Newsday

By Paidamoyo Muzulu

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s announcement to reverse Treasury’s recent decision to suspend civil servants’ bonuses could jeorpadise Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa’s ongoing re-engagement efforts with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain fresh funding to kickstart the free-falling economy.

According to IMF statement No. 15/101, Zimbabwe had agreed to cut its recurrent expenditure — which includes the salaries and wage bill — hence Chinamasa’s announcement last week to suspend the bonus payments was in line with that agreement.

“The commitment to eliminate the primary fiscal deficit reaffirms Zimbabwe’s intention to further raise its capacity to repay [loan arrears].

The top priority is to move resources from a too high wage bill to much-needed capital and social spending. To this purpose, the authorities intend to work toward reducing the share of revenues absorbed by the wage bill,” the IMF said.

“In addition, by amending the Public Finance Management and the Procurement Acts, they will seek to increase accountability, transparency and efficiency in the use of public resources. The reform of the tax regime for the mining sector could go a long way to mobilising additional resources, and continuing to publish audited financial accounts of the mining companies will enhance transparency.”

Harare’s external debt, at $10 billion, continues to block access to fresh funding and government feels its resolution would bring the economy on
the growth path.

It owes IMF and the World Bank $124 million and $1 billion respectively.

Chinamasa is currently in the United States negotiating with IMF officials for fresh cash injection into the country under the IMF Staff-Monitored Programme (SMP).

An SMP is an informal agreement between a government and IMF staff to monitor the implementation of a particular country’s economic reforms. It does not entail resumption of funding from the multilateral finance institution, but Domenico Fanizza, the head of the IMF mission which was in Harare to review the SMP progress last month, said Zimbabwe had developed a roadmap to seek debt rescheduling by the Paris Club, an informal group of official creditors whose role is to find co-ordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by debtor countries.

Mugabe on Saturday in an off-the-cuff speech said the announcement to suspend bonuses was invalid and criticised Chinamasa’s statement because of what he termed lack of consultation with the Presidency. This came after Chinamasa last week announced that government had suspended civil servants’ bonuses for the next two years to tame the ballooning wage bill and create fiscal space.

Zimbabwe has since 2010 been engaged in negotiations with the Bretton-Woods institution for fresh funding provided it has fully implemented the agreed SMP.

Former Education minister Senator David Coltart yesterday said Mugabe’s weekend remarks would further convince the IMF that Zimbabwe had no fiscal discipline and therefore was not ready for new capital injections.

“President Mugabe’s announcement this weekend, whilst Chinamasa was in Washington doing his best to woo the same community, will elicit a profound sense of déjà vu in the IMF and World Bank,” Coltart said. “I have absolutely no doubt that Chinamasa timed his statement on bonuses to coincide with his visit — to show the IMF that the Zimbabwe government is serious about tackling government spending and debt.”

Mugabe’s statement repudiated Zimbabwe’s commitment to the IMF in a letter that was jointly signed by Chinamasa and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya last year.

The pair made a commitment that the country would reduce recurrent expenditure through a salary and recruitment freeze and try to contain the wage spiral by introducing labour market flexibility.

“In addition, we will maintain the hiring freeze in Government which started in July 2012, while allowing some limited flexibility in filling critical vacancies that cannot be filled through internal mobility,” they wrote.

They added: “Finally, we have embarked on the reforms of our labour laws in 2014, in order to make our labour market more flexible, investment- and growth-friendly. To this extent, a Cabinet committee chaired by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare (Prisca Mupfumira) has been constituted to co-ordinate the review of our labour laws.”

Ironically, the pair of Information minister Jonathan Moyo and Presidential spokesperson George Charamba swiftly moved to support Mugabe despite them being at Chinamasa’s Press conference at Munhumutapa Building last week where the bonus suspension was announced.

Contacted for comment via his Twitter account, Moyo said: “Not sure what you mean by spin, but whatever you mean, the President is the boss & his word is final. So there you have it!”

Charamba also distanced himself from the decision according to online agencies, saying: “He [Chinamasa] is part of a government led by President Mugabe. He is a junior of the President. So when the boss speaks, that’s the end of the story. [It is] as straight-forward as that.

“Remember, I was also part of the line-up that made that announcement. So we are all duly corrected by His Excellency.”

