We continue with the positive vibes this week, despite a disturbing audio leak that literally broke the internet.
Getting a passport in Zimbabwe in the last couple of years has been a nightmare but now it’s as easy as ABC – as The Jackson 5 would sing – as more centres have been opened throughout the country.
Two years ago I had to travel more than 900kms to get a passport as my ‘connection’ in the Registrar’s Office had been transferred from Bulawayo to Marondera, about 60kms outside Harare.
That’s how bad the situation was: you had to know an influential person in the system to get your passport.
Last year I had to be in a queue by 3am to submit passport applications forms for my Joburg-based sister. By then the consulate only processed the paperwork and forms had to be submitted in passport offices in the country.
Thankfully, that has changed now as the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has started issuing passports in that country.
An estimated 2 million Zimbos live and work in South African. Amongst those are my six siblings and a dozen relatives who stand to benefit from this positive development, so cheers to that because it’s not nice at all to struggle to get basic documents.
I must also add that even in Zim, getting a passport is now a walk in the park, especially in smaller towns.
My husband got his in Hwange when we travelled to Victoria Falls recently. We initially thought the systems were down as there was no one being served; we were wrong. He was served in no time and after 14 days he got his passport.
This really is reason to celebrate considering how Zimbos have suffered in the past to acquire passports, kudos to the republic for this.
Talking of the republic, President Emmerson Mnangagwa never ceases to hog the limelight in a bad way.
A leaked voice note by controversial businessman, Wicknell Chivayo, which has been widely trending, has implicated Mnangagwa in his ill gotten wealth including millions paid for printing last year’s voting material.
Chivayo, who now frequently attends public functions with the President, brags in the audio that he has captured the country and gets what he wants because of his connection with the top office.
The flashy businessman also reveals he has unspecified deals, (approved by the President) with the country’s immigration department and the police which are raking in millions
Chivayo’s source of wealth has always been a mystery considering his company, Intratek is only known for failing to deliver a solar power plant in Gwanda, a small town in Matabeleland South.
Meanwhile, in sports news, it was a disappointing few days for the men’s national football team, suffering defeats to Lesotho and South Africa to leave their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.
With the 80, 000-seater National Sports Stadium not meeting FIFA standards, the Warriors had to play Friday’s ‘home’ game against Lesotho at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, where they fell to a shock 2-0 loss.
This was followed by a 3-1 humbling by the South Africans on Tuesday, a result which saw us slip to the bottom of our group.
The one bright spark was the performance of 20-year-old striker, Tawanda Chirewa.
The winger, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League, scored our only goal and won rave reviews for his impressive display.
