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A group consisting of Zimbabwean expatriates living in South Africa, as well as some South African citizens, marched to the Zimbabwean embassy in Hatfield, Pretoria, on Tuesday.
According to <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-08-06-we-are-suffering-zimbabweans-march-against-hike-in-passport-prices/">TimesLive</a>, the protestors were demanding that the Zimbabwean government set a standard passport application fee in line with the prices charged by other African countries.
The march was prompted by a recent decision by the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa to significantly increase the passport application fee for Zimbabwean citizens residing in the country.
The new fee was set at US$250, which the protestors argued was exorbitant and unaffordable for many.
In comparison, the cost of an ordinary passport is $150 US dollars when applied for at any of the numerous passport application centres located across Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean protesters in South Africa also used the march as an opportunity to call for the resignation of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
One 30-year-old Zimbabwean participant, who has been living in South Africa for around a decade, reported that he had lost his passport after being robbed last year.
Due to the high cost of the new passport, he said he could not afford to replace it. He said:
<blockquote>
I am not working so don’t have R5,000 for a passport. Here in South Africa if you don’t have a permit, you won’t work, so I don’t know what I can do. Going back home is also expensive.
At least if they dropped that price to $100, it would be better. Working is hard if you do not have the proper documents. We can’t survive and maybe we will turn into criminals.
It’s like I am illegal because I don’t have a passport. I don’t feel comfortable, I am scared and when I see the police I feel like I should run away because I don’t have documents.
I can’t find a proper job because I don’t have a qualification or proper documents, I don’t have anything. The amount that I would use to travel home is the same as a new passport, R5,000.
</blockquote>
Another Zimbabwean participant, Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, also criticized the steep increase in passport fees, describing the new price as exorbitant.
Ndlovu, who arrived in South Africa in February 2018 without a passport, had crossed the Limpopo River in hopes of finding employment.
Now 25 years old, Ndlovu explained that she has been unable to obtain a passport due to a lack of financial resources. For approximately five years, she has managed to avoid arrest by evading the police. She said:
<blockquote>
When I see them, I take another route and hide. I don’t know how I will get a passport, I might die first. I am not working full-time, I depend on odd jobs.
I cannot live freely, it scares me and I wonder if one day they will get me.
</blockquote>
Mandi Chiwashira, convener of Zimbabwean citizens living in South Africa, demanded Mnangagwa’s resignation saying he has failed Zimbabweans. Said Chiwashira:
<blockquote>
We are here because the situation in Zimbabwe is not good, we are crying also here in South Africa where we are just surviving with God’s mercy. Our passport is R5,000, what is so special about it?
From $50 dollars last year, I went to get a passport. It was $120, and this year they hiked the price to $250, which is close to R5,000. Where are we going to get that money?
A passport should be $20; they are just stealing this money. The conditions for Zimbabweans living here in South Africa are not safe without passports.
When we see police we run away, we are scared to be out, we are scared even to do business.
We are suffering, we can’t even get jobs.
</blockquote>
A spokesperson for Zimbabwean citizens in South Africa, Thapshienda Mugore, said:
<blockquote>
We don’t have a government; there is no legitimate government in Zimbabwe. All the Zimbabweans here are not here by choice; they are here because of aggravating situations back home.
</blockquote>
Mugore said the cost of passports in the SADC region should be standardised.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member Kagiso Nkuna expressed solidarity with the Zimbabwean protesters, acknowledging the difficulties and oppression they face. Said Nkuna:
<blockquote>
We know that the people of Zimbabwe are facing difficulties and are under oppression. We, EFF, as a pan-Africanist organisation, need to stand in solidarity with the Zimbabwean people in this tough time.
We are saying that an ordinary person or a person who sells broomsticks cannot afford R5,000. Look at the state of the economy, look at the rent, look at the Zimbabwean currency.
It is very weak, and for you to say a poor person must purchase a passport for R5,000 while they cannot afford mealie meal daily is an insult to that person and their dignity; it is reducing the African people while the white minority can come into this country and do whatever they want and even have double passports and double identifications but there are no consequences to them.
Why must Zimbabweans not afford a mere passport and stay in South Africa so that they can afford to participate in economic activities?
</blockquote>
Nkuna said the price hike would contribute to more Zimbabweans becoming illegal in South Africa as they would not be able to pay for the passports.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zimbabweans in South Africa marched to the Zimbabwe embassy in Pretoria. They were protesting against the high cost of passports. The new fee is $250, which is too expensive for many. People can't get proper jobs without the right documents. They want the president to resign and the passport fee to be lowered. Other African countries charge lower prices for passports. The protesters are struggling to survive without proper documents. They fear being arrested and want help from their government.

Zimbabweans In South Africa March To Zimbabwe Embassy Over Passport Price Hike

The opposition The Patriotic Front (TPF) party has called on the government to disclose the details of its dealings with Garsu Pasaulis and Semlex, the companies contracted to produce Zimbabwean passports.
The demand for transparency comes in the wake of the government’s announcement that Zimbabweans living in South Africa will be required to pay US$250 (approximately R4,500) to acquire passports at the country’s Consulate in Johannesburg.
When applying for a passport, either an emergency passport which costs US$250 or an ordinary passport that takes seven days to process which costs $150, applicants are required to pay an additional $20 “application fee.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage directed that all e-passport applications processed at the consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, be classified as express/emergency applications for US$250.
According to <a href="https://cite.org.zw/tpf-demands-answers-on-passport-rip-off/">CITE</a>, Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian company, was awarded a contract to produce e-passports for Zimbabwe in 2021 under controversial circumstances.
Since 2014, the company has been owned by Albert Karaziwan, a Belgian citizen, and Semlex Europe, a company he operates and partially owns with his family.
Garsu Pasaulis has reportedly faced allegations of bribery and corruption in Asia and several African countries.
TPF Interim Secretary-General, Prosper Ncube, said the government should disclose the share of revenue the company collects from each printed passport, among other things. Said Ncube:
<blockquote>
We demand that the government immediately reverse this decision and provide a fair and affordable solution for our citizens living abroad.
Furthermore, we call on the government to come clean about their dealings with Garsu Pasaulis and Semlex, the companies contracted to produce our passports.
Specifically, we demand that the government provides full information on the following: the exact amount of money that Garsu Pasaulis and Semlex are getting from every passport made; the terms of the contract between the government and these companies; why the contract was awarded without a public tender; and what measures are in place to ensure these companies are not profiteering from our citizens.
We will not stand by and watch as our citizens are taken advantage of. We demand transparency, accountability, and fairness.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe’s passport fees are the most expensive in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
In South Africa, a passport costs R600. In Botswana, a passport is priced at 260 Pula, and in Zambia, an express passport in Zambia costs 700 kwacha.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The Patriotic Front (TPF) party wants the government to be honest about passport contracts with Garsu Pasaulis and Semlex. Zimbabweans in South Africa have to pay a lot for passports. The fees are the highest in the region. Garsu Pasaulis has faced corruption allegations in other countries. TPF wants the government to reveal how much money these companies make from each passport. They also want to know the terms of the contract and why there was no public competition. TPF demands transparency and fairness for citizens living abroad.

