PASSPORTGATE: TRIAL OF REGISTRAR GENERAL’S STAFF OPENS

Zvikomborero Parafini

THE trial of the Registrar General’s Office staff, who allegedly facilitated the illegal issuance of passports to Cameroonian nationals, is set to open in the capital today.

Tafadzwa Chiundziza, Ruramai Mutyatya, Maureen Natasha Munemo, Chiedza Hlomani, Romio Shonhiwa, Marian Roman, Tanaka Lisaphael Magaya, Edith Moto, Grace Kapungu, Lackmore Chinokokora, Neria Sombi, Trymore Chipanga and Acid Asidi appeared before Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere yesterday and he rolled over the matter today to allow the State to complete its housekeeping issues.

Mutyatya is employed by the Registrar General’s Office as a supervisor while Sombi, Chipanga and Asidi are employed by Advert (Pvt) Ltd as cleaners and are attached to the Registrar General’s Office.

The rest are processing officers.

The court heard that on September 17, Tafadzwa Chiundidza, connived with a quartet of Cameroonians – Christiana BoyembeDumba, Emile MuyaMuya, Marvel NgeiTegha and Yvette KumNnam – to acquire passports at the Registrar’s Office.

Christiana BoyembeDumba was issued a Zimbabwean Passport bearing the name Christiana Mhereyenyoka, Emile MuyaMuya was issued a passport, bearing the name Emile Chingwaru, Marvel NgeiTegha was issued a passport bearing the name Marvel Chimbwanda.

Yvette KumNnam was issued a passport bearing the name Yvette Maini.

The four are not Zimbabwean by birth and did not acquire Zimbabwean citizenship.

Their fake Zimbabwean birth certificates were acquired at the Registrar General’s Office in Mount Darwin and national identity cards at the Registrar General’s Office at Market Square in Harare.

Chiundidza then connived with Sombi, Chipanga and Asidi to escort the quartet from stage one up to the final stage of acquiring passports, since they were not able to speak any of Zimbabwe’s local languages or even pronounce the surnames of their new acquired Zimbabwean identities.

It is the State’s case that the personnel at the Registrar’s Office never spoke to the Cameroonians throughout the process and this was captured on the CCTV footage.

Prosecutors claimed that none of the personnel verified the information on the passport application forms and on the birth certificates which had discrepancies, an act contrary to the nature of their duties. On September 21, the Cameroonians were arrested at Beitbridge Border Post on their way to South Africa by the Zimbabwean Immigration Officers for using the fraudulently acquired Zimbabwean passports.