Chinamasa yesterday apologised for the statement, but reiterated that the country’s economy was not sound and could not support the kind of recurrent expenditure caused by a bloated civil service which currently chews 82% of the National Budget.

In February, Zimbabwe was taken off the list of countries subjected to monitoring by the Financial Action Task Force (FAFT) after improving its money laundering regime.

“Our intention is that by this time next year we should be entering the new phase of clearing our arrears and opening the floodgates of new development financing, FDI and other financial flows that will reduce poverty in our country,” Chinamasa said then.

The next assessment is in September.

Under the current SMP, the third since 2013, the policy reform agenda focuses on balancing the primary fiscal accounts, improving the investment climate, restoring confidence in Zimbabwe’s financial sector and garnering support for a strategy to clear arrears with multilateral institutions.

Bulawayo 24

April 15 2015

MDC top official David Coltart has lashed out at Information minister Jonathan Moyo describing him a hypocrite over his xenophobic comments saying he cannot cherry pick what ‘types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not’.

On Monday, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe was quoted saying the “ANC theorises colonialism differently to ZANU PF” and “has no desire to drive white people into the sea”.

That forced Moto to respond saying “We differ with Mugabe on whites: Mantashe” saying “And we differ with the ANC on blacks!”.

Moyo’s response seems to have not gone down well with Coltart.

“…Moyo statements are hypocrisy of the worst order. One cannot pick and choose what types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not” wrote Coltart on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.

“One cannot say that it is fine to make inflammatory racist remarks against one race and then condemn xenophobia or racist behaviour directed against another group.

“Xenophobia and racism are evil – period” said Coltart, a lawyer by profession.

He said the xenophobic statements made by some South African leaders are wrong and ZANU PF’s policy of ethnic cleansing directed against whites in Zimbabwe is wrong – period.

“Moyo’s comments are hypocritical for another reason – he makes them glibly ignoring the reasons why there are so many Zimbabweans in South Africa who are now bearing the brunt of these horrendous attacks.

“Most Zimbabweans I have spoken to in South Africa do not want to be there – they long to be back home but cannot return because there is nothing here for them. Most left Zimbabwe in the first place because of a succession of brutal and destructive policies implemented by Moyo’s party ZANU PF.

“In the 1980s thousands of young men fled the Gukurahundi from the very constituency Moyo now seeks to represent, Tsholotsho. If he is honest he will admit that. Since 2000 hundreds of thousands have left Zimbabwe because of the chaotic policies of ZANU PF which destroyed the Zimbabwean economy. Others left because they happened to disagree with ZANU PF and fled to save their lives.

SABC News

April 15 2015

Former education minister David Coltart on Wednesday said that comments by a top official from President Robert Mugabe’s government slamming xenophobic violence in South Africa were “hypocrisy of the highest order”.

“One cannot pick and choose what types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not,” Coltart says in a Facebook post.

“One cannot say that it is fine to make inflammatory racist remarks against one race and then condemn xenophobia or racist behaviour directed against another group,” said the lawyer, who served as education minister during Zimbabwe’s 2009-13 coalition government.

Coltart was responding to Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

Earlier this week Moyo had hit back at comments from the African National Congress’s (ANC) Gwede Mantashe who said the governing South African party “had no desire to drive white people into the sea”.

Mantashe’s remarks may in part have been prompted by Mugabe’s declaration during a state visit to South Africa last week that he did not “want to see a white face.”

In his tweet hitting back at Mantashe, Moyo wrote: “We differ with the ANC on blacks!”

Coltart wrote: “To this day (Mugabe’s) Zanu-PF is still kicking productive white farmers off land, simply because they are whites who do not happen to support them.”

At least 13 white farmers have been killed and tens of thousands of black farm-workers have lost their jobs since Mugabe, now 91, began a programme of white farm takeovers in 2000.

The former education minister said many Zimbabweans who had fled to South Africa during recent years left due to a “succession of brutal and destructive policies implemented by Moyo’s party”.

Zimbabweans were on Wednesday mulling holding protests against xenophobia outside the South African embassy in Harare, according to social networking sites.

New Zimbabwe.com

April 15 2015

FORMER education minister David Coltart on Wednesday said that comments by a top official from President Robert Mugabe’s government slamming xenophobic violence in South Africa were “hypocrisy of the highest order”.