The Patriotic Front Party Demands Transparency On Passport Contracts

Zimbabweans living in South Africa have expressed strong dismay over the passport fees for diasporans announced by the government, and have called for the fees to be lowered.
In a public notice issued on Friday, July 26th, Zimbabwe’s Consul General Eria Phiri announced the new passport application fees for Zimbabweans in South Africa. He said:
<blockquote>
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has directed that, all e- passport applications that are processed at the Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa shall be handled as express/ emergency applications in terms of Statutory Instrument 1 of 2024.
In effect, this means passport application fees for the express/ emergency passport shall be USD250.00 charged at the prevailing USD/ZAR exchange rate with effect from Monday 29 July 2024.
</blockquote>
An ordinary passport that takes seven days to process costs US$150 in Zimbabwe, with an additional US$20 “application fee.”
Zimbabweans based in South Africa will pay the equivalent of US$250 plus the equivalent of US$20 “application fee.”
Debating the issue on “This Morning on Asakhe,” a <a href="https://cite.org.zw/outcry-over-high-e-passport-costs-from-zimbabweans-in-sa/">CITE</a> daily current affairs programme on X, participants said the fee was steep and appealed to the government to reduce it.
A participant, Ndlovu said:
<blockquote>
This fee is exorbitant. I once applied for a passport while I was here and sent the forms back home. There are additional costs like R80 for pictures and R300 for forms, which makes the total amount very high… If only they could reduce it to at least US$170, it would be better.
The government should treat us better; we are struggling here. We appeal for a reduction in this fee.
</blockquote>
Another participant, James, said:
<blockquote>
We are very worried about this price. It’s too much. As someone who travels frequently, raising US$250 is going to be very difficult. In Rands, that amount is a lot.
I don’t know how they justify this amount. The government must help its citizens live better lives. People are not earning enough to afford this.
</blockquote>
Alfred Khumalo said:
<blockquote>
For someone to travel from Johannesburg to Harare to apply for a passport and back, it costs about R2,000 in total. This feels like manipulation.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe’s passport fees are the most expensive in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. An adult passport costs R600 (approximately $33) in South Africa, P260 ($19) in Botswana, and R400 ($23) in Namibia.
In comparison, the Zimbabwean government has set the passport fee for its citizens at $270, which is significantly higher than the fees charged by its regional counterparts.
Zimbabwe’s passport production is being carried out in partnership with Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuania-registered company owned by Semlex of Belgium.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabweans in South Africa are upset about high passport fees. The government increased fees to USD250 for an express passport. People say it's too expensive. They want the government to lower the price to USD170. Other countries in the region have cheaper passport fees. People are struggling to pay for passports. They want the government to make it easier for them to travel. Zimbabwe's passport production is done with a company from Belgium.

Zimbabweans In South Africa Call On Government To Reduce Passport Fees

Long queues have resurfaced at the Civil Registry offices in Bulawayo as hundreds of citizens including those residing outside the country but are back home for the holidays apply for passports and other vital national identity documents.
The sudden increase in the number of people applying for passports has also been attributed to the hike in passport fees from US$120 to US$150 for ordinary passports, with effect from January 2024.
Butholezwe Sibindi, who is based in South Africa, on Tuesday told the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/documents-dash-scores-rush-to-beat-january-passport-fee-hike/">Chronicle</a> that he had been queuing since Friday last week. He said:
<blockquote>
I came from South Africa with the hope that things had improved but alas it is still the same story.
This is disappointing because I have been stuck in these long queues for days instead of spending quality time with my family.
</blockquote>
Leeroy Khumalo claimed that Civil Registry staff were prioritising those applying for emergency passports and deliberately ignoring ordinary passport applicants.
Another applicant, Sithabisiwe Ngwenya said it appears as if the workers were on a go-slow. She said:
<blockquote>
This is a tiresome process and although we are aware that they have extended the working hours, their pace is slow.
What is the point of extending when they are going to just serve a few people?
</blockquote>
The Civil Registry Department recently issued a statement saying it was extending the working hours of all its e-passport offices. It said:
<blockquote>
The Civil Registry Department wishes to advise its valuable clients that it has extended its working hours in the passport section with immediate effect.
The passport offices will be open from Monday to Friday from 7 am to 7 pm during weekdays and from 8 am to 3 pm on Saturdays.
</blockquote>
E-passports are issued in Harare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Gwanda, Gweru, Lupane, Marondera, Beitbridge, Chipinge, Chitungwiza, Hwange, Mazowe, Mwenezi and Zvishavane civil registry offices.
The Registrar General Henry Machiri said during the festive season, the number of passport applicants increases. He said:
<blockquote>
The festive season is our busiest in terms of passport applications, and most of our citizens who are in the diaspora want to apply for documents.
Schools have closed and so we are expecting all these people to be coming now since they need to be there physically for biometrics.
So, the number will increase since most people want to beat the deadline to avoid paying more money.
In the proposed national budget, the fees for passports will increase in the coming month and some people want to beat the deadline and submit their applications now.
</blockquote>
The Zimbabwean passport is arguably the most expensive in the SADC region after a deal by the Government awarding Garsu Pasaulis a tender to process the new e-passports in 2021.
In 2021, South Africa charged R400, equivalent to US$25, while Botswana charged P260 (US$25) for a passport. 
Namibia’s passport was priced at R400 (or US$25), and Mozambique was charging 2500 meticais (about US$40).
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Long, Winding Queues Resurface At Passport Offices

