using online interfaceYes, confirmation of registration using mobile phoneYes, assigned polling station using mobile phoneNot applicableNot specifiedCountries researched
    Africa24
    (48.0%)
    20
    (40.0%)
    16
    (32.0%)
    8
    (16.0%)
    8
    (16.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    50
    Americas2
    (8.0%)
    16
    (64.0%)
    22
    (88.0%)
    2
    (8.0%)
    6
    (24.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    25
    Asia13
    (28.9%)
    28
    (62.2%)
    22
    (48.9%)
    9
    (20.0%)
    7
    (15.6%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    45
    Europe20
    (45.5%)
    20
    (45.5%)
    16
    (36.4%)
    1
    (2.3%)
    3
    (6.8%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    44
    Oceania13
    (72.2%)
    4
    (22.2%)
    3
    (16.7%)
    2
    (11.1%)
    1
    (5.6%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    0
    (0.0%)
    18
    Total728879222500182
    IDEA

    What is surprising, on the other hand, is that for once Zimbabwe isn’t among those countries that offer some digital avenue to exercising one’s constitutional right.

    As good as that all is, why hasn’t Zimbabwe moved to make the entire process available online. Well, the answer is…

    One antequated clause in the Zimbabwe Electoral Act

    In the Zimbabwe Electoral Act [2:13] there is a clause in section 24 that is grossly out of step with the times:

    “Any person who wishes to be registered as a voter on the voters roll for any constituency shall complete the appropriate prescribed claim form and submit it to a voter registration officer at any registration office

    Provided that a claimant:
    (i) may request the assistance of a voter registration officer at the registration office to complete the appropriate prescribed claim form, and the officer shall comply with that request;
    (ii) who, in accordance with the proviso to section 23(1), seeks registration in a constituency in which he or she is not resident shall lodge a claim form with the Commission”

    The biggest problem with this is that there are only two voter registration centres in Harare, one at Cecil House and the other at Makombe Complex. For perspective, Harare has a population of just under one and a half million (1,330,721) according to Zimstat.

    Furthermore, in 2018 there were 746,173 registered voters in Harare at the completion of the fourth phase of in-person Biometric Voter Registration. This means that for the 2023 election, where the number of those who are eligible to vote would have increased, more people will have to make their way to two locations in order to register.

    South Africa has done it

    As always our neighbours down south are leagues ahead of us. In July this year, the South African government announced the launch of an online voter registration portal.

    “The online voter registration facility is part of the Electoral Commission’s on-going commitment to provide greater accessibility and convenience to voters. It follows the implementation of a range of other digital service channels over the past 5 years including online candidate nominations, online special vote applications and online party funding declarations.”

    South African Electoral Commision

    The first phase of South Africa’s voter accessibility initiative started in 2019 where they made it possible for the electorate to amend and confirm their details. It was called “Click, Check, Confirm” and over 350,000 people used the platform since it was rolled out. And they followed it up with this, a full blow online voter registration portal.

    To ensure security the South African government said that there would be security measures like OTP (One-Time Password) verification.

    SA’s government said that this move was motivated in part by:

    “The Electoral Commission believes the online facility will be a game-changer in promoting voter registration, especially among young and first-time voters. Research and engagements over the years with young eligible voters to better understand their behaviour have frequently identified the lack of online voter registration as a key obstacle.”

    All anyone in South Africa needs to do is:

    • Go to https://registertovote.elections.org.za
    • Click “Register to Vote Now”
    • Enter your personal details
    • Enter the One-Time Pin sent to your cellphone
    • Search for your address, or if you are at home, use the current location on your device
    • Take a photo of your ID OR submit a scan of your ID
    • You will receive an SMS within 24 hours confirming your successful registration.

    If that process sounds familiar, it is because FBC Bank has a similar method if you want to open an account from the comfort of your own home. However, the process does not include the geographical component. Nevertheless, it’s secure enough because (knocks on wood) there haven’t been any security issues reported.

    The pandemic should be used as a pretext for online voter registration

    It’s strange that in the age of digitisation, there has yet to be an attempt to bring the voter registration process online in Zimbabwe. Because we all submit out biometric data when we get an ID or passport which means that the government has that data on file. The authorities can verify the information submitted when an online voter registration application is made.

