The Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has launched a week-long mobile consular programme to bring key civil services closer to nationals in Mpumalanga Province.
Running from 26 to 31 August, the outreach will process passport forms, birth registrations, Temporary Travel Documents (TTDs), and other related services for Zimbabweans who often struggle to access the consulate in Johannesburg.
Consul-General to Johannesburg, Eria Phiri, said the initiative responds to growing demand for documentation among Zimbabweans in the neighbouring country.
The first stop will be Gateway Church in eMalahleni’s CBD from 26 to 28 August, followed by Oewersig Community Hall in Mbombela’s Vintonia area on 30 and 31 August. Services will be available between 8:30am and 3:00pm on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fees range from R100 for birth registration to R500 for a TTD, while passport form processing costs R300. Phiri stressed that applications will still be processed through Zimbabwe’s old system, meaning forms must be submitted in Zimbabwe and passports collected there once ready.
He also urged the public to be vigilant against fraudsters claiming to act on behalf of the consulate. “We do not have agents who act on our behalf,” he said.
ZimCommunitySA spokesperson Bongani Mazwi Mkwananzi welcomed the move, describing it as a lifeline for those unable to travel long distances for documentation. He encouraged collaboration between the consulate and community organisations to widen outreach awareness.
