Zimbabwe: Minister claimes Mudede never urged the ban of dual citizenship
Published: 3/Aug/2017
Source: New Zimbabwe (Harare)
Home Affairs deputy minister Obedingwa Mguni was this Wednesday taken task over an alleged plea made by Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede before Zunu PF caucus to ban dual citizenship. According to MDC-T MP, Jessie Majome, Mudede appeared before the ruling party’s caucus nearly three months ago and appealed to President Robert Mugabe’s party to repeal the clause which guarantees dual citizenship.
Majome sought Mguni’s explanation on how the meeting reconciles with the constitutional provision which require the registrar general to be impartial and if he indeed pleaded for the scrapping of dual citizenship as provided for in the 2013 constitution.
“This is the Registrar-General of the Republic of Zimbabwe who occupies a very sensitive office in terms of the database of the citizens and so on,” Majome said during this week’s question and answer session.
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After Majome continuously questioned the perception challenges associated with such political appearances by a public official of Mudede’s standing, Mguni said Chombo, like any other minister, is allowed to delegate subordinate government administrators on issues he lacks prerequisite astuteness.
“The minister may not be a technocrat or know what people want to know about birth registration, but I have the right to carry my advisor who will help me even in the Portfolio Committee of Parliament here.”
He, however, refuted that Mudede said government should ban dual citizenship.
“The Registrar-General did not urge Zanu PF to amend the Constitution to ban dual citizenship but was explaining to the caucus pertaining the questions that the members wanted to understand especially related to the elections,” he said.
Mudede, in May this year, said sections 36, 37 and 43 (dual citizenship) promote human trafficking,
terrorism, tax and justice evasion as well as other immigration challenges. He vowed to push for
amendments instead of alignment of the Citizenship Act.