Zimbabwe and Botswana will move forward with the abolition of passport requirements for citizens traveling between the two countries in line with regional and continental aspirations to facilitate the free movement of people across borders.
At a press conference following the fourth session of the Bilateral National Commission Summit between Zimbabwe and Botswana here yesterday, President Mnangagwa and his counterpart President Mokgweetsi Masisi reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating the smooth movement of people and goods across the common border, enhancing economic activity and promoting development. Promoting regional integration.
President Mnangagwa said the passport requirements are a relic of a fraught colonial past that is no longer fit for purpose in a rapidly integrating region.
For his part, President Masisi rejected the idea that eliminating passport requirements would lead to an influx of illegal immigrants into the neighboring country, saying such views were driven by unjustified bias.
It is envisaged that once the passport requirements are removed, travelers will only need their national identity documents to travel between the two countries.
This initiative is consistent with broader efforts within the Southern African Development Community and the African Union to promote the free movement of people on the continent.
“The history of our countries shows that we did not have passports to move from one country to another. Passports were brought by those who thought they were more civilized than us.
“We have decided that between Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique in our region…we have a policy of integration. I don’t know what word you use in Setswana to say integration but in Shona we say kubatana,” President Mnangagwa said.
President Masisi said that consultations between Harare and Gaborone on putting forward the proposed initiative are continuing.
“There are very positive consultations between the governments of Botswana and Zimbabwe,” President Masisi said.
“There has been an exchange of what is required to enable this including issues such as security screening of tools; Possibility to compare tools used and many other things, just like we did with Namibia.
Botswana and Namibia abolished passport requirements for their citizens early last year, making the two countries the first in southern Africa to implement such a system.
“We, as leaders, have expressed our desire to do this, not only because we want it among ourselves, but this is a long-term decision and intention as announced not only by SADC but the African Union. So we don’t claim to own these things or to be their creators. “We are the ones delivering it,” President Masisi said.
He said that the initiative will not lead to an increase in illegal immigration, but the use of the ID card to cross the border will make cross-border movement between the two countries more efficient.
“There is a break in logic here; President Masisi said that the ID card itself and allowing it to become a travel document is not linked to the influx of (illegal immigrants) because it is still filtered.
“What it does is it provides more opportunity for people to travel legally. There are still borders they have to cross. That doesn’t mean they have to get an ID to cross the border; they still become illegal even if they have an ID. You’re still an immigrant “Illegal if you have a valid passport that is not stamped at the border. So we have to separate these.”
Part of the Zimbabwean delegation to the 4th Bilateral National Commission Summit between Zimbabwe and Botswana
He added that fears of an influx of illegal immigrants are misplaced.
He said Botswana had a long history of accepting Zimbabweans into their country since the days of the liberation struggle when refugees fleeing war flooded into the neighboring country.
“I think people get caught up in this emotional attachment that’s not logical and certainly not necessarily true. That’s where the xenophobia starts.”
“When you, brothers and sisters, develop a habit without a real explanation, you will break off relations. Not long ago, when Zimbabwe was fighting for its liberation, we readily accepted them and opened our doors to refugees. “Now they are not coming as refugees,” President Masisi said. Announce