    There has never been a better time than now to bring the process online or at the very least put it to the test. However, in saying that there is one problem with online voter registration.

    Internet coverage is not equally distributed or consistent across Zimbabwe

    As with anything that goes online, the issue of internet services in Zimbabwe crops up and rightly so. For those in a major city getting consistent internet is easier than in smaller cities and towns.

    There is also the issue of the cost of data in Zimbabwe. No one needs to be reminded of how expensive it is to access the internet. However, the last issue can be mitigated by the government absorbing that cost for the electorate.

    We have seen a number of banking platforms and even our own site zero-rate access. This could be one measure the government could employ to ensure that, at the very least, those with internet coverage won’t have to shell out money to register for an election.

    For those who don’t have internet services or smart devices, the situation is more complicated. We have seen announcements of network infrastructure rollouts nationwide without much in the way of an update. To say that every growth point will get good reception before the 2023 election would be wishful thinking.

    However, for progress to be made, there needs to be innovation and there might be a solution to this that comes by way of a local startup called FlexFinTx. If you remember earlier this year we reported on its inclusion in the World Economic Forum’s incubator which was where a number of big companies like Twitter passed through.

    FLexFinTx is creating sovereign digital identities for those who don’t have access to them. The firm is using the blockchain and says that its solution will not require internet access.

    This development could be a starting point for extending the reach of “online” voter registration to those that don’t have smartphones or mobile internet network infrastructure in their area.

    Additionally, this development could be a fantastic opportunity for the government to start recognising the work being done by local startups. For too long we have seen the govt go the long way around and across borders to seek solutions to problems locals have been trying to solve.

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  • ZimStat to test out paperless census in preparation for April 2022

    ZimStat to test out paperless census in preparation for April 2022

    The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) is preparing for the 2022 national population and housing census by running a trial between November 18th and the 27th. News of this pilot run was announced by ZimStat Director-General, Taguma Mahonde at an event held in Kwekwe yesterday.

    Pilot census is meant to position us for the 2022 population and house census. Ideally, we could have held it under the same conditions, that is we could have conducted it in April as the norm. However, we are holding it in November so that we test our logistical, and general preparedness to conduct the enumeration using the new method come 2022.”

    Taguma Mahonde, ZimStat Director-General (via The Herald)

    ZimStat is doing away with paper and instead, option got tablets. The govt agency will also be designing a tablet questionnaire as they prepare for the census. All of these systems will be going through the same trial phase before going into the field.

    Switching to digital has its advantages, chief among them is reducing the time it takes to capture and collate the data. The process would, according to Taguma Mahonde, take up to 24 months for the first wave of results to come out.

    The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has also benefitted from a budget increase from the Ministry of finance. It got an additional ZWL$9 million from the 87 million that was usually allocated to it. This new influx of funds is said to make sure (in part) that ZimStat personal have PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) as they make their rounds.

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  • Digital national document registry rollout set for December

    Digital national document registry rollout set for December

    The Civil Registry Department’s digitisation (passports, national ID, birth certificates etc) rollout is set for December according to Minister for Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe. The system which was announced in May will build a digital biometric database for Zimbabweans to access national documents.

    “The rollout is in December. Meanwhile, we will continue to do what we have been doing. The migration will commence in December but they have already started working.”

    Kazembe Kazembe, Minister for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage (via The Chronicle)

    This means (if it comes to pass) that those in the diaspora or who don’t have a Registrar office nearby can get the documents online, network consistency and coverage permitting.

    As I am sure you are all too aware, getting a national document is, on the best of days an extreme sport, and on the worst impossible. The Registrar’s Office still has a backlog of 225 747 passports with some applications being logged as early as 2019.

    This has also been compounded by the perennial issue of a lack of materials to produce IDs and other documents. To aid in this the government is said to have partnered with players in the private sector to meet the shortfall of materials.

    “The partnership will increase the passport production capacity to four million units per year, resulting not only in the clearance of the current backlog, but also meeting the daily demand and enabling the country’s embassies to issue passports to Zimbabwean citizens abroad,”

    Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services

    Four million passports a year? A high target and I am sure that Zimbabweans will hold them to this.

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