Zimbabwe tells citizens: Acquire passports, regularise your stay and respect the laws of 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.”
An e-passport, electronic passport or biometric passport is the international travel document with identity details such as holder’s picture, passport number, names, surname, nationality, and date of birth, as well as an electronic micro-processor chip containing additional information of the holder, including fingerprints, pictures, and signatures.
These biometric passports are scanned through special devices to reveal the additional information of the holder, and experts say that these documents are much more effective and trusted against passport fraud, compared to traditional passports.
The newly launched chancery building was handed over to Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi. The centre is managed by Zimbabwe’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Eria Phiri. The auspicious occasion was attended by a delegation of Zimbabwe’s Cabinet ministers and several diplomats including Consul General of China in Joburg, Pan Qingjiang.
Hamadziripi emphasised that it is his government’s official policy, that all its citizens who are across its borders must have the necessary documents, including birth certificates and passports.
He said Zimbabwe’s Consulate in Cape Town is being renovated, and would also be producing e-passports in the future.
“I therefore invite Zimbabweans in South Africa to come to the consulate (in Joburg) and apply for birth certificates and passports, and thus ensure that you have the minimum requirements to regularise your stay in this country,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works, David Garwe told the gathering that the handover of the building was an auspicious event, bringing services closer to the people.
“Today also demonstrates that while a lot of work is being done back at home, government is mindful of the needs of our sizeable diaspora communities who equally deserve the same convenience that is enjoyed by those back home.
“It is testament of the second republic’s ethos of leaving no one and no place behind as we transition to become an upper-middle income economy nation by the year 2030,” said Garwe.
He officially handed over the building to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
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.”
Kazembe said in recent years, the number of Zimbabwean citizens travelling and residing in different countries across the world has increased considerably “due to better integration with the global economy”.
On the other hand, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, in a message delivered by Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, Deputy Director General responsible for Africa, said the new chancery will enhance the movement of people, goods and services, as well as accelerating regional integration.
“We welcome the launch of the e-passport processing centre in our country, as one of the five centres around the world. We believe that the launch of this centre will enhance the movement of people and goods, as well as services between our neighbouring countries.
“We meet at the seminal moment in South African history when we are celebrating 30 years since the dawn of our democracy in 1994. I am equally pleased that this year we are also celebrating 30 years since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between our two countries. Our frequent and consistent interactions bode well with the resolve to continue nurturing our existing relations,” said Lamola.
“To this effect, the opening of this chancery is as important to us as much as it is to the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe. I take this opportunity to congratulate you on the opening of this beautiful property and the launch of the e-passport.”
IOL