Members of Parliament in Botswana have expressed their strong opposition to a proposed agreement that would allow travel between Botswana and Zimbabwe using national identity cards instead of passports. While Botswana already has a similar arrangement with Namibia, legislators have made it clear that they do not support extending it to Zimbabwe.
The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/12/08/zimbabwe-botswana-leaders-announce-plans-to-scrap-passports-for-travellers/">proposed plan to scrap the passport requirement</a> was announced by Zimbabwe’s President, Emerson Mnangagwa, during a visit to Botswana. However, due to public backlash, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Annah Mokgethi, clarified in Parliament that no signed agreement was in place, according to VOA News. Mokgethi said:
<blockquote>
I wish to make this statement to clarify and to set the record straight that there is no signed agreement to effect this initiative. Given this background, Batswana are assured that by a concept being appreciated by the two leadership does not mean the people of the two countries can now use their IDs to cross into their countries. There are processes and procedures to be undertaken to ensure and qualify validity of all necessary requirements for travel, locally, regionally, and internationally before implantation can take place. Most importantly upon adoption of acceptance of regulatory standards, the two countries will enter into a memorandum of agreement that has clauses including cancellation or exit in the event, concerns of violation arise during implementation.
</blockquote>
Opposition leader Dithapelo Keorapetse said it was surprising that President Masisi had not consulted relevant stakeholders before making such a decision. He said:
<blockquote>
We don’t know who President Masisi was representing when he reached this agreement with Mnangagwa or the government of Zimbabwe.
</blockquote>
MP Wynter Mmolotsi raised concerns about the potential consequences of the arrangement, particularly in areas closer to the border, where there is already strain on resources due to an influx of Zimbabweans. He pointed out that the health system in Francistown, a city near the border, is already overburdened, and opening up travel without proper consideration could exacerbate the situation.
Other MPs, like Unity Douw, questioned the practicality of using machine-readable identity cards instead of passports and wondered if it would create additional bureaucratic complications. 
Some MPs suggested that Botswana prioritize negotiating passport-free travel agreements with countries like South Africa and Zambia before considering such an arrangement with Zimbabwe.
Due to the collapsed Zimbabwean economy, many Zimbabweans have sought opportunities in Botswana and other neighbouring countries including South Africa. The proposed scrapping of passport requirements between the two countries would primarily benefit Zimbabweans who have for decades been fleeing from the biting economy. 
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Botswana MPs Oppose Proposed Plan To Scrap Passport Requirement With Zimbabwe

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube made several revisions to his tax proposals in the 2024 national budget.
Ncube steered through his national budget in a sitting of parliament which concluded just before 1 AM on Friday.
In his 2024 budget statement, Ncube proposed an increase in passport fees from US$120 to US$200 starting from January 2024.
He told lawmakers that he had planned to use the money to install automated passport readers at ports of entry to remove the need for human intervention.
However, MPs objected to the proposed hike and Ncube revised the passport fees. He said:
<blockquote>
On passport fees, we have listened carefully to the contributions from the portfolio chairpersons and Hon. Members that the US$200 is on the high side, and we agree with that.
It is just that when we were having the discussions about modernising our borders, we wanted to be the first country outside Dubai to have an unmanned border post where you can walk in because now we have an e-passport with a chip in it
You can walk in and the gates open your passport is read. You do not talk to anybody. We want that equipment here by the end of 2024. We have to be modern. That is what motivated us.
It is the kind of thinking to say we need resources to support the Ministry of Home Affairs and we thought that increasing passports was one way to do this.
Someone proposed that rather than US$120 for an ordinary passport, let us make it US$150.
It is a proposal, but for the express passport, the 24-hour passport, anyone who needs it urgently is often those who can afford it.
That one should be US$250. I know one Hon. Member who proposed US$350, but let us make it US$250 and I think US$250 is okay.
</blockquote>
The budget passed with only ZANU PF MPs present after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MPs were ejected from parliament and banned for four sittings.
The opposition MPs were sanctioned after singing and heckling when Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda announced Pedzai Sakupwanya as the new MP for Mabvuku-Tafara.
Sakupwanya won the seat by default after the CCC candidate, Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, who beat him only in August before he was controversially recalled by Sengezo Tshabangu, was barred by the High Court from contesting.
Parliament adjourned until 30 January 2024.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Mthuli Ncube Revises Passport Fees

The Consulate of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Johannesburg has announced an extension of working hours for birth certificate registration and passport applications. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the Consulate General, Mr Eria Phiri, said due to increased demand, the Consulate will now operate from 08:00 to 16:00 on every working day.
In addition to the regular working days of Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, the Consulate will also be open exclusively for birth certificate registration and passport applications on two specific dates: Wednesday, 13 December 2023, and Wednesday, 20 December 2023. On these days, the Consulate will open at 08:00 and close at 15:00.
Phiri said clearances for repatriating human remains for burial in Zimbabwe will continue to be processed strictly on weekdays through the existing electronic platforms.
There are a few important points to remember:
1. All consular appointments are free of charge. 
2. The Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria, as well as the two Consulates in Johannesburg and Cape Town, do not have agents acting on their behalf.
To engage with the Consulate and discuss matters of mutual interest, please use the official communication channels provided:
– Facebook page: Zimbabweconsulate Boeing Road Bedfordview 
– Twitter: Zimbabweconsulatejhb 
– WhatsApp: +27828249435 
– Email: admin@zimbabweconsulate.co.za 
– Website: www.zimbabweconsulate.co.za
These channels ensure direct and reliable communication with the Consulate.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Zimbabwe Consulate In Johannesburg Extends Working Hours For Birth Certificate Registration & Passport Applications

