Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
GOVERNMENT has reiterated the importance of Zimbabwean nationals acquiring proper documentation that allows them to enter, reside and work in foreign countries legally.
This follows the interception of 33 children at Zimbabwe’s busiest port of entry, Beitbridge Border Post, earlier this week.
The government emphasised that all citizens must obtain birth certificates, national identity documents and passports to enable lawful movement across borders.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi said Zimbabweans must respect the laws of countries they travel to and condemned the trafficking of children without legal documentation.
“There is absolutely no reason for children to be trafficked across borders without legal documents. What is clear in this case is that these children were trafficked into South Africa and are now being returned. Back home, we have passport offices across the country and passports are readily available. If there are challenges in accessing these documents, government would want to know,” he said.
Ambassador Faranisi warned that illegal border crossings expose children to long-term consequences, including criminal records.
“It is illegal to cross the border unlawfully and, unfortunately, parents who do so are creating criminal records for their children. At some point, especially as they grow older, these children will be required to declare their travel history. Neighbouring countries will have records showing illegal entry, and this is not right for a child,” he added.
According to the Registrar-General, Mr Henry Machiri, the government has decentralised passport services to improve access, questioning why some citizens still fail to acquire the critical documents.
“We have opened 18 centres across the country, with the 19th centre located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The waiting period is the same across all centres. For ordinary passports, the processing time is seven working days, while the express service takes 48 hours,” he said.
Mr Machiri added that since the opening of the Johannesburg centre in July 2024, a total of 41 500 passports have been issued to Zimbabweans based in South Africa, noting that the process is now faster and more efficient.
“We encourage all citizens to apply for passports in good time,” he said.
The 33 intercepted children are currently undergoing registration and health check-ups under the care of South Africa’s Department of Social Development.
A similar incident occurred last year when nearly 400 children were intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post.
Following such incidents, the Governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa have continued to engage on matters relating to immigration and illegal entry.
As discussions continue, Government has once again urged Zimbabwean citizens to ensure they are properly documented to enable them to enter, leave and work in other countries legally.
