Zimbabwe is set to come up with a new passport-sized Temporary Travel Document (TTD) in the next two weeks that will be assessed by South African authorities to see if it is compatible with the country’s immigration equipment.

Zimbabwe’s co-Home Affairs Minister, Mr Giles Mutsekwa, told Mirror on Friday that the decision was taken following a meeting between the two countries’ representatives in Pretoria last Thursday. In terms of the arrangement, Zimbabwe is expected to produce a new TTD similar the size of a passport.

The current paper is an A4 size and South Africa has refused to accept the travel document, arguing that Zimbabwe did not follow the required procedures prior to issuing the document. Scores of Zimbabweans using the TTDs were denied entry into South Africa at Beit Bridge border post. The new passport-size compact document will carry enhanced security features and be compatible with South Africa’s latest immigration equipment, which can only capture passport data.

Mutsekwa said Zimbabwe’s Department of Home Affairs would come up with a specimen of the paper within the next two weeks. “We are very grateful to our South African Home Affairs counterpart for his co-operation and for being so understanding,” he said. “The South Africans listened to our concerns and agreed to allow Zimbabweans to enter their country using the document. The SA officials indicated to us that the new security systems at their border posts can only read passports and the position is that a new TTD will now be accepted, provided that the document is compatible and has a size similar to that of a passport."

Mutsekwa said they were looking forward to this new document becoming operational before the end of the Fifa World Cup on July 11.

Zimbabwe introduced the TTD in March to replace the Emergency Travel Document (ETD), which could be forged easily. Other ountries in the SADC region accepted the use of the document, but South African immigration officials denied holders entry into their country, citing security concerns.South Africa later banned the use of all paper travel documents by Southern African countries, saying they were incompatible with its latest immigration equipment.