News / National
e-passport centre under construction in Gwanda
13 Apr 2023 at 03:11hrs | Views
CONSTRUCTION of an E-passport centre in Gwanda, Matabeleland South is underway with the facility set to be operational mid-next month.
The ultimate goal is to have an e-passport facility in each of the country's 59 districts.
At the moment e-passports are issued in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Chitungwiza, Hwange, Lupane, Beitbridge and Murehwa among other areas.
The President launched the new secure electronic passport at Chiwashira Building in Harare in December last year. Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in Africa producing e-passports.
The e-passport was launched after Government partnered a Lithuanian company, Garsu Pasaulis, on a build, own, operate and transfer basis to produce the new passports that meet modern international standards. The adoption of the e-passport will see the country also dealing with the passport backlog that had ballooned in the past few years.
Under the partnership, the Lithunian partner will refurbish provincial and district registry offices and provide material to produce IDs.
In Gwanda, a local construction company Homely Habitats has been contracted to build the e-passport centre. When the Chronicle news visited the passport offices yesterday the place was a hive of activity as construction employees worked on the new centre. Clients are being served outside the premises.
The construction company owner, Mr Collin Mayenzanise, said the target is to complete works on the centre by the end of this month.
Works being carried out include electrical fittings, painting, plumbing, scheming, carpentry and joinery, partitioning the building and tiling.
"We are refurbishing one wing of the old passport office to convert it to an e-passport centre. We are also refurbishing the other wing which will be the offices for the registry department staff. E-passport services have been decentralised and we have been moving around provinces doing the work and now we are in Matabeleland South. Outside we will create a waiting shed for people and inside we are going to put up five cubicles which are going to be the e-passport service points.
"We are also going to have a section for CBZ bank where payments will be made. We started works here on 3 April and we expect to have finished by end of the month. Mid-May this centre should be functional.
Ms Sinqobile Tshuma from Gwanda District said having an e-passport centre will help ease the burden as residents will not have to travel to Beitbridge or Bulawayo for e- passports.
She said it will also speed up the production of passports thereby reducing the waiting time.
Mr Freedom Dube from Esigodini said once e-passport centres are established in all districts people will not experience any delays as is the case now.
"Having e-passport centres in all districts will help solve a number of problems. If the service is easily accessible to the public then we will have less cases of corruption. People will not travel long distances to apply for passports," he said.
The ultimate goal is to have an e-passport facility in each of the country's 59 districts.
At the moment e-passports are issued in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Chitungwiza, Hwange, Lupane, Beitbridge and Murehwa among other areas.
The President launched the new secure electronic passport at Chiwashira Building in Harare in December last year. Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in Africa producing e-passports.
The e-passport was launched after Government partnered a Lithuanian company, Garsu Pasaulis, on a build, own, operate and transfer basis to produce the new passports that meet modern international standards. The adoption of the e-passport will see the country also dealing with the passport backlog that had ballooned in the past few years.
Under the partnership, the Lithunian partner will refurbish provincial and district registry offices and provide material to produce IDs.
In Gwanda, a local construction company Homely Habitats has been contracted to build the e-passport centre. When the Chronicle news visited the passport offices yesterday the place was a hive of activity as construction employees worked on the new centre. Clients are being served outside the premises.
Works being carried out include electrical fittings, painting, plumbing, scheming, carpentry and joinery, partitioning the building and tiling.
"We are refurbishing one wing of the old passport office to convert it to an e-passport centre. We are also refurbishing the other wing which will be the offices for the registry department staff. E-passport services have been decentralised and we have been moving around provinces doing the work and now we are in Matabeleland South. Outside we will create a waiting shed for people and inside we are going to put up five cubicles which are going to be the e-passport service points.
"We are also going to have a section for CBZ bank where payments will be made. We started works here on 3 April and we expect to have finished by end of the month. Mid-May this centre should be functional.
Ms Sinqobile Tshuma from Gwanda District said having an e-passport centre will help ease the burden as residents will not have to travel to Beitbridge or Bulawayo for e- passports.
She said it will also speed up the production of passports thereby reducing the waiting time.
Mr Freedom Dube from Esigodini said once e-passport centres are established in all districts people will not experience any delays as is the case now.
"Having e-passport centres in all districts will help solve a number of problems. If the service is easily accessible to the public then we will have less cases of corruption. People will not travel long distances to apply for passports," he said.
Source - The Chronicle
