REGISTRAR-GENERAL Tobaiwa Mudede yesterday warned marriage officers to be on high alert following reports that some foreign nationals were using fraudulently acquired identification documents (IDs) to enter into marriages of convenience with locals. CHIEF REPORTER
Mudede said in a statement the scam was rampant among Asian immigrants with forged Zimbabwean IDs.
“We have been having problems with people from Bangladesh.
“Marriage officers are strictly advised to be on the lookout when dealing with foreigners intending to marry locals,” Mudede said without giving details.
“Members of the public are advised to liaise with our registration offices to thoroughly scrutinise documents of all foreigners who are intending to marry Zimbabwean women.
“These foreigners should be cleared by the immigration department, the police and their embassy before entering into such marriages.”
In the past, the alleged scam used to be associated with Nigerians and Congolese in order to regularise their stay in Zimbabwe, with most of them eventually dumping the women after securing permanent residence status.
In 2011, the government introduced a raft of measures including watermarked and serialised marriage certificates to stop the graft.
