dyton mupawaenda
Remember Deketeke-Herald Correspondent
It was a hive of activity yesterday at the Civil Registry Department in Harare as they cleared the 2023 passport backlog .
This follows an increase in new applications or renewals during the holiday season, with schoolchildren and members of the diaspora making up a large portion of the applicant pool and the Civil Registry was obliged to clear those applications before the year end using the old fees of US$120 for an ordinary passport.
Yesterday with the emphasis on handing over processed passports, many were turned away.
A total of 92 313 Zimbabweans applied for e-passports between December 1 and December 31 last year, according to official statistics.
Ordinary passports were originally planned to rise to US$200 on January 1; however, this was later revised to US$150.
The passport fees have not increased as of yesterday, according to the argument that the proposed national Budget fee figures had not been implemented.
Only those wishing to pick up their processed passports and entry numbers were allowed entry into the department yesterday.
Online Reporter