By James Gwati- Zimbabwe has run out of police clearance printing paper, leaving thousands of people intending to go out of the country for employment or studies risking losing their precious opportunities.
The document commonly known as the blue copy is obtained from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Harare.
The security document is a requirement for visa applications from anyone intending to work or study from out of the country. The same could also be asked for by companies or government departments which would have offered a person a job.
The document is acquired upon payment of ZW$20.
Zimeye.com was at the CID headquarters this week and found hundreds of people looking for this security document being turned away.
Most of these people who got job offer letters in the United Kingdom have not been able to acquire the police clearance certificate since the beginning of this month.
“I have been coming here since the 2nd of this month and they have been telling us they do not have the police clearance printing paper,” said a young lady who got a job in the UK two months ago.
“What is frustrating is that they are not giving us any dates to expect that blue copy. They are keeping on saying that we should check every day and its annoying,” said another young lady who also got a care work in Britain.
Another lady who got a nursing job in Australia said she was only left with that police clearance for her to apply for her visa.
“I have done all the tests including health check-ups and what is left for me to get my Visa is the criminal record clearance and these delays are putting my chances of grabbing this job at risk. I got this job in July and my potential employer is sending me emails every day asking about my seriousness, “she said.
Also stranded are thousands of students on presidential scholarships, due to leave for their studies in China, Zambia, South Africa
A senior official at the CID headquarters who declined to be named said the government has “more serious priorities” than providing the police clearance printing paper.
“The issue is that the same paper is used for other security documents which are more important than the police clearance and it is this other alternative that the paper is being used for, for now,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said he was not aware of the shortage of the blue copy.
“I am not aware of that shortage and it is maybe because I was out of the country, but I will check with the relevant office and find out what the problem could be,” said Kazembe when reached for comment.
This is not the first time Zimbabwe has announced that it had run out of such type of paper. Recently the registrar’s office ran out of passport printing paper.
The Transport ministry also stopped issuing learners’ drivers’ licenses because of the non-availability of printing paper.