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday said that he had agreed with his Botswana counterpart President Mokgweetsi Masisi to scrap passport requirements and allow Zimbabweans and Batswana to move unhindered between the two countries.
Speaking during the fifth edition of the annual Kusi Ideas Festival in Gaborone, Botswana, Mnangagwa said the terms of the agreement will be worked out by officials from both countries. <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/botswana-zimbabwe-leaders-agree-passport-free-travel-mnangagwa/">ZimLive</a> quoted Mnangagwa as saying:
<blockquote>
I have been talking to my brother here (Masisi) after he was making a statement here and we have agreed, I can announce, that from now on we shall instruct our officials that there shall be no question of how to enter Zimbabwe, how to enter Botswana.
That should be cleared. The two of us have agreed, realising that we are Africans. We should be able to walk into Botswana, walk into Zambia and walk into Kenya. We agreed when we were sitting there that why should we restrict ourselves?
Somebody said in the past we were all living together, then the global north came and made boundaries, where the family’s kitchen became on the other side of the border, the bedroom on the other side of the border. So why should we continue to respect this? Let us open the borders among ourselves and move freely.
</blockquote>
Speaking to Zimbabwean journalists after attending the Kusi Ideas Festival, Mnangagwa said the envisioned deal with Botswana would mean travellers only require their respective national identity documents to travel between the two countries. <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/zimbabwe-botswana-to-scrap-passports-for-travellers/">He said</a>:
<blockquote>
We impose constraints on ourselves which are more colonial than they are patriotic, so we agreed that he (President Masisi) himself on his side and myself on my side are going to instruct the relevant departments to ease these constraints of movement of people between our two countries.
It should be enough for someone having an identity card to cross into Zimbabwe or cross into Botswana, so this is what we are going to do.
He has undertaken to talk to his ministers to facilitate that; I will do the same in Zimbabwe to make sure we facilitate the movement of Zimbabweans and Batswana between the two countries without any constraints except one’s ID (identity document).
</blockquote>
In his keynote address at the Kusi Ideas Festival, Masisi said his government officials have commenced consultations to ensure that the passport-free dispensation with Zimbabwe becomes a reality. He said:
<blockquote>
Our steps towards facilitation of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area are being given impetus by policy action taken by some sister nations like Kenya, who have announced the intention to abolish visa requirements for Africans travelling to Kenya.
I guess speaking for ourselves, President Mnangagwa, the ball is in your court and mine. We shall talk. 
We, on our part, have since April this year initiated an even easier movement between ourselves and neighbouring Namibia, by which citizens of both nations can travel between the two countries using only their national identity cards as a travel document.
This has reduced the burden of acquisition of passports for travel to either country. We hope that with time this will become a feature of the subcontinent and eventually the continent as a whole. 
And yes, once again, President Mnangagwa, I am happy to tell you that I have begun consultations on my side; I wish you begin on yours so that next after Namibia will be a Zimbabwean ID holder travelling seamlessly to Botswana, and a Botswana citizen . . . travelling seamlessly to Zimbabwe.
</blockquote>
Botswana has a population of 2.5 million and is one of Africa’s most stable countries.
In contrast, Zimbabwe’s population is above 16 million and the country has been in economic turmoil for more than two decades.
Botswana, like all of Zimbabwe’s neighbours, hosts a sizeable Zimbabwean migrant community and deports thousands of Zimbabweans annually for immigration offences.
Meanwhile, Botswana already signed a similar arrangement with Namibia. The two countries are accepting each other’s national identity cards for use in cross-border business and tourism travel for stays of up to 90 days.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe, Botswana Leaders Announce Plans To Scrap Passports For Travellers

Zimbabweans engaged in cross-border trade have expressed outrage after the Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion Mthuli Ncube proposed to hike passport fees.
Presenting the 2024 National Budget on Thursday, 30 November, Ncube proposed to raise the fee for an ordinary passport from US$120 to US$200 and for an emergency passport from US$220 to US$300 with effect from 01 January 2024.
He said the additional revenue generated from the increase “will be ring-fenced towards road infrastructure development”.
Amid Zimbabwe’s economic challenges, many people survive by doing cross-border trade, and therefore, for them, a passport is a vital tool of their trade.
Thousands of unemployed Zimbabweans make a living by travelling, primarily to South Africa, Dubai and Turkey to buy goods unavailable or too expensive in Zimbabwe, for resale.
Mavis Chiangwa travels to South Africa regularly to buy spare parts for cars for sale in Harare.
She told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67587440">BBC</a> that although her passport is valid for another five years, the proposed hike is too much. She said:
<blockquote>
The 67% increase is too high and will make it difficult for those wanting to apply for new passports or those renewing.
</blockquote>
Journalist and political commentator Hopewell Chin’ono said the Zimbabwean Government “wants to make money from the misery of Zimbabweans who are running away from ZANU PF’s failed policies and corrupt rule.”
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabweans Furious Over Hike In Passport Fees

The Registrar-General Henry Machiri has said plans are underway to establish passport enrolment centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town before the end of this year.
This will enable Zimbabweans living in South Africa to apply for and collect passports and national identity cards in the neighbouring country.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/passport-offices-to-be-opened-in-sa">The Sunday Mail</a>, Machiri said they are planning to establish e-passport enrolment centres in several countries. He said:
<blockquote>
E-passport enrolment centres are being established across borders and citizens will benefit by applying whilst in countries that will have these facilities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is implementing the e-passport system in South Africa.
Renovations to consulate offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town will be completed soon. We are targeting to open the two centres before the end of the year.
</blockquote>
Consul-General at Zimbabwe’s Embassy in Johannesburg Eria Phiri said:
<blockquote>
Renovation and repurposing of the building is now complete and work is going on well.
For the consulate office, everything is now ready and we are waiting for the deployment of the information and communication technology infrastructure at the end of this month.
The offices will greatly improve the ability of Zimbabweans in South Africa to access their civic documents.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, Machiri said Zimbabweans will soon be able to apply for civic documents (birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, etc) online once the deployment of the enhanced Zimbabwe Population Registry System (ZPRS) by the Government is complete.
Currently, applicants have to come in person to apply for the documents at the Civil Registry Department offices.
The ZPRS will link Government offices in real-time, cutting bureaucracy and revolutionising the department’s work. Said Machiri:
<blockquote>
The digital migration is likely to start end of October 2023. The servers have been installed and configured. Software development for system applications is in progress.
The online passport application process is not yet functional. The system is being implemented in phases. We expect to complete the implementation of all phases in 12 months.
</blockquote>
He also said more than 100 000 e-passports have been issued since the introduction of e-passports in January 2022.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe To Open Passport Offices In South Africa - Registrar General

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says voters are NOT required to bring proof of residence to the polling station on voting day.
Voters should bring proof of identity, that is a national ID or a valid Zimbabwean passport.
ZEC said this while responding to Pindula News‘ inquiries after a recent report by a local publication claimed that registered voters should produce national identity cards or a Zimbabwean passport as well as proof of residence when going to vote in the 2023 harmonised elections.
The report cited a statement issued by ZEC acting chief elections officer Jane Chigidji on 21 March 2023.
But ZEC has told <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a> that proof of residence is required when one is registering as a voter.
On voting day, one is not required to produce proof of residence but should produce his or her National Identity Card or valid Zimbabwe passport to vote. ZEC said:
<blockquote>
Proof of residence is required when one is registering as a voter so that he/she is properly assigned to a specific polling station and not on the day of voting.
Only one’s proof of identity is required on the day of voting. One has to produce his/her Identity Card or valid Zimbabwe passport to vote.
</blockquote>

