Zimbabweans based in South Africa have appealed to the
Government to review passport application fees downward as most people’s
incomes had been affected by Covid-19.
They also want embassies to be fully equipped to process
passport applications rather than the current scenario where application forms
have to be handed in person at home.
It is understood that sources of income for a large
constituency of Zimbabweans in the informal sector in neighbouring countries
had been affected by ongoing measures to control the rate of new Covid-19
infections.
In a statement yesterday, the Zimbabwe Community in South
Africa’s (ZimComSA) spokesperson, Mr Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi said they had
since engaged the country’s ambassador to SA over the issue.
“We call on the Government to reduce the passport fees in
solidarity with the working people who are under global lockdown following the
outbreak of Covid-19,” he said.
He said Government could reduce the passport fee by at
least 50 percent and still recoup production costs.
Mr Mkwananzi said they had put forward a request to the
Zimbabwe Consulate for them to courier passport application forms to Harare for
passport processing given the current lockdown conditions.
The Consul General, he said has since informed them that
engagements were underway with the Register General and other Government
departments.
“We understand that talks are ongoing to see how this
process can be done.”
Mr Mkwananzi said many people in the Diaspora were unable
to travel to Zimbabwe to submit passport application forms, making it difficult
for them to renew their passports before they expire.
He said they had proposed that the passport fees be paid at
the Consulate, including courier fees by applicants.
“We hope that this discussion will be concluded soon so
that our members will not have to bear the burden of sending on their passport
forms via their relatives for submission at the passport office in Zimbabwe,”
said Mr Mkwananzi.
He advised those with expiring passports to use the
Consulate booking process as recently announced. Herald
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