Chronicle Editor
Zimbabwe and Botswana last Friday convened the High-level Fourth Session of the Botswana-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) which further strengthened the two countries’ fraternal relations.
President Mnangagwa and his Botswana counterpart Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi once again witnessed signing of additional memoranda of understanding (MoUs) meant to further deepen trade and economic co-operation between the two countries. In 2022 at the third session of the Zimbabwe-Botswana BNC held in Victoria Falls, the two countries signed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
In 2020 they signed seven bilateral agreements at the close of the second session of the BNC. In 2019 Zimbabwe and Botswana signed six agreements at the inaugural BNC held in Harare. Addressing a Press briefing at the end of the Fourth Session of the BNC on Friday, President Mnangagwa and his Botswana counterpart President Masisi reaffirmed their commitment to facilitating seamless movement of people and goods across the two countries’ shared borders.
They said the move will not only boost trade between the two countries but will also strengthen regional integration. President Mnangagwa said passports were vestiges of a fraught colonial past that was no longer fit for purpose in a fast-integrating region.
President Masisi dismissed the notation that the removal of passport requirements would lead to an influx of illegal immigrants into Botswana saying those views were driven by unjustified prejudice.
The two countries want the passport requirements for travellers between the two nations removed and officials from the two governments are already working on the modalities.
This initiative is in line with broader efforts within the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union (AU). President Masisi said consultations between Harare and Gaborone on how best to roll out the proposed initiative were ongoing.
Botswana and Namibia removed passport requirements for their citizens early last year and they are the first in the Sadc to implement such a system.
The proposed removal of passport requirements between Zimbabwe and Botswana could benefit from the Botswana/Namibia experience.
We want at this juncture to implore those working on the modalities to roll out this initiative to move with speed so that citizens from both countries can enjoy the seamless movement across the borders.
Online Reporter