Proof Of Residence Is Not Required On Voting Day - ZEC

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi is reportedly mulling a proposal to allow Batswana and Zimbabweans to use national identity cards (IDs) for travel between the two countries.
Currently, citizens from both countries require valid passports to cross the border.
<a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/https-www-newzimbabwe-com-president-masisi-wants-to-scrap-passport-requirement-for-zimbabweans-entering-botswana/">NewZimbabwe.com</a> cited The Parrot newspaper as saying Masisi revealed that he will make the proposal over the use of ID cards for cross-border travel when he meets his Zimbabwe counterpart, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Part of the reads:
<blockquote>
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has just revealed that in a few months’ time, he will be meeting his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa on a visit where he will make sure they discuss the use of identity cards for border crossing between the two countries.
</blockquote>
Arguably, the majority of Zimbabweans who migrate to Botswana will be seeking better economic prospects while Batswana citizens mostly cross into Zimbabwe to seek tertiary education.
In February this year, Masisi and Namibian President, Hage Geingob signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to permit citizens of the two countries to use IDs to cross borders.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Botswana President Wants To Scrap Passport Requirement For Zimbabwean Travellers | Report

The Civil Registry Department says it has increased the production of passports, with Harare now producing about 1 300 passports per day from under 1 000.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/registry-clears-festive-season-passport-demand/">The Herald</a> on Wednesday, Registrar-General Henry Machiri said there has been a sharp increase in the number of passport applications during the festive season.
He said that in order to meet demand, they are working on weekends and have extended working hours and also increased personnel servicing passport applicants. Said Machiri:
<blockquote>
The situation is that people are still coming. Diasporans are still around, and we are working as we said, those extra hours and we are managing.
We cannot say the numbers have really dwindled. As long as they (Diasporans) are still around, numbers are still there.
But we expect that in the next two weeks, the numbers will be going down as some collect their passports, but we are managing.
</blockquote>

Demand For Passports Surged During Festive Season

The Registrar-General’s (RG) Office says it has issued over 350 000 e-passports to date, clearing the national backlog that stood at 200 000 in January.
In an interview with State media, Registrar-General Henry Machiri also said plans to decentralise the service are now at an advanced stage. He said:
<blockquote>
Since we started the e-passport programme on January 18, I can confirm that we have issued over 350 000 passports.
We successfully cleared the passport backlog in September this year.
We asked all those who had applied for passports to go and collect their documents.
We are happy with the progress we have made so far, and we are looking forward to expanding the e-passport enrolment programme to all the districts countrywide.
We have plans to expand to Chinhoyi, Marondera, and Mutare, going down to all the districts.
Besides expanding offices in the country, Government will also be establishing passport enrolment centres at selected embassies across the world.
</blockquote>
Garsu Pasaulis, a security printing company that was engaged by the government to set up modern national biometric infrastructure for the production of the new e-passport, national identity cards, resident permits, and visas, reportedly has the capacity to print more than 5 000 passports a day.
An official report detailing the e-passport programme obtained by The Sunday Mail states:
<blockquote>
We are delighted to report that, since the inception of the e-passports project, Garsu Pasaulis has managed to cumulatively produce a total of 352 156 ordinary and express e-passports as of December 3, 2022.
In addition to the above, the company has also produced several diplomatic and service passports on behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe.
The company invested in high-end, state-of-the-art passport personalisation machines which are capable of printing over 500 passports per hour.
Depending on the number of applications received, the company has a production capacity that can enable the printing of more than 5 000 passports per day.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/passport-backlog-cleared">The Sunday Mail</a>

"Passport Backlog Cleared"

A Bulawayo-based police officer has been detained for allegedly defrauding desperate passport hopefuls out of US$440 and R600.
Sergeant Prosper Madzokera (36) assigned to the Bulawayo Central Police Station allegedly targeted those seeking passports from outside of Bulawayo.
Madzokera used his ZRP outfit to fool passport hopefuls, telling them that they had to believe him since he was a police officer, according to a source at the Bulawayo registrar’s office.
Madzokera would arrive at the registrar’s offices early in the morning and wait at the entrance for desperate passport hopefuls “mainly those people who would have come from the rural areas.”
One of the victims who identified himself as Dube from Lupane said Madzokera asked him to pay some money for assistance. He told <a href="https://www.bmetro.co.zw/cop-arrested-for-duping-desperate-passport-seekers/">B-Metro</a>:
<blockquote>
I arrived at the registrar’s office at around 6.30am last Tuesday and the queue was already long. While I was standing by the gate Madzokera came to me and told me he could assist me by getting my passport processed quickly.
He said that I had to give him US$120 and R200 which he said was for processing. I gave him that amount and he disappeared.
</blockquote>
Another victim who also identified himself as Joel from Ascot Extension in Gweru said Madzokera approached him while he was in the queue to submit his passport application forms and said he could quickly process the passport for him.
He then demanded US$130 and R200 which he said was for administration and Joel allegedly gave him.
Madzokera promised to give Joel a receipt after an hour but he never returned prompting the victim to report the matter at Bulawayo Central Police Station.
Another victim who requested not to be named said he paid Madzokera US$130 and R200 which he said accompanied the application.
Madzokera allegedly returned and demanded US$50 which he said was for urgent processing of the passport. The accused never came back.
Madzokera is expected to appear in court soon facing fraud charges.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

Police Officer Arrested For Duping Passport Seekers

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi has announced new passport fees for the first time since 2011. 
In a notice seen by Pindula News, the department quoted Motsoaledi as saying there is “nothing called an emergency passport.”
Motsoaledi said the emergency travel certificate mentioned below is a document available only to South Africans stranded abroad which helps them to come back home and when they arrive, the usefulness of the document lapses. 
He added that there is no emergency travel certificate for South Africans who need to travel abroad. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has amended the fees for South African passports and travel documents in terms of section 4(1)(e) of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, 1994 (Act No. 4 of 1994), and in consultation with the Minister of Finance.
The amended fees, which were published in Govemment Gazette No. 47256 (attached) on 06 October 2022, come into operation on 1 November 2022. 
Section 4(1)(e) of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act, 1994, enables the Minister of Home Affairs to make regulations regarding the fees payable for the issuance of a South African Passport or Travel Document, in consultation with the Minister of Finance. 
The changes to passport and travel document fees were informed by the outcome of a bench-marking exercise with other countries which found that our tariffs were up to three times lower. 
The decision was also informed by the fact that production costs are much higher than what people are paying for our passports. This means the Government is heavily subsidising passport holders when such a subsidy is not realised for ordinary ID applicants. 
The fees payable for the issuing of South African passports and travel documents were last adjusted in 2011. There are different fees for applications made in South Africa and those coming from abroad. The fees payable in respect of applications for a South African passport or travel document made within the Republic are as follows:
• Adult passport R600 for 32 pages (current fee R400); R1 200 for 48 pages (maxi, current fee R800) 
• Child passport R600 (current fee R400) 
• Official passport R600 (currently no charge) 
• Diplomatic passport R600 (currently no charge) 
• Document for travel purposes R600 (current fee R300)
 • Crew member certificate R600 (current fee R350) 
The fees payable in respect of applications for a South African passport or travel document made outside of the Republic, at Missions, Embassies or Consulates, are as follows:
• Adult passport R1 200 for 32 pages (current fee R400); R2 400 for 48 pages (maxi, current fee 8800) 
• Child passport R1 200 (current fee R400) 
• Emergency travel certificate R140 (current fee R140).
</blockquote>
Motsoaledi also said South Africans who are able to travel out of the country are financially better off than ordinary citizens and they don’t need to be subsidised in the manner the government has been doing.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

