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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

THE Zimbabwe Consulate in Cape Town, South Africa will re-open for specified services on Monday after suspending most operations at the beginning of the lockdown in March to control the spread of the Covid-19 in the neighbouring country.

Zimbabwe has two consulate offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The Johannesburg offices were opened for services on 24 August.

In a public notice on Friday, the Cape Town consulate said services will be gradually opened up in line with the host Government lockdown protocols.

“We wish to advise the public that consular services will be gradually restored with effect from Monday 7 September.

“The consulate is taking all possible measures to reduce the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 to our valued clients and our staff. In taking these steps we are guided and are compliant to advise given by the South African Government and World Health Organization,” read part of the notice.

The Consulate said it will be offering some services including; temporary travel documents, repatriation documents, passport applications, birth certificate applications, passport cancellation, driver’s licenses authentication, confirmation of marriages and related services.

Under the new order, the Cape Town offices will open between 0930 and 1300 hours and all those seeking services will have to make prior bookings.

“The bookings should be made via our various online platforms and we will be handling an average of 35 passport applications daily.

“In addition, 10 people will be allowed into the premises at any given time and they will have to carry their proof of appointments to be verified by our security guards,” it said.

Since the beginning of the lockdowns in Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Cape Town and Johannesburg consulates were only facilitating repatriation services of returnees and remains for burial in the country.

It is understood that on average 350 bodies and 33 Zimbabweans are repatriated through the Johannesburg and Cape Town consulates for burial home monthly.

So far more than 8000 Zimbabweans have returned home via Beitbridge Border Post.