An organisation representing Zimbabweans based in South Africa, the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa (ZimComSA), has appealed to the government to consider reducing passport application fees saying most people’s incomes have been affected by the coronavirus.
In a statement on Wednesday, ZimComSA spokesperson, Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi said they have already engaged the country’s ambassador to South Africa over the issue. Said Mkwananzi:
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.
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
ZimComSA also wants embassies to be fully equipped to process passport applications rather than the current scenario where the applicant has to return to Zimbabwe to hand application forms in person.
The majority of an estimated 4 million Zimbabweans in South Africa eke out a living in the informal sector and have been affected by the coronavirus lockdown.