There was pandemonium on Tuesday at Makombe Building in Harare as thousands of desperate citizens jostled for emergency passports following an invitation by the Registrar-general’s office.
Reports indicate that only a few people were served, with anti-riot police having to be deployed to Harare Street to maintain order. A passport application who spoke to ZBC News 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.
Access to identity documents is considered a human rights issue. However, the government is failing to avail the documents for citizens due to the foreign currency scarcity which is needed to import materials needed in the printing of the passport.
More: ZBC News