Acquire Passports & Regularise Your Stay, Zimbabwe Tells Citizens Based In South Africa
The government of Zimbabwe has urged its citizens based in different parts of South Africa to prioritise acquiring official documents to regularise their stay and to meet the legal requirements of their host nation.
On Thursday IOL attended the official opening of the new consulate building of Zimbabwe in Johannesburg, situated in Bruma.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Frederick Makamure Shava told the gathering that the new consulate will be issuing passports, including e-passports, and birth certificates which enables Zimbabweans resident in South Africa to acquire documentation.
“On June 18, 2024, in this building, we commenced the rollout of the e-passport delivery platform to our nationals abroad and I am happy that we started in South Africa. I am pleased to inform you that the system trial run that we conducted on e-passports was a tremendous success.
“The e-passport processing centre housed in this building enables Zimbabwean nationals here in South Africa to apply for, and obtain this critical document much more conveniently, and quickly – without the middle man. The trial run ends today with the official launch of the project. The centre has successfully processed a total of 2,146 e-passport applications,” said Shava in his keynote address.
“Fellow Zimbabweans in South Africa, I urge you to access these services and ensure that you have the required documentation to reside and work in this country. By respecting and abiding by the laws of this country, you will be contributing immensely to the good name and image of Zimbabwe, here and beyond, particularly, given the ties between Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe told attendees at the glamorous event that the e-passports centre established in Joburg was a first for Zimbabwe’s missions across the world.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, through the civil registry department, has embarked on a programme to decentralise e-passport services, and this flagship initiative resonates well with the objective to modernise the economy through the use of ICT (information and communication technology) and digital technology as we run towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” said Kazembe.
“His Excellency, the President, Dr ED (Emmerson Dambudzo) Mnangagwa directed that we take the services to our people living beyond our borders. In fact, he mentioned this a couple of years ago. Today we are here to fulfil that directive, to ensure that no place and no one is left behind.” *IOL*
