Zimbabwe has temporarily closed the Zimbabwean Consulate in Johannesburg had been temporarily closed after two more officials were confirmed positive for Covid-19.
The development was announced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa at yesterday’s briefing in the capital.
This comes after earlier this month the country’s embassy in South Africa announced a “temporary suspension” of some services including the issuance of both temporary travel documents and repatriation certificates “with immediate effect.” The Embassy’s advisory read in part:
This precautionary measure has been taken against the background of a suspected Covid-19 case at the mission, hence the need to allow time for thorough medical investigations and decontamination of the institution before reopening doors to our valued clients.
The development suggests a hard time for Zimbabweans stuck in South Africa or those whose relatives died in that country since they would need assistance to leave the country or repatriate their dead relatives respectively.
South Africa is the most hit country on the continent and most of Zimbabwe’s coronavirus cases are returnees from that country.
More: The Herald