South Africa Raises Passport Fees For The 1st Time Since 2011

The Zimbabwe Consulate in South Africa has extended the time for applications for birth certificates and passports to clear the backlog. The special intervention is scheduled to run from the 3rd to the 17th of October 2022. In a statement seen by Pindula News, the consulate advised members of the public that the consulates do not have agents who act on their behalf. Reads the statement dated 26 September 2022:
<blockquote>
<h2>SPECIAL INTERVENTION AIMED AT DEPLETING THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND PASSPORT APPLICATIONS BACKLOG: 3 TO 17 OCTOBER 2022</h2>
Please be advised that the Consulate will carry out a special consular intervention in response to a continued high demand for birth certificate registration and passport applications in South Africa. The exercise will stretch from 3 to 17 October 2022.
<h2>During this period, the Consulate will be operating as follows: –</h2>
• Open every day, including Saturdays and Sundays, from 0730 to 1600 hours for birth certificate and passport applications.
• Increase the number of appointments from 400 to 1000 per day, at a pace of 100 bookings per hour.
• As usual, the booking platform will open for new bookings every Wednesday at 1600 hours. 
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to adhere to the allocated time given the need to manage the number of people within the Consulate premises at any given time ALL EARLY ARRIVALS WILL BE TURNED BAG
• Clients seeking other services such as Temporary Travel Documents 17TD), Cancellation of Passports, Authentication of Documents among others, still do not require prior booking in order to access service they will however be assisted strictly during weekdays between 0900 and 1130 hours.
• Clearances for the repatriation of human remains for burial in Zimbabwe will continue to be strictly processed during weekdays via the existing electronic platforms.
<h2>Please take note of the following. </h2>
• All consular appointments are free of charge 
• The Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria and the two Consulates, namely, Zimbabwe Consulate in Johannesburg and the Zimbabwe Consulate in Cape Town, do not have agents who act on their behalf.
• To book for an appointment, clients should use the following link: https://www.zimbabweconsulate.co.za/appointment
• Clients are advised to strictly use the identity details of the person requiring service when scheduling an appointment.
For further interaction with the Consulate on all issues of mutual interest, please use the following official channels:-
• Facebook page: ZImbabweconsulate Boeing Rood Bedfordview 
• Twitter: Zimbabweconsulatejhb 
• WhatsApp: +27828249435 
• Emal: admin@zimbabweconsulate.co.zw
• Website: www.zimconsulate.co.zw
</blockquote>
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

Zimbabwe Consulate In SA Extends Time For Birth Certificate And Passport Application

The Civil Registry Department says it is currently processing the 2019 passport applications and aims to clear the backlog by September this year.
Registrar General Henry Machiri told <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/passport-backlog-to-be-cleared-by-september/">ZBC News</a> in <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Victoria_Falls">Victoria Falls</a> recently:
<blockquote>
We are now working on the backlog. We are now doing the 2019 applications and we are hopeful that by September this backlog would have been cleared.
When we talk of 2019, it doesn’t mean that we have a backlog for 2020 and 2021. Those are the two years under the COVID-19 whereby we were not issuing passports, but we were just dealing with emergencies. Our passport backlog is the last half of 2019.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe missed deadlines previously set.
In October last year, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told reporters during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare that the government <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/10/27/passport-backlog-to-clear-by-december-2021-govt/">expected to have fully cleared the backlog by the end of 2021.</a> She said:
<blockquote>
The nation will recall that during its ninth meeting, Cabinet approved a strategy by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to clear the country’s passport backlog that had accumulated to over 400 000 by August 2020.
It is pleasing to note that the backlog has since been reduced to the current 184 000. It is anticipated that the backlog would have been cleared by the end of December 2021.
</blockquote>
In April last year, the Registrar General’s office has introduced night shifts as a strategy to clear the passport backlog which it attributed to the inadequacy of consumables required in the production of the travelling document.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe on 14 December 2021, launched an e-passport with improved security features to replace the old one. After the launch, members of the public were advised that the e-passport will be usable at all ports of entry and exit with effect from Monday, 7 February 2022. 
Old non-biometric passports Zimbabwean passports will remain valid until they expire in December 2023.
<h2><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

"We're Now Doing The 2019 Passport Applications" - Registrar General

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Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa has criticised the government’s decision to cancel valid passports by 2023 saying members of the public went through a lot to attain the travel document.
The government announced statutory instrument (SI) 273 of 2021 which stated that the “current type of passports… will cease to be acceptable internationally by the 31st of December 2023, and will therefore need to be replaced by e-passports in terms of these regulations.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage on Monday says the passport will be valid until they expire, which could be before or after the 31st of December 2023. In response to the development, Mliswa said:
<blockquote>
The move to cancel valid passports after only two years when someone struggled to raise over US$300 for it, is immoral to say the least. Normal and standard procedure is to let the old document run its time until it expires and have people get the e-passport. 
Why does Gvt have to operate as some capitalist private enterprise out for a profit? This move is insincere and while moving with technology is great, all that is lost in the insensitive trap of making people repeat the passport process twice for a total of over US$400.
</blockquote>
The Registrar General’s office has a huge passport backlog as the government is failing to procure enough resources to print passports.
Many Zimbabweans have been applying for the travel document as they seek to escape the biting economy.
<h2 lang="en">More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>
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Mliswa Criticises Government's Move To 'Cancel Valid Passports'

