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Passports outreach for Zimbabweans living in SA
4 hrs ago | Views
The Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has begun a week-long special consular intervention programme to process passports, birth certificates, and other civil documents for Zimbabweans living in the neighbouring country, starting with Mpumalanga Province.
The outreach, which runs from August 26 to 31, will be conducted in eMalahleni and Mbombela to cater to the growing demand for official documentation.
In a public notice, Zimbabwe's Consul-General to Johannesburg, Mr Eria Phiri, said the initiative responds to an increasing number of requests for civil documents from Zimbabweans in South Africa.
"The consulate wishes to inform Zimbabwean nationals resident in Mpumalanga Province of a mobile consular visit to eMalahleni and Mbombela in Mpumalanga province from August 26 to August 31," said Mr Phiri.
The first leg of the programme will be held at Gateway Church, Elizabeth Avenue, eMalahleni CBD, from August 26 to 28. The Mbombela leg will take place at Oewersig Community Hall in the Vintonia area from August 30 to 31. Services will be available daily between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm.
Fees for services include: birth registration (R100), passport form processing (R300), Temporary Travel Document (R500), non-marriage applications (R250), verification of public documents such as birth, death, and marriage certificates or passports (R200), and Section 5 applications (R150).
Mr Phiri emphasised that the mobile consular services will use the old passport application system, requiring applicants to submit forms in Zimbabwe and collect their passports once produced. He urged Zimbabweans in Mpumalanga to take advantage of the outreach and warned them to be cautious of fraudsters posing as consular agents.
"We do not have agents who act on our behalf," he stressed.
Spokesperson for the ZimCommunitySA, Mr Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi, welcomed the initiative, saying it would assist Zimbabweans who struggle to access consular services due to distance or travel costs.
"We encourage Zimbabweans to fully utilise these outreach programmes to fix their documentation," Mkwananzi said. "We also urge the Consulate to liaise with community organisations to help spread information, as official platforms may not reach everyone."
The Embassy said services will be offered strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
The outreach, which runs from August 26 to 31, will be conducted in eMalahleni and Mbombela to cater to the growing demand for official documentation.
In a public notice, Zimbabwe's Consul-General to Johannesburg, Mr Eria Phiri, said the initiative responds to an increasing number of requests for civil documents from Zimbabweans in South Africa.
"The consulate wishes to inform Zimbabwean nationals resident in Mpumalanga Province of a mobile consular visit to eMalahleni and Mbombela in Mpumalanga province from August 26 to August 31," said Mr Phiri.
The first leg of the programme will be held at Gateway Church, Elizabeth Avenue, eMalahleni CBD, from August 26 to 28. The Mbombela leg will take place at Oewersig Community Hall in the Vintonia area from August 30 to 31. Services will be available daily between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm.
Fees for services include: birth registration (R100), passport form processing (R300), Temporary Travel Document (R500), non-marriage applications (R250), verification of public documents such as birth, death, and marriage certificates or passports (R200), and Section 5 applications (R150).
Mr Phiri emphasised that the mobile consular services will use the old passport application system, requiring applicants to submit forms in Zimbabwe and collect their passports once produced. He urged Zimbabweans in Mpumalanga to take advantage of the outreach and warned them to be cautious of fraudsters posing as consular agents.
"We do not have agents who act on our behalf," he stressed.
Spokesperson for the ZimCommunitySA, Mr Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi, welcomed the initiative, saying it would assist Zimbabweans who struggle to access consular services due to distance or travel costs.
"We encourage Zimbabweans to fully utilise these outreach programmes to fix their documentation," Mkwananzi said. "We also urge the Consulate to liaise with community organisations to help spread information, as official platforms may not reach everyone."
The Embassy said services will be offered strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.
Source - The Herald
