Angola delegation in Victoria Falls

A DELEGATION from Angola that is in Zimbabwe on a look-and-learn visit on Tuesday toured Victoria Falls and Kazungula border posts in Matabeleland North as the two Southern African nations work on cementing bilateral relations in a number of areas.

The two countries look forward to having a joint commission in the second quarter in key economic areas of co-operation such as tourism, health, education and others.

The delegation of eleven officials led by Ambassador Agostinho Tavares da Sila Neto arrived in Victoria Falls on Monday and will leave on Friday. It is made up of inter-ministerial representatives from home affairs, foreign affairs, finance and security portfolios.

Yesterday the team was taken through some operational processes at the two border posts and shown how the border systems work. They also visited the Victoria Falls Bridge on the border with Zambia.

In an interview after the tour, Ambassador Tavares said the main objective of the visit was to exchange experience and ideas with the Zimbabwe authorities regarding the borders, not only in Zimbabwe but in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.

“We are here to see all the facilities and infrastructure Zimbabwe has and to learn how Zimbabwe manages to export and import goods and movement of people across the border,” he said.

“As Angola, we want to develop our borders and it is important to learn more as Zimbabwe has lots of experience. Now we can implement the same.”

Ambassador Tavares said the delegation was impressed by the infrastructure and facilities they saw.

“So, the visit is producing a very productive exchange of ideas and experiences. This is important as we are preparing for a Joint Commission between Angola and Zimbabwe for this year and areas for co-operation are tourism, health and education,” he said.

“We are also here to see how Angola can prepare for the Okavango Zambezi and Kaza project as we build bilateral and regional integration in the bloc.”

Acting regional immigration officer for the western region Mr Trustworthy Manatsire said the visit was critical to the betterment of border systems.

“It’s a very fruitful visit by the Angolans. They are here on a bench-marking exercise to establish the processes of our borders, particularly Victoria Falls and Kazungula border posts,” he said.

“We have taken them through the immigration processes and customs clearing processes and so far they are pleased with what they have seen as we are also learning a lot from them.”

Kazungula and Victoria Falls border posts are critical ports of entry handling about 30 000 travellers each per month.

About 90 percent of those that go through the Kazungula Border are tourists while at Victoria Falls the travellers include one-day trippers who are mostly informal traders and residents from either side of the river.

Mr Manatsire said plans by the Government to spruce up the borders were welcome. The first group will depart tomorrow with the last group leaving on Friday to South Africa en-route to their country.

On Monday the delegation paid a courtesy call on Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Prince Thuso Moyo. Around Victoria Falls there are three land border posts, the Victoria Falls Border with Zambia, the Kazungula Border with Botswana and Pandametenga Border also with Botswana.