“One cannot pick and choose what types of xenophobia or racism are acceptable or not,” Coltart said in a Facebook post.

“One cannot say that it is fine to make inflammatory racist remarks against one race and then condemn xenophobia or racist behaviour directed against another group,” said the lawyer, who served as education minister during Zimbabwe’s 2009-13 coalition government.

Coltart was responding to Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

Earlier this week Moyo had hit back at comments from the ANC’s Gwede Mantashe who said the governing South African party “had no desire to drive white people into the sea”.

Mantashe’s remarks may in part have been prompted by Mugabe’s declaration during a state visit to South Africa last week that he did not “want to see a white face”.

In his tweet hitting back at Mantashe, Moyo wrote: “We differ with the ANC on blacks!”

Coltart wrote: “To this day [Mugabe’s] Zanu-PF is still kicking productive white farmers off land, simply because they are whites who do not happen to support them.”

At least 13 white farmers have been killed and tens of thousands of black farm-workers have lost their jobs since Mugabe, now 91, began a programme of white farm takeovers in 2000.

The former education minister said many Zimbabweans who had fled to South Africa during recent years left due to a “succession of brutal and destructive policies implemented by Moyo’s party”.

Zimbabweans were on Wednesday mulling holding protests against xenophobia outside the South African embassy in Harare, according to social networking sites.

RadioVop

April 14 2015

President Robert Mugabe’s regime wants to introduce examination fees for the country’s seven graders as well as hike charges for national Ordinary Level public examinations in what appears a fragrant violation of the constitution which guarantees the right to education for every child.

Primary and Secondary education minister Lazarus Dokora revealed last week that the cash-strapped Zanu (PF) government has resolved to levy examination fees for Grade Seven, which ranks as a great blow to education since independence from colonial Britain in 1980.

Fees for Ordinary Level candidates would summarily go up by $10 per subject.

With the generality of the adult population battling to put food on the table, let alone paying schools for their children, there is a consensus among educationists, activists and analysts, the government has its priorities are upside down at a time there is a seeming fall in education standards particularly in public schools.

Stakeholders warn more and more children, particularly the girl-child, would drop out of school if the government proceeded with what critics view as a “hare-brained” strategy to squeeze cash out of impoverished citizens.

They charged that it is clear the Mugabe’s administration is clueless about taking Zimbabwe but hard-pressed for cash hence the latest plan to punish parents and pupils.

Constitutional experts say one thing is clear though, the latest move is a clear violation of certain provisions of the new constitution passed two years ago by both Zanu PF and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change during the ill-fated years of the government of national unity which Mugabe collapsed in March 2013.Section 81 (1) of the constitution states that”every child, that is to say, every boy or girl, under the age of 18 years, has the right to education.” Section 75 (1) further provides that “Every citizen and a permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to basic statefunded education, including adult basic education, and that the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources to it, to achieve the realisation of this right.”

Takavafira Zhou, an educationist and founder of the combative Progressive Teachers union of Zimbabwe, told Radio VOP in an interview that the major challenge with the Zanu PF government is lack of consultation, pointing out that it appears the regime operated along military style of command and control.

Zhou said there is virtually no basis for the increase of examination fees at ‘O’ level, let alone introduction of exam fees at Grade 7 level.

“The majority of pupils are from poor background and the increase and introduction of exam fees will unnecessarily heap burning coals upon the majority of people who have tested positive to poverty. Ultimately many pupils will fail to seat for examinations at Grade 7 and ‘O’ level thereby worsening the plight of children from poor background,” he said.

“Education is a right and not a privilege and if the government of Zimbabwe cannot guarantee such a right, the people of Zimbabwe must demand such a right by any means necessary. The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education must learn to consult widely and be alkaline to the generality of Zimbabweans rather than being acidic. The Cabinet must adopt pro-poor policies rather than pursuing neo-liberal policies amenable to market forces. At any rate, one advantage of localisation of exams is that it is cheap to run. It then baffles logic and common sense when the government constantly increases exam fees let alone introduce unnecessary exam fees.”

It is estimated that about 300,000 children are dropping out of school each year. While some children were dropping out after failing their O Levels, the majority were being forced to leave school due to economic hardships.

