By James Gwati- The Civil Registry Department finds itself in disarray as an overwhelming surge of Zimbabweans, driven by economic hardships, flood the passport office, seeking a way out of the country.

Amid the chaos, the Harare passport office reluctantly claimed to have cleared the 2023 passport backlog, a statement met with scepticism.

During the holiday season, they witnessed a significant spike in new passport applications and renewals, with schoolchildren and members of the diaspora constituting a substantial portion of the applicant pool.

The Civil Registry, facing immense pressure, aimed to process these applications before the year’s end, sticking to the previous fee structure of US$120 for an ordinary passport.

Despite assertions of clearing the backlog, yesterday’s reality at the passport office told a different story.

Many hopeful applicants, with expectations of receiving their passports, were turned away.

According to official statistics, a staggering 92,313 Zimbabweans applied for e-passports between December 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

Originally slated to rise to US$200 on January 1, ordinary passport fees were later revised to US$150.

As of yesterday, the fees had not been adjusted, with officials citing the delay in implementing the proposed national Budget fee figures.

In the midst of this chaos, only those seeking to collect their processed passports and entry numbers were granted entry into the department yesterday.

The scene underscores the mounting pressure on government services and the urgent need for a streamlined and efficient passport processing system to accommodate the increasing demand.
-State media