A Zimbabwean truck driver, Mr Dhokotera has been applauded for showing ubuntu after picking a lost passport and wallet that contained over US$400, and handing back the valuables to the owner.
The wallet and a passport belonged to one Isaiah Chisadza at an unmentioned border post.
Dhokotera took a video of the passport and wallet and its contents which include an R20 note, US$400 made up of 4 $100 bills, Isaiah Chisadza’s licence and Defensive Driving Certificate. Watch the video below for more details.
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He asked members of the public to help locate Mr Chisadza so that he can give him back what the devil had tried to steal from him.
Mr Chisadza seems to be a truck driver also and if he had to replace the driver’s licence, defensive driving certificate and passport he would have had to fork out another US$400.
<h2>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a></h2>

WATCH: Truck Driver Praised For Picking And Returning Wallet With Over US$400

The Government says the passport backlog has been reduced from 400 000 in August 2020 to just 184 000 and expects it to have been fully cleared by year-end.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa also told reporters during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday that considerable progress has been made in the e-passport production project. She said:
<blockquote>
The nation will recall that during its ninth meeting, Cabinet approved a strategy by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to clear the country’s passport backlog that had accumulated to over 400 000 by August 2020.
It is pleasing to note that the backlog has since been reduced to the current 184 000. It is anticipated that the backlog would have been cleared by the end of December 2021.
</blockquote>
Mutsvangwa also gave a report on the e-passport production which is being worked out with a Lithuanian company under a build, own, operate and transfer agreement. It is expected to reduce the cost of passports. Mutsvangwa said:
<blockquote>
Cabinet also wishes to report that the implementation of a build, own, operate and transfer agreement with Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian company on an e-passport production project is well on course with the aim of boosting production of passports, identification cards and birth certificates.”
The final design of the Zimbabwean e-passport will be fully compliant with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
</blockquote>
She also said renovations at the Harare Passport enrolment centre, at the Civil Registry Building, started last week while the Bulawayo Passport enrolment centre commences this Wednesday.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/passport-backlog-to-clear-by-year-end/">The Herald</a></h4>

Passport Backlog To Clear By December 2021 - Govt

Hundreds of passport seekers were this Tuesday turned away after thronging the Registrars General’s Office in Bulawayo for the application and collection of passports.
The office is serving only 50 applications for emergency passports per day. Police officers who were dispersing the people said the number of people served per day was limited to fifty as a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking to the Daily News, an unnamed police officer said:
<blockquote>Only 50 people are served per day and there is no reason for you all to crowd the place and cause congestion.
The situation is getting out of hand and some of you will risk being arrested.
You will find yourselves at the police station because you are not listening to our call. Go back home and you will come in small numbers.
Lockdown is still there and it is worrisome how most of you are not even thinking about it. You are risking your life and that of others.</blockquote>
An official from the Registrar General’s Office echoed the police reports that only 50 people were being served from 7:30 am up to lunchtime. The official said:
<blockquote>Once there are 50 people, we don’t entertain others and you should be here before our starting time.
There is no need to crowd this place.</blockquote>
Passport seekers were notified to return on April 26 once the backlog has been cleared.
The RG’s office is reported to have a backlog of about 250 000 passports that dates back to 2018.
The office indicated that it had inadequate consumables that are required for the production of passports.
This week, Cabinet reviewed fees for ordinary passports to USD60 and 200 for those that are produced within three days.
Thousands of people are applying and or renewing passports to escape the biting economy.
As a result of their separation to get the travelling document, some have fallen prey to <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/04/03/officials-at-rgs-office-arrested-over-passport-bribes/">corrupt officials who are reportedly demanding huge kickbacks</a> for them to be served first while some are sleeping in elongated queues.
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>; <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/rgs-office-turns-away-hundreds/?_ga=2.142991925.1202188573.1617045052-2033503882.1614659007">Daily News</a>

Hundreds Of Passport Seekers Turned Away

Cabinet this Wednesday reviewed fees for ordinary passports to USD$60 or Zimbabwe Dollar equivalent and USD$200 for three-day passports.
The government said this was one of a cocktail of measures put in place to clear the passport backlog that dates back to 2018.
Below are figures with regards to the passport issue. They were provided by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana.
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>The current Passport backlog is around 250 000</li>
<li>Booklet Production Capacity is 8000 per day.</li>
<li>But Personalisation Capacity is less than 2500 per day.</li>
<li>Quality Assurance is less than 2000 per day.</li>
<li>Actual Production Price per passport is US$58.55 Hence the $60 per passport charge.</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare late on Wednesday afternoon, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said:
<blockquote>Cabinet agreed that measures be taken to deal effectively with the current situation which is affecting locals and Diasporans alike.
Thus, passport fees were reviewed to US$60 for an ordinary passport, US$200 for three-day passport issuance. An emergency 24-hours passport remains pegged at US$318.
The new fees will ensure appropriate cost-factored passport revenue. E-Passport fees are pegged at US$80.
In addition, Treasury will provide US$4,5 million to purchase the required equipment and consumables.</blockquote>
Mutsvangwa said the government was committed to addressing the passport backlog and has engaged local universities to come up with import substitution for consumables used in the production of passports.
The news about new passport fees sparked varying responses with some saying the development will not solve anything since there are thousands who paid US$318 for emergency passports but are yet to get the documents.

Government Hikes Passport Application Fees

Two officials at the Registrar General (RG)’s office have appeared before the courts facing abuse of office charges after demanding bribes from a passport seeker.
The duo, Prisca Moyo and Nicholas Chogugudza appeared before regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje charged with bribery.
The court heard that on March 25, one Pretty Madekufamba who had applied for a passport last year went to Makombe Building for collection purposes.
Madekufamba was told she was not eligible to get one as she had no permit and was not employed outside the country.
She was also advised that the issuance of ordinary passports had been temporarily suspended by authorities.
It is alleged that after the information, she was approached by a man who solicited US$20 for the search and production of the passport.
Madekufamba reportedly approached the Registrar’s office and made a report prompting the office to initiate a trap.
Reports are that Madekufamba was approached by Chogugudza who allegedly said he wanted US$20 for the passport to be retrieved.
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He took it to Madekufamba and was given the trap money leading to his arrest and also led to Moyo’s arrest.
Reports suggest that there are syndicates asking for bribes from passport seekers who would be desperate to get the passports quicker.
Zimbabwe has a huge passport backlog dating back to 2018 with authorities blaming the issue on the shortage of consumables required on the production of passports.
More: <a href="https://dailynews.co.zw/passport-lands-duo-in-custody/?_ga=2.247277444.1202188573.1617045052-2033503882.1614659007">Daily News</a>