The figure of 300,000 school drop-outs, over a five year period, translates to between to 1, 5 million, a figure educationists admit “is too ghastly to contemplate.”

A research survey conducted during the time of ex-Education Minister David Coltart revealed that at least 197,000 primary school pupils drop out every year. Development analyst Maxwell Saungweme charged that the pending examinations fees were indeed a violation of the country’s constitution in many ways.

“Education is indeed a right to every child, especially primary education, which should be accessed by all. We know the government is very desperate for money at present, but you cannot solve the liquidity problems by squeezing every drop of blood left in citizens who are in daily survival battles,” said Saungweme.

“Zimbabweans are struggling a lot already to sustain the regime and sustain their own families. There are too many taxes in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the country that levies the highest income taxes in Africa and the highest bank charges in the region. We also pay so many levies and taxes on everything we consume from groceries, water, electricity and even things such as AIDS Levy and infrastructure development surcharges when you book flights.

“This is too much. They cannot seek to sustain the bloated government and civil service by stumbling on our children’s rights to education. The solution lay in increasing business opportunities, growing the cake, removing corruption, increase opportunities for the people and jobs and generate revenues from taxes.

Exiled politicians Paul Siwela chipped in. “Zimbabweans enjoy being abused by Mugabe and would gladly accept and pay the required examination fees. How many rights have been abused before and people just became mute and how many court orders have been ignored and nothing happened so what is new today.”The Zimbabwe Rights Organisation (Zim-Rights) also condemned the government move, urging the government to abide by the constitution and reverse the pending measures.

Zimbabwe Independent

April 2 2015

Opposition political parties in Zimbabwe, especially the various MDC formations, are a disappointing lot that have continued to let the people down and the struggle for a just, democratic Zimbabwe.

Instead of focussing on mobilising the people on issues affecting them, they have continued to major on minor things and in effect have taken opposition politics back to the mid-1990s.They have become a microcosm of Zanu PF only that they are a lot weaker since they do not enjoy incumbency and the support of the coercive structures of the state such as the army, police and intelligence forces.

There are several factors that have weakened and continue to weaken opposition parties, particularly the MDCs. The foremost reason why the opposition parties have and will falter is their failure to unite as noted by Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa. The fact is the opposition will never win elections unless they form a formidable united front capable of challenging and defeating Zanu PF.

The only way the opposition can unseat Zanu PF in the next elections is by forming a formidable issue-based united democratic front which has segments of progressive breakaway Zanu PF members and a whole lot of new leaders between the ages of 25 to 50.

This united front should be inclusive including the MDC–T, MDC Renewal Team, MDC Green, National Constitutional Assembly and Zapu as well as progressive individuals and institutions. I do not agree with the many antics of the MDC–T, including blatant blundering by their leader Morgan Tsvangirai and cases of violence, intimidation, among others, within their party, but the fact is a united front without Tsvangirai and his party will be very weak. Likewise, a united front without MDC Renewal and MDC Green will be very weak because the two parties have rich intellectual capital and political history, but questionable grassroots support.

Zapu would be crucial with it’s rich ideology and links with former and current members of the military establishment. No one should come into this united front thinking that they ware or will be the automatic leader because it may actually be the best idea to choose somebody who is not even leading any of those parties to lead this new coalition so as to do away with all the history and excess baggage.

The MDC–T has let down the people of Zimbabwe by engaging in an exercise of political suicide by literally donating 21 seats to Zanu PF after “expelling” 21 of its MPs. If the MDC-T decides not to contest in the by-elections, it will literally be donating those seats to Zanu PF, hence betraying the people by failing to defend democratic space that they gained through the 2013 elections. If they participate they will confirm their status as perpetual flip-flops and masters of political acrobatics as a party that has no permanent position on anything and everything except being in perpetual opposition to anything and everything.

The recalling of the 21 MPs will also adversely affect any chances of a united opposition for the elections much to the joy of Zanu PF.

The United MDC is being bogged down by small-mindedness, personal interests and in some cases personal ambitions which override capacity.This will lead to a weak and fragmented opposition. Obviously, infiltration can never be ruled out as it is expected in politics in any country.

