Queues at the passport office will be a thing of the past with the aim being to reduce the waiting period for a passport to nine days.
This was supposed to be with effect from this month but the deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi said there had been a delay to clear the backlog.
He also said the demand for passports, which peaked in 2008, is now on the decline.
“We no longer have an increase but we are now on the decline phase. We have put in measures to ensure we are in control of the situation,” he told Parliament on Wednesday.
“I am sure hon. members have realised that we no longer require you to go with your photos. We are now taking photos on our own. We now have automated finger printing machines.
“We are now linked via satellite with some of our districts. We are trying to put measures to ensure that the process is improved and access to a passport becomes easier compared to the past. We are in the process of acquiring new equipment and increasing our capacity so that the congestion at the Passport Office is eased.”
Questions and answers:
CAUSES OF LONG QUEUES AT PASSPORT OFFICES
MR. MAWERE asked the Minister of Home Affairs to explain the circumstances surrounding the causes of long queues at various passport offices in the country and whether there are plans to process passports at District Offices.
THE DEDEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (MR. ZIYAMBI): I would like to thank the hon. member for asking this question as it gives our ministry a chance to explain some of the effects of the events that happened between 2000 and now. The hon. member will acknowledge that from year 2000 the majority of our people have been leaving the country for greener pastures or as economic refugees and what has happened is that, for you to travel outside the country you need a passport.
What we witnessed from that period is that we started with our professionals, they are the ones who started going and everyone else wanted to have our passport so that they could cross the border to Botswana and South Africa. That resulted in an upsurge of applicants. A lot of our people were applying for passports and ETDs to go into our neighbouring countries and beyond. We reached a peak in terms of applicants around 2008 and now, we are on a decline phase.
I would like to inform the House that the effects of the sanctions resulted in the majority of our people seeking greener pastures, be it as cross border traders or to go and look for work outside the country. We experienced an increase in the number of applicants for passports.
However, we have noticed that this figure has stabilised lately. We no longer have an increase but we are now on the decline phase. We have put in measures to ensure we are in control of the situation.
I am sure hon. members have realised that we no longer require you to go with your photos. We are now taking photos on our own. We now have automated finger printing machines. We are now linked via satellite with some of our districts. We are trying to put measures to ensure that the process is improved and access to a passport becomes easier compared to the past. We are in the process of acquiring new equipment and increasing our capacity so that the congestion at the Passport Office is eased.
DR. J. M. GUMBO: Can the minister explain if the majority of our people left the country or just a few because with a population of 13 million and the majority leaving, we might be in trouble?
MR. ZIYAMBI: Thank you for the supplementary question. It is not the majority but a significant number of our people which put a constraint on our production facilities resulting in increased queues and congestion at our Passport Office. I would like to thank the hon. Member for the correction.
MR. MADZIMURE: As one of the outcomes of the Zim Asset, it isstated that by December 2013 the waiting time for a passport will have been reduced to 9 days. Can you explain how far you have gone in achieving that particular target?
MR. ZIYAMBI: Indeed, what he has said is correct but we have a backlog. What we are doing is clearing the backlog and ensuring that those who apply get the passport as quickly as possible. We have to balance the two and ensure that we meet the needs of everyone else.
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