By Ncaba Ntshakala
The Minister of Home Affairs, Princess Lindiwe on Monday launched the Manzini Region mopping-up exercise at Vusweni Royal Kraal.
The exercise is a positive stride by the Eswatini government in strengthening citizen documentation and legal identity tracking within the region.
According to the Ministry, the objectives of the mopping-up exercise encompass several key areas crucial to maintaining accurate official records and ensuring legal adherence.
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Firstly, the initiative targets addressing discrepancies and delays in registering late birth, marriage, and death events.
The Ministry said that by streamlining these registrations, the exercise will help facilitate smoother administrative procedures.
Also, the exercise provides support to individuals navigating the complexities of permits, citizenship, and asylum seeker applications, aiming to assist residents in obtaining the necessary legal documentation.
The exercise further seeks to identify stateless individuals within the region where the Ministry will ensure that all residents possess a recognized legal status.
Minister Princess Lindiwe during the launch, highlighted the successes of earlier phases of the exercise conducted in the Shiselweni and Lubombo regions in 2023.
She expressed that these phases saw a commendable total of 30,892 vital events registered, including the issuance of 18,354 birth certificates.
Also, noteworthy achievements included the registration of a 117-year-old woman from the Nkonka Chiefdom in the Shiselweni Region.
The Minister also expressed that, there was a surge in Swazi law and custom marriage registrations, which showed the exercise’s positive impact on traditional unions.
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Princess Lindiwe encouraged a swift transition towards modernized automated certificates and emphasized the benefits of enhanced efficiency and security in record-keeping.
She also urged all emaSwati to actively participate in the registration process and embrace the automated system, which the Minister said promises improved accuracy and accessibility of documentation.
The Minister again, expressed confidence in the completion of the exercise by October 31st, 2024. She then called upon all residents to unite in this collective effort, and embody the spirit of “Asitsi nkwe, siyobhalisa sonkhe maswati,”.
The Minister emphasized the importance of universal participation in this vital exercise towards building a more organized and inclusive society.