To enter into the rough domain of African politics and not expect infiltration would be the height of political naivety, hence opposition parties need sound intelligence infrastructure and stratagem built into their systems in order to deal with this ever present threat

A number of opposition MPs have turned themselves as into “Missing Persons” both in their own constituencies and in parliament. Nauseatingly, they enjoy being called “honourables” without understanding what it means first to be honourable .

The late Sihambile Jeqe Stephen Nkomo was an MP for over 20 years and he never, even for once, behaved unhonourably like this undeserving horde of MPs who have failed to hold even constituency feedback meetings with the people who elected them so as to give feedback on parliamentary proceedings.

Some have even failed to visit their constituencies and a most of them are just there to warm the benches. This is unlike the days of Micah Bhebhe, Sidney Malunga, Byron Hove, Edward Ndlovu and Lazaruzas Nzarayabani who gave ministers a tough time in parliament even though there were only one or two news outlets at the time. There are few exceptions though, like Jesse Majome and a few others, but most of them have failed to represent the people in parliament .

With the advent of information and communication technology, one would have thought opposition members of parliament would take advantage of Twitter and Facebook to engage their constituents, but alas, they are waiting for the next elections before they can open accounts on Facebook or Twitter.

Those who are active on social media, however, expend their energy on character assassination, petty fights among themselves.

Our opposition parties have failed to resonate with issues affecting ordinary people and have failed dismally to take advantage of factionalism within Zanu PF and instead they continue to disintegrate and create more parties like amoebas.

Unlike in South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom, where politicians actively contribute their views on pertinent issues in newspaper columns so that people understand their policies and perspectives, most of our opposition politicians seem unable or unwilling to engage these mediums of communication. It was pleasing to see Moses Mzila-Ndlovu writing on the Maleme issue in a local paper. Others that have done well in this regard include David Coltart, Eddie Cross, Nhlanhla Ncube and Obert Gutu .

The times have changed and we need leaders that can engage the public on important national issues by taking their ideas onto public platforms.

Nkomo is Habakkuk Trust CEO and spokesperson of the Matabeleland Civil Society Forum. He writes in his personal capacity. E-mail: dumisani.nkomo@gmail.com

NewsDay

31 March 2015

POSSESSION of a passport at the height of the country’s lost economic decade between 2000 and 2010 had become more than a gate pass to better career opportunities and a new life far away from home.

Hordes of people literally camped at Makombe Building as they sought to acquire travelling documents. Others were forced to keep vigil with the owls as they slept in queues hoping to be early enough to successfully apply for their passports.

Sally Machemedze (30) of Highfield acquired her passport in this milieu. She recalls the price she had to pay — which went beyond the official price of acquiring the travel document pegged at $52.

“I had to sleep in the queue at Makombe Building,” said Machemedze, who has been working in South Africa since 2009. “I wanted to be early so that I would be served. It was a nightmare.”

She was surprised when she came to Zimbabwe late last year for a visit that there had been a paradigm shift at the Passport Office as people were now walking in and out, having been served, within a few hours.

This was Luckson Marira’s experience in the last two months. He could not believe how easy it had become to acquire a passport.
“For a long time I thought I would perhaps bribe someone so that I can have my passport without any hassles,” he admitted.

He added that he confided in a friend with a cousin at the passport office that he was prepared to fork out an extra $20 and acquire his travelling document easily.

“Someone, however, told me it was not necessary, so I just decided to go there and experience it for myself,” he said.

A new order at Makombe Building

Marira crossed Samora Machel Avenue at about 5.45pm, walking along Harare Street on the day he had decided to go and apply for his passport. He saw a handful of people at a building close by.

“Are you going to the passport office? The queue starts here,” someone called out to him.

He enquired with an elderly lady in the queue and she confirmed that was the queue to the passport office.

A handful of young men, with their paraphernalia ready, were taking passport pictures and he promptly had his taken at a cost of $5.
“They no longer want people to queue at Makombe Building before the gates have been opened,” a young woman in the queue told him.

Given what he had been told, he feared that while queue was unbelievably short, it was probably going to swell as more people who would have greased some officials’ palms would arrive as this had been the culture at the passport office for many years.

About an hour later, at around 6.45am, the queue started moving orderly until it reached Makombe Building. At exactly 7 O’clock, the staff started serving people in the queue. Everything was so orderly and the staff so friendly Marira found it almost unbelievable.

