Zimbabwe Faces Acute Shortage of Birth Certificates and National IDs as Treasury Funding Crunch Bites

Registrar General’s Department offices in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is grappling with a nationwide shortage of critical materials required to print birth certificates, national identity documents (IDs), and official receipt books, a crisis that is disrupting access to basic rights and services for thousands of citizens. The shortage has left both children and adults unable to enrol in school, sit national examinations, open bank accounts, secure employment, or apply for passports, effectively locking many out of civic and economic life.

The issue took centre stage in the National Assembly of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2026, when Ropafadzo Makumire demanded answers from the government over what he described as a growing civil documentation crisis. The Registrar General’s Department, which is responsible for birth and death registration as well as the issuance of national IDs, operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. Its services underpin citizenship, voter registration, school enrolment, and passport processing.

Government Acknowledges Shortages

Responding to questions, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe confirmed that the department is facing shortages of consumables, particularly security paper used to print official documents.

“We have identified the problem and spelled out that we have a shortage of papers to print birth certificates and other consumables,” Kazembe told Parliament.“I believe the Ministry of Finance is rectifying that issue because the Registrar General’s Department, if they want money, they go through the Treasury.”

Kazembe indicated that his ministry may seek authority to retain a portion of the revenue it generates, a move that would allow the Registrar General’s Department to purchase supplies directly when stocks run low, rather than relying entirely on central Treasury disbursements.

Treasury Defends Centralised Funding Model

Attention quickly shifted to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, with MPs questioning whether centralised control of revenue is undermining service delivery.

Deputy Finance Minister David Kudakwashe Mnangagwa defended Treasury procedures, explaining that most government income is pooled before allocation. “97 percent of it comes from tax revenue income tax, VAT, and other taxes,” he said.“All the money that is collected from ministries is put in the same pot. We do not consider where the money is coming from. That is the money that is used to pay salaries and other things.” Mnangagwa added that revenue inflows are typically lower in the early months of the year, limiting the Treasury’s ability to release funds immediately.

MPs Warn of Unequal Budget Allocations

However, Corban Madzivanyika argued that Home Affairs was being unfairly squeezed, claiming some ministries received more than 300 percent of their allocated budgets in 2025 while civil registration services remained underfunded. Mnangagwa countered that once Treasury disburses funds, it is up to individual ministries to prioritise spending.

No clear timeline was provided for resolving the shortages. Kazembe noted that the required materials are produced locally by Fidelity Printers and Refiners, stressing that the core challenge is not production capacity, but payment.

Zimbabwe birth certificate shortage; national ID crisis Zimbabwe