Chaos at Zimbabwe passport office

There was chaos on Tuesday morning at Harare Passport Office as thousands of desperate citizens jostled for emergency travel documents following an invitation by the Registrar-general’s office.

Only a few people were served, with anti-riot police having to be deployed to Harare Street to maintain order.

An applicant who spoke to reporters said:

I have a child who desperately needs a passport to travel to South Africa, and if I don’t get it that means she will not be admitted in a school outside the country, I came here in the morning but there seems to be nothing for us here.

The Zimbabwe government is failing to avail travel documents for citizens due to foreign currency scarcity which is needed to import materials used in the printing of the passport.