The Civil Registry Department has announced that individuals who have lost their receipts after applying for and paying for their passports may use their national identity documents (IDs) to collect their travel papers.
The department has dispelled reports that the high number of uncollected passports was due to individuals losing their receipts and failing to collect their documents. Instead, the department has stated that individuals have not been responding to messages sent to their mobile phones.
Registrar-General Mr Henry Machiri clarified that if a receipt is lost, the department will retrieve the receipt number and batch number from the system using the national identity number. In addition to sending SMS messages to mobile phones, the department is using social media platforms to inform the public when to collect their passports.
The department has recently reported that it is struggling to manage the piles of uncollected passports.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the e-passport system in December 2021. The system underwent a trial run on January 18, 2022, before becoming the standard procedure for passport issuing. District offices continue to join the provincial offices in implementing the system.