Zim Embassy takes consular services to Mpumalanga ...

Zim Embassy takes consular services to Mpumalanga Communities

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabweans living in Mpumalanga Province will soon have easier access to key civil services, as the country’s embassy in South Africa rolls out a mobile consular programme from August 26 to 31.

The week-long outreach, spearheaded by the Consul-General to Johannesburg, Eria Phiri, is designed to ease the challenges faced by Zimbabweans who often travel long distances to secure passports, birth certificates, and other official documents.

“This mobile visit is part of our commitment to bring services closer to our nationals,” said Phiri. “We will begin in eMalahleni from August 26 to 28 at Gateway Church in the CBD, and then move to Mbombela on August 30 and 31 at Oewersig Community Hall in Vintonia.”

Services will run daily from 0830hrs to 1500hrs and will include birth registration R100, passport form processing R300, Temporary Travel Documents R500, non-marriage applications R250, verification of public documents such as birth, death, and marriage certificates R200, and Section 5 processing R150.

Phiri explained that the outreach will use the older passport application process, where completed forms must be submitted in Zimbabwe, and passports collected after production there. All services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Consul-General also warned Zimbabweans to be alert to fraudsters posing as embassy or consulate agents. “We have no intermediaries. All our services are handled directly by official staff,” he stressed.

ZimCommunitySA spokesperson Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi said the initiative would save many from costly trips to Johannesburg or Zimbabwe. He urged the consulate to strengthen ties with community-based groups to maximise awareness. “Working with grassroots organisations ensures that news of such programmes reaches everyone who needs it,” he said.