More than 1 100 people have signed a petition calling on the government of Zimbabwe to review a decision to hike the cost of a passport by nearly 50%.

On 26 July, the Zimbabwean consulate in Johannesburg announced that the price of a passport would rise from $170 (about R3 100) to $250 (about R4 540).

“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has directed that all e-Passports applications that are processed at the Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, shall be handled as express/emergency applications in terms of Statutory Instrument 1 of 2024,” the consulate said.

“In effect, this means passport application fees for the express/emergency passport shall be USD250.00 charged at the prevailing USD/ZAR exchange rate with effect from Monday 29 July 2024.”

Read: South Africa to consult over fate of long-term Zimbabwe migrants

The Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, which aims to represent the interests of Zimbabweans, launched a petition on 30 July.

The petition said: “This fee is far beyond what many Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa can afford, considering the average earnings of our community. It’s an overwhelming burden that prevents us from securing our legal documents which are part and parcel of our fundamental human rights. We believe everyone, regardless of their economic conditions, has a right to their own nationality. We call upon the Zimbabwean government to reassess these fees and reduce them to a fair amount.”

The petition had gathered over 1 100 signatures as of the morning of Friday 2 August.

The chair of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, Ngqabutho Mabhena, said:

“The Zimbabwean passport is very expensive. Government wants to use the passport as a tool to raise money.”

A Zimbabwean who lives in Cape Town and whose passport expires in two weeks said he would get his application for a new passport processed at the consulate

in Cape Town but courier the application to Zimbabwe so that he could pay the old rate of $170.

“I can not afford the new price because I have a family to feed and rent to pay,” he said.

“The Zimbabwean government is heartless,” said another Zimbabwean, an informal trader living in Gqeberha. “We are suffering in foreign countries because of their mismanagement of our country, and they now milk us dry like this.”

Read: Zimbabweans complain about Home Affairs incompetence

Chris Mapingure, chair of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network, said the government of Zimbabwe should consider low-income earners in South Africa.

“The majority of them do not have formal jobs. They’re earning less than R5 000 per month. Many people won’t afford this amount and a lot of people will remain undocumented.”

Response from Zimbabwean ambassador

Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, David Hamadziripi, responding to a request for comment from GroundUp, explained that there are two passport prices: “The first is the ordinary passport that costs USD170 and the second is the express/emergency that is charged USD250.”

But all passport applications made in South Africa are now being handled as express/emergency.

Read: ConCourt rejects appeal of Zimbabwe deportation ruling

“We have taken note of the reactions by our nationals in respect of the cost of the e-passport/express and we’re engaging our government to be aware of these responses,” said Hamadziripi.

“The Embassy in Pretoria and the Johannesburg and Cape Town Consulates implement government policies so when we have reactions from our citizens we make our government aware of these national concerns.”
© 2024 GroundUp. This article was first published here. V.5534

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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