Officials At RG's Office Arrested Over Passport Bribes

The Registrar General’s (RG’s) Office in Bulawayo has said citizens who applied for passports before the end of February 2019 should collect their travelling documents as they are now ready.
This was confirmed by Bulawayo Provincial Registrar Jane Peters on Thursday. She said:
<blockquote>We now have passports for those people who applied for travel documents up to the end of February 2019.
Members of the public who applied for passports before the said period should come and collect their documents.
We are now having a filing challenge because of these uncollected passports.</blockquote>
Peters added that they were only attending to a limited number of people in line with the Government’s coronavirus containment measures. She said:
<blockquote>From the 4 to 18 January we already had bookings so within this period we are trying to clear those bookings before we could accept new people that are coming in.
At the moment we are dealing with external applications and we are handling a very limited number of applications.
The demand is high for our services but due to Covid-19 containment measures, we are constrained.
We can’t attend to all the people that need the service. We are attending to a specific number of applicants per day.</blockquote>
The Registrar General’s Office has been battling with a passport backlog that had reached 200 000.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/bulawayo-passport-backlog-reduced-2019-passports-now-ready-for-collection/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Chronicle</a></h4>

RG's Bulawayo Office: Pre-February 2019 Passports Ready For Collection

The Registrar-General’s Office has managed to produce 83 379 passports during the first two months of the lockdown period thereby reducing the backlog by around 20 per cent.
When the first lockdown was announced at the end of March this year, the number of overdue passports stood at 400 961 but is now at 317 582.
The department has not been taking new applications during the indefinite lockdown period but it has made little progress in reducing the number of pending passport documents. The RG’s office said:
<blockquote>Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we have managed to produce 83 379 passports.
Even though the department is focusing on the production of passports, COVID-19 has negatively impacted on the process.
As a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19, the department is currently operating with one-third of its staff complement and so it is unable to utilise its full capacity.</blockquote>
The RG’s office said the procurement of the special paper needed to produce passports is being done by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance.
A few months back, Zimbabwe started the remote issuance of passports to citizens who are living in other countries.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/passport-backlog-reduced-20pc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Herald</a></h4>

Over 80 000 Passports Produced During Lockdown

Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe has told Southern Eye that the ministry was investigating Lupane passport office following reports of corruption.
Kazembe said that his office had received letters from some junior officers who were accusing their bosses of asking for huge kickbacks from desperate passport seekers for them to accelerate the passport application process. He said:
<blockquote>You can neither confirm nor deny (the allegations) until you investigate, but yes, I have received a couple of letters. I don’t throw away the letters because information is power, I always make a follow-up. It is a matter under investigation.
We have a couple of letters that I have sent to the (Home Affairs) permanent secretary to investigate.</blockquote>
The minister also urged those who have information and or evidence which prove the existence of underhand dealings at the office to come forward so as to make the investigation process easy.
Reports of corruption in Registrar-General’s office are not peculiar to Lupane as reports suggest that<a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/07/08/i-can-help-you-get-your-passport-after-a-week-just-your-money-registrar-general-official/"> even Harare officers are asking for huge kickbacks.</a>
Passport seekers may not expose those who ask for bribes as they are desperate to get the travel document so that they escape the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/02/lupane-passport-office-under-probe/">News Day</a>

Home Affairs Investigating Lupane Passport Office Over Alleged Corruption

Home Affairs, Cultural and Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe has said that charges for passports have to be increased in line with the interbank rate to enable the office of the Registrar General’s office to operate smoothly.
Speaking after touring the passport office today Kazembe said that it was necessary to increase charges since consumables required in the production of the travel documents are imported.
An ordinary passport currently costs $53 while an emergency passport fetches $253. Reports, however, suggest that there are <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/i-can-help-you-get-your-passport-after-a-week-just-your-money-registrar-general-official/">some officers who are asking for huge kickbacks from desperate passport seekers,</a> something that would see the charges go higher.
The Registrar-General’s office, which has a capacity of producing 4600 passports a day is making only 2000 daily when <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/watch-passport-backlog-at-registrar-generals-office/">reports suggest that the office has a huge backlog dating back to 2018.</a>
A passport has become a rare and more valuable commodity for Zimbabweans who are desperate to skip the countries’ borders to escape the continuously biting economy.
More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/just-in-passport-charges-to-go-up/">The Herald</a>

Registrar General Office To Raise Passport Fees

The Minister of Home Affairs, Cain Mathema has said that the production of passports will improve before the end of this year following the delivery of modern equipment.
He also revealed that the process of decentralising the production and issuance of identity documents was almost complete. Mathema said:
<blockquote>Further steps have been taken to take delivery of passport paper and consumables as well as material for the production of synthetic identification cards to make sure that all those requiring our services get them in line with our client service charter.
While the impact of the measures taken so far are considerable in that about 100 000 people who applied for passports will take delivery of such documents by the end of December 2019, with the arrival of the additional material on order at the end of November 2019 or early December 2019, we expect to double the number of people getting passports within two months of taking delivery.</blockquote>
His remarks come when the office of the Registrar General has a backlog of over 300 000 dating back to 2018.
The travelling document is on high demand as scores of citizens are desperate to skip the country’s borders to escape the deteriorating state of affairs.
More: <a href="https://nehandaradio.com/2019/10/29/passports-woes-to-end-government-to-issue-100-000-by-december/">Nehanda Radio</a>

Govt Speaks On Passports Production

Difficulties encountered by citizens in trying to acquire passports forces some to cross the country’s borders illegally, risking their lives in the process.
This was said by Ellen Sithole, the deputy chairperson of the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Zimbabwe_Human_Rights_Commission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission</a> at a media briefing of Public Hearings on the National Inquiry on Access to Documentation in Zimbabwe on Tuesday. She said:
<blockquote>The Commission had observed that with the prevailing socio-economic challenges, possession of a passport does not only facilitate freedom of movement as contemplated in section 66 of the constitution but is also a source of livelihood.
Many of our people today survive on cross border trade. If passports are not readily available, people have no choice but to cross borders illegally.</blockquote>
The government is failing to provide its citizens with passports, with the backlog now reportedly in the hundreds of thousands.
On Tuesday, there was a stampede at the offices of the Registrar-general in Harare as thousands of citizens tried to apply for the travel documents.
<h4>More: <a href="https://zimmorningpost.com/border-jumping-on-the-increase-as-passport-woes-reach-fever-pitch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zim Morning Post</a></h4>

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