Suburban
Government wants every Zimbabwean seeking to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to get the jab even when they do not have identification particulars, a Deputy Minister has said.
Suburban Reporter
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister John Mangwiro told Parliament last week that in cases where citizens seeking vaccination did not have identification particulars, the health authorities will use other available ways of confirming the identification of such people.
He was responding to a question by Harare North Member of the National Assembly Mr Allan Markham who wanted to know how undocumented people were getting vaccinated as some were being turned away.
“Thank you Madam Speaker. Pertaining to vaccinations, could the Minister explain how undocumented people are getting vaccinated because I am being inundated with people who are being turned away from vaccination centres because they have no documents?” Mr Markham said during the question and answer session last week.
Dr Mangwiro said in Zimbabwe there were a number of ways of identifying each other and these could also be used by health authorities who should not turn away citizens seeking vaccination.
“We have ways of identifying each other in Zimbabwe. If a person is from a certain area, we do not want them to be turned away. There must be a way of identifying them. If he is coming from high density or low density suburbs, surely there is a councillor or someone who can witness that they are from the village or if it is in rural areas, there are so many ways of identifying each other. We do not necessarily want to have someone chased away and yet you know who he is,” said the Deputy Minister.
Dr Mangwiro said Covid-19 was a terrible pandemic and Government was committed to ensuring all citizens get vaccinated.
“This disease is serious and so we want every Zimbabwean to be vaccinated. We try by all means to make sure that the vaccination is done. We do not want anyone turned away because today he is not carrying an I. D. card yet he has come with the wife or husband who can correctly identify them. We definitely want us to get vaccinated and we try as much as possible, where there is a doubt, to get assistance and make sure that everyone gets vaccinated without problems,” he said.
In July Harare West Member of Parliament Ms Joana Mamombe assisted undocumented residents of the constituency with letters confirming they resided in the area to help them get vaccinated.
Residents were encouraged to bring proof of residence in the form of Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) or City of Harare bills to prove they were indeed staying in any of the suburbs falling under Harare West.
The move by Ms Mamombe followed an announced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care for Members of Parliament, councillors or chiefs to people from their areas without identification particulars with letters confirming they lived under those particular areas.
Cabinet had also directed that community leaders such as MPs, councillors and traditional leaders must raise awareness in their constituencies and communities about the need for citizens to get vaccinated as a way of protecting themselves, their families and communities against Covid-19.
Government has said it is failing to import materials for the production of national identity documents, birth certificates and passports due to the sanctions imposed on the country by western powers led by the United States.
During a hearing in Gwanda on Monday, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Security demanded answers on why citizens were failing to access these documents.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Permanent Secretary Mr Aaron Nhepera said Government was not able to import equipment used in the production of these documents due to the illegal sanctions. Mr Nhepera said Government had since engaged partners to help with the production of identification documents.
