Passport fees will likely go up to $1 000 following Registrar-General Clemence Masango’s request set the new price to the equivalent of US$53 dollars at the interbank exchange rate.
Masango raised the issue during a tour of the Central Registry by Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe on Monday. Masango had this to say:
US$53 is what was approved and that is what can easily enable us to provide a service, bearing in mind that not every applicant paid US$53.
We have seen people who require their passport in three days and they paid US$253 at that time; and those who want it within 24 hours US$318.
So these two will help meet us halfway and achieve a win-win with those paying US$53. So if we are to get a review, we must get a review of not less than US$53 equivalent at the prevailing bank rate.
Reports indicate that in South Africa a passport costs R400 while in Botswana it costs P1 260. Further afield, in Britain, a passport costs £72,50 (US$91) while in the United States of America, it costs US$110 for the first passport a person receives.
The government of Zimbabwe has failed to provide passports for all applicants over the past several months with the backlog now at over 300 000.
Massive corruption in the wake!!
I became a proud citizen of my adopted homeland in the 80’s. A privilige & an honour.
I was continually messed around trying to get a passport and payments erm, shall we say disappeared.
When we left Zim in 1990 I had to use a British PP. I inquired several times at the High Commission to no avail.
Call me stupid. I would still love to have that elusive Zim PP to back up my certificate of citizenship.
You watch. If I applied I would probably be told – sorry marungu, you have been away too long – after they have accepted the fee!