Zimbabweans living in South Africa offered a lifeline when applying for passports

Zimbabweans living in South Africa have breathed a sigh of relief following an announcement that their applications for new passports will no longer be turned down due to poor picture quality. Most people had lodged complaints about the rejection of their applications after it was cited that their photos had poor quality.

In a public notice on Friday, Consul-General Mrs Melody Chaurura said they had to act after receiving numerous complaints that a disproportionately high number of applications were being rejected.The Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has streamlined passport application processes to minimise challenges associated with obtaining travel documents. “It has come to our attention that photos are being rejected for failure to meet minimum standards and we have received many complaints about this issue,” said Consul-General Chaurura.

She said in cases where the applicants feel that their passport photo is okay, they will be made to sign a passport photo exoneration form, which will be attached to their application. This is done to absolve the consulate of any consequences that may arise from attaching a sub-standard photo.Zimbabwe currently has two consulate offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The main embassy is located in Pretoria.

The issue of passports has been a thorn in the flesh for most people particularly those living in the neighboring country. High fees to obtain a passport have also acted as a deterrent measure for most. Those living in Zimbabwe are actually unable to obtain passports at the moment due to shortages at the registrar general’s office. The new announcement has been welcomed with open arms and those living in South Africa can easily process their paperwork without any hassles on picture quality standards.