Zimbabweans welcome passport offices in South Africa

Zimbabweans residing in South Africa have expressed their approval of the government's initiative to establish e-passport and national identity card application and enrollment centers within the neighboring country. They believe this move will simplify the process of acquiring these essential documents without the need to travel back to Zimbabwe.

As per the Registrar General's Office, these centers will be operational in Cape Town and Johannesburg by the end of the year, and the ongoing renovations of the consulate offices in these cities are expected to be completed soon.

Traditionally, Zimbabweans requiring passports used to return to their home country to apply for and collect the necessary documents before coming back to South Africa. However, this practice is changing as the government is now bringing these services directly to the people. The Chairman of the Zimbabwean Community in South Africa, Mr. Ngqabutho Mabhena, expressed his appreciation for this development.

"We welcome the Zimbabwean Government's decision to make passports accessible in Johannesburg and Cape Town because, in the past, people have faced many challenges. Although they could access passport application forms, submitting them at the passport offices in Zimbabwe was a significant hurdle. For instance, if your surname is 'Mabhena,' another individual with the same surname had to submit your papers, causing problems. We are pleased that people will now be able to obtain passports here," he said.

Several Zimbabwean nationals, when interviewed by Sunday News, expressed their optimism about this change, stating that they can now acquire the documents more conveniently than before.

"For many years, we had to return to Zimbabwe two months before our passports expired to apply for a new one, and then we returned to South Africa while waiting for the processing. Some of us were forced to opt for expensive emergency passport services due to work commitments, as we couldn't afford to spend a month in Zimbabwe waiting for the regular passport processing. However, I'm now delighted that we can handle this process from where we reside," explained Mrs. Christine Mainato, a Johannesburg resident.

She also highlighted that she can now apply for e-passports for her children born in South Africa who previously lacked travel documents.

The Consul-General at Zimbabwe's Embassy in Johannesburg, Eria Phiri, confirmed that the renovation and repurposing of the building had been completed, and the consulate office was now ready for the deployment of information and communication technology infrastructure at the end of October 2023.

Some Zimbabweans residing in South Africa mentioned that this new opportunity could help them obtain travel documents, especially if they had entered South Africa illegally.

"We arrived in South Africa years ago, and to be honest, some of us did not possess passports. We only had our national IDs. We are delighted that we can now apply for passports from our current location. Our hope is that we can regularize our stay without the risk of being arrested for illegal entry into the country," said an anonymous individual.

The establishment of these offices is expected to significantly enhance the accessibility of civic documents for Zimbabweans in South Africa, particularly once the government completes the deployment of the enhanced Zimbabwe Population Registry System (ZPRS). Applicants will be required to apply for these documents in person at the Civil Registry Department offices. The ZPRS will connect government offices in real-time, reducing bureaucratic processes and revolutionizing the department's operations.

The digital migration is anticipated to commence by the end of October 2023. Since the introduction of e-passports in January 2022, over 100,000 e-passports have been issued.