The call was made by Chief Clemence Nembiri of Mt Darwin in
Manicaland province on Wednesday during a Civil Registry Department workshop.
The workshop with
the national council of Chiefs on the implementation of active notification for
community births and deaths was held at a local hotel.
Contributing during
a question-and-answer session, Chief Nembiri said it was imperative that
Government gives traditional leaders the special travel document since they
were also leaders.
“There is a need for
chiefs to be given diplomatic passports. At the moment you find that these
documents are even given to people whose leadership position is never
guaranteed but is at the mercy of either the appointing authority or the people
who vote. Such people may be in power for just a few years yet they are quickly
given diplomatic passports but a chief, whose title is neither by appointment
nor through the ballot does not have that privilege. We are harassed at the
borders despite the fact that we lead the masses too,” said Chief Nembiri.
In response,
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Major
General (Rtd) Dr Gerald Gwinji said issuing diplomatic passports was the
purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international relations.
“As a Ministry, we
do not determine who gets a diplomatic passport and who does not. That is done
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations. Ours is only to
process upon communication from Foreign Affairs that so and so must be a
recipient of a diplomatic passport, however, I will engage and pass on the
request and we will copy the president of the Chiefs Council as proof of that
engagement,” said Maj Gen (Rtd) Gwinji. Herald
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