He was ushered from one office to the next until the process was complete and at almost 9 o’clock, he was walking out of Makombe complex.

“Before the month was even over I received a text message on my phone saying my passport was ready for collection,” he said.
This was a departure from what had become the norm, with National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda in November last year decrying the long queues that had become a permanent feature at the passport offices.

He described the situation as an insult to human dignity.

Speaking during the launch of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Nationality and Statelessness Handbook for parliamentarians in Harare, Mudenda said: “MPs need to push for speedy processing of passports for citizens because it is a right — it is not a privilege, and long queues are an affront to human dignity as it is wrong to have a cumbersome process of getting passports and other identity documents.”

Mudenda said the Legislature should come up with laws to ensure acquisition of passports was easy.

Recollections of the past

I still recall some time in October 2010, passing by Makombe Building. A middle-aged woman leaned against the fence, half her body covered with a wrapping cloth, as she tried to make herself comfortable.

It was just after six o’clock in the evening and darkness was slowly setting in, drawing more people into the nocturnal queue.

She would have preferred a night in the comfort of her home, but that “all-night session” was a sacrifice that would help her reap innumerable benefits.

She had to be among the early birds who would be lucky enough to be served and get that all-important document that had almost become the lease to her life.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said to me, drawing her small bag closer to her, after I had approached her.

Thieves reportedly abounded, targeting those desperados.

“I just want to get my passport and go,” she said reluctantly. Despite repeated efforts to extract more information from her, she refused to budge, but cracked a little.

“I hold a high position at work and it would not be good for my boss to find out that I’m here,” she said. She had skipped work claiming she was sick.

Here was a married woman, braving the night at the Registrar-General’s (RG) Office, just to acquire a basic document that is every citizen’s right.

In the same queue was another woman, who identified herself as Vimbiso. She was more forthcoming, perhaps hoping for an outlet to pour out her pent-up frustrations.

She had travelled from Marondera two days ago after reading in the newspapers that passport prices had been slashed to an affordable $50.

But, quickly, she learnt that in as much as the passport prices
had been slashed, it was going take much more than that amount to hold the travel document in her hands.

“I was late when I came the day before yesterday,” she said, “so I spent the night at a friend’s place.

“But that was a mistake because by the time I got here, the queue was so long I failed to get the passport.”

She had assumed that since the passports were now cheaper, she would just come and get one and kick-start her cross-border trading business.

“Now I have to sleep here tonight,” she says, pulling a small blanket from her bag, perhaps as irrevocable proof of her claim. “I have to get that passport and get back home.”

As a married woman, she admitted that her husband would not take it kindly if information leaked to him that she had slept outside the Registrar-General’s Office fence.

“It’s just one of those things you’ll make sure he’ll not find about,” she said with a laugh. “All I need is to get that passport.”
This were familiar tales, which were enough to make many, including myself, reluctant to go to Makombe Building to either acquire, or renew, expired passports.

These women’s experiences were all I needed to shelve my own plans to renew my outdated passport. But a month ago, I really felt I needed to have a new passport and, together with my wife, decided to go to Makombe Building.

Registrar-General crafts new work ethic

Many people have expressed shock at how staff at the RG’s Office were now efficient and have prioritised customer service.

The RG’s Office intensified the issuance of passports last year in a bid to cope with the increasing demand for travel documents.

The move saw them issuing an average of 2 241 passports a day up from 1 936 in 2012.

Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede last year confirmed that the modus operandi at the passport office had changed for the better.

“We are issuing passports within a day and in three days,” he said during a Press conference. “The other passport is presently issued within four weeks from the standard time of six months.”

This is a departure from the past where corruption had become the order of the day at the passport office.

Former MP David Coltart recently experienced the new wave at the passport office and was “pleasantly surprised”.

Following the theft of a briefcase containing four family passports, he dreaded the prospect of having to apply for new passports.

“I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found,” he said, adding that he was treated with courtesy efficiency.

“The following day the entire process was completed in a similar way. I found all the staff friendly and committed to providing an efficient service.”

He said the team at the passport office was leading by example in the country’s civil service.

Some passport seekers, however, have expressed concern over the unavailability of application forms on the passport office’s website.