IMMIGRATION ACT (as at 10th October, 2006)
employed by the State and, in the opinion of the Minister, is qualified to exercise those
functions.
6
Delegation of functions of Minister
(1) Subject to such conditions as he may fix, the Minister may, in relation to all
cases or any case or class of cases, confer or impose upon any immigration officer or
class of immigration officers all or any of his functions in terms of this Act, other than
his functions in terms of paragraph (a) or (g) of subsection (1) and subsections (6) and
(7) of section fourteen, paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of section fifteen and section
forty-one.
(2) The Minister may withdraw any function conferred or imposed in terms of subsection (1).
7
Powers of search and inquiry of immigration officers
(1) An immigration officer may, for the purpose of exercising his functions under
this Act—
(a) enter upon and search any aircraft, boat, train, motor vehicle or premises in
Zimbabwe:
Provided that an immigration officer may not enter or search any premises
unless he believes on reasonable grounds that evidence relating to a contravention of this Act is to be found on those premises;
(b) subject to subsection (2), search any person where he believes on reasonable
grounds that the search is necessary for the prevention or detection of a contravention of this Act;
(c) take the finger-prints, palm-prints and photograph of any person who is, or is
on reasonable grounds suspected of being, a prohibited person;
(d) question any person who desires to enter or leave Zimbabwe or whom he
believes on reasonable grounds to be a prohibited person or an alien;
(e) require the captain of an aircraft, the master of a boat, the guard or conductor
of a train or the person in charge of a motor vehicle arriving from any place
outside or about to depart from Zimbabwe, to furnish a list of all persons in the
aircraft, boat, train or motor vehicle, as the case may be, together with such
other information as may be prescribed, and the person concerned shall comply
with such requirements.
(2) When it is desired to search the body of a woman in terms of paragraph (b) of
subsection (1), the search, unless made by a medical practitioner, shall be made only by
a woman and shall be conducted with strict regard to decency and, if there is no woman
available for such search who is an immigration officer, the search may be made by any
woman specially named for the purpose by an immigration officer.
8
Functions of immigration officers in respect of prohibited persons
and others
(1) Subject to section nine, an immigration officer may arrest any person whom he
suspects on reasonable grounds to have entered or to be in Zimbabwe in contravention of
this Act and may detain such person for such reasonable period, not exceeding fourteen
days, as may be required for the purpose of making inquiries as to such person’s identity,
antecedents and national status and any other fact relevant to the question of whether
such person is a prohibited person.
(2) Subject to subsections (5) and (6), an immigration officer may—
(a) subject to subsection (3), remove or cause to be removed from Zimbabwe any
prohibited person; and
(b) pending the completion of arrangements for the removal of a person in terms of
paragraph (a) and such removal, subject to section nine, detain that person.
-6
-