Picture: Getaway Gallery
Johannesburg’s new e-passport processing center allows Zimbabweans to apply for and obtain e-passports more conveniently and quickly. Shava urged Zimbabweans in South Africa to access these services to ensure they have the necessary documentation to reside and work legally in the country, emphasizing the importance of adhering to local laws.
The newly launched chancery building was handed over to Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, and is managed by Consul General Eria Phiri. Zimbabwean Cabinet ministers and diplomats, including the Consul General of China in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang attended the event. Hamadziripi stated that the Zimbabwean government’s policy ensures all its citizens abroad have essential documents, including birth certificates and passports. He also mentioned that the Consulate in Cape Town is being renovated to produce e-passports in the future.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works, David Garwe, noted that the handover of the building brings services closer to the people, demonstrating the government’s commitment to its diaspora communities. He emphasized the government’s goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030, leaving no one behind.
Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe, highlighted that the Johannesburg e-passport center is the first for Zimbabwe’s missions worldwide. The initiative aligns to modernize the economy through ICT and digital technology. Kazembe conveyed President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s directive to extend services to Zimbabweans abroad.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, through a message delivered by Ambassador Tebogo Seokolo, welcomed the new chancery, stating it would enhance the movement of people, goods, and services, and accelerate regional integration. Lamola noted the significance of the launch during South Africa’s celebration of 30 years of democracy and formal diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe.
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