Zimbabwean authorities have invited pro-democracy advocate Namatai Kwekweza to visit the Registrar-General’s Office to receive her new national identity card. This follows a previous incident in which her lawyers, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), reported that officials at the Civil Registry Department had refused to replace her damaged ID on 30 October 2024. The refusal was based on her being listed on a “Stop List,” which they claimed prohibited her from obtaining a new card.
In response, Kwekweza’s attorneys, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya, sent a letter to Registrar-General Henry Machiri on 14 November 2024, arguing that the denial violated Kwekweza’s constitutional right to a national identity card. They emphasized that even individuals with pending charges or convicted prisoners are entitled to an ID. The lawyers pointed out that Kwekweza had been acquitted of the charges leading to her placement on the “Stop List” in 2021. The letter demanded that Kwekweza’s ID be replaced within 48 hours, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action, with Machiri personally liable for any unnecessary costs.
On 25 November 2024, Registrar-General Machiri, through Assistant Registrar-General Ben Mpala, invited Kwekweza to report to the Registrar-General’s Office with the necessary documents to collect her new identity card.
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