via Mudede refuses to budge on passports 20/05/2014 NewZimbabwe
REGISTRAR general Tobaiwa Mudede has told Parliament that he will not decentralise the production of passports despite the ever increasing demand for the document as people escape the country’s failing economy.
Early this year, Mudede told the Parliamentary Committee for Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services that long queues of people seeking to apply for or renew travel documents were overwhelming his staff.
“There is a high demand for passports in Zimbabwe as people are leaving to escape the economic crisis the country is facing,” he said.
The trouble the department faces coping with the huge demand has led to calls for the decentralisation of production of the travel document.
He said such a move could compromise the country’s security and its international image as fraudsters would prey on the system and produce fake travelling documents.
“People do not apply for a passport to go to Kariba or Victoria Falls but outside the country and this has to do with the security of other countries hence we are not going to allow decentralisation of the production of passports,” he said.
“We have to authenticate on the citizenship of people. If we allow everyone to approve that we face a situation where terrorists can access documentation and end up having passports which might compromise our international security.”
There has been an increase in the number of people applying for passports lately and Mudede said his office is now producing 3,000 passports daily with a capacity to increase if pressure mounts.
Despite ruling out production of the documents, the official however said lodging of application forms could still be done from district offices.
“We are monitored by Interpol and other international security groups, so if we fail to keep our passports in tight security you will not be allowed to travel abroad freely without any hassle,” he said.
He said as public demand increases, those wishing to submit passport applications from neighbouring South Africa can now do so in Bulawayo, Gweru and Masvingo unlike in the past when it was only done at Central Registry in Harare.
COMMENTS
With all these geriatrics in government, there will never be any progress . Zimbabwe will be stuck will 1945 way doing business.
What with a 90 year old at the top. Shame on you Zanu.
meant ,stuck in 1945 ways of doing business.
Bambazonke…
I am not a fan of Mudede by any means but on this front I agree with him. I think in a corruption ridden country like Zimbabwe its safer to print all the passports at one place where security of the documents can be guaranteed. As long as people can still apply for passports at regional places, where the document is printed is neither here nor there.
What they should do though is allow for people to apply for passports online and also allow post offices to take in applications.
I wouldn’t want a passport that is viewed with suspicion every time you arrive at an airport.
They already are because Zimbabwe is riddled with corruption and the staff are prone to accepting bribes. All African countries are viewed this way but places like Zimbabwe and South Africa are viewed especially so because of corruption.
He issues passports to ZANU’s so it is established that he already issues passports to known terrorists.
The government makes a profit on passports so he should speed up production since the government is short of money.
I think the whole point of the way passports are issued in Zimbabwe is that the government wants to humiliate all those who apply. The endless chaotic queues, rude officials, corruption and time wasting are all simply another way of showing who is boss.
Let us not forget this is the man who has robbed very many of the right to be citizens in the country of their birth.
We get national Identity cards and birth certificates at regional offices. That system is robust enough to prevent faudulent issuing of ID’s. I dont see why the same stringent systems cannot be applied to the issuing of passports.
Increase capacity in Harare n issue 6 000 pspts per day instead of the present 3 000
@Chaka, that is part of the bigger problem. Simple problems requiring simple solutions end up being politicised for no reason. For example doubling output like you say will create more jobs in a country crying for jobs and generate cash for a cash-strapped government but no they don’t see it that way. Its been like that now for 34 years hence the country is in the deep mess it is now.
They need to get over it. After all, a passport is merely a travel document for goodness sake.
Zimbabwe is the only country within SADC that struggles if not gives hassles to issue passports.
This man Mudedu or whatever should be sent to the Hague…. Computerize the whole births, deaths, voters role everything.. If they can monitor the tolls and vehicle registration etc etc why not this dept.This man is going to have run when the time comes…
Ha Ha why on earth would ANY Foreigner or terrorist want to use the GREEN MAMBA as a travel document of choice?? It is already one of the most corrupted papers after maybe the Nigerian or South African ones. Where would these Terrorists Go ? Only China or North Korea. Quote “We would not be allowed to travel freely”. Mudede has been on sanctions so long that he does not know the hassles Zimbos have to get into any western country because of his department. Idiot.
nxaaa this idiot
What about in Mutare?????
This Gukurahundi is talking nonsense. I got my Rhodesian Passport in Bulawayo in 1977. What security threats is he talking about now in 2014 when the country is actually far more secure than then?
He’s so much in the habit of lying, particularly when he’s panicking, he probably doesn’t even know he’s doing it.
Its because these Gukurahundis have very funny and stupid Names, that is why they can not think properly.
Now what kind of a name is MUDEDE? MUDEDEDEDEDEDEDDEDDE……….!! What is that?
Rubbish!!
Mudede is not telling the truth in the 1990s passports we produced @ provincial offices did you encounter the problems you mentioned? I agree with @ Lucy birth certificates and IDs are being issued @ district offices and sometimes from mobile offices with no problems but they are also security documents. Since when Mudede did you care about what the international community think about Zimbabwe?
The bottom line is the way people are also employed. there should be a diversity but in real terms it does no exist in these govt depts as any whereelse
Why is Mudede given the larch by these parliamentary committees and getting away with nonsense? He is in the habit of taking the parliamentary committees for granted and the committees have allowed him to treat them as trash. How can he lie like this and get away with it. The other day he refused to hand over the voter’s roll and no action was taken against him. Why bring him to such committees in the first place if the committees can not bring him to order. Is he the only man who knows to run a RG office or the committees are afraid of him? Let us get real and deal with this man who should have left employment long ago. Why is he still in that position at his age.
this is rubbish, he must not think that Zimbabweans are stupid, we know that he just want to line the pockets of those at makombe building with ill gotten bribe moneys, is Zimbabwe the only country in the world that is so into security, stupid idiot.
Because he belongs to the gang of thieving scum bags