I'm seeking general information that might help speed up a process
which is otherwise going to be long and drawn-out.   The subject is a
26 year-old Zimbabwean woman, married to an English man (me).  She
currently lives in USA (she has been studying at University there). 
She has current US and UK visas, but her Zimbabwean passport has
recently expired.  Her intention is to move to England as soon as
possible to live with me.  The only thing stopping her at the moment
is the lack of a current passport.

As we understand it, she must travel to Washington, D.C., to visit the
Embassy of Zimbabwe with relevant documentation (e.g. birth
certificate) to prove her identity.  After paying fees and giving
finger prints she can then send her old passport to officials in
Zimbabwe to have a new one generated.

The process is a little vague and we're having trouble finding the
exact steps or how we can get her passport renewed as soon as
possible.  It's quite frustrating, as you can imagine, and we'd
appreciate any information that could help.

I'm setting a low fee because I don't want to put anyone off 'having a
go' for fear of non-acceptance.  If the information is good, there
will be a tip!