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Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
Government continues working towards introducing computerised and online border management systems at all entry points to improve efficiency.
Electronic gates are being installed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to eliminate errors, reduce human interface and curb potential corruption.
Through the e-gates, all holders of Zimbabwean and SADC member countries’ passports can walk into Zimbabwe through a scanner without queuing or the involvement of an immigration officer.
These are some of the measures meant to remove bottlenecks, and delays and enhance the ease of doing business in the country.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe confirmed that the installation of e-gates was in the final stages.
“I had the occasion to test our e-gates at RGM International Airport and these are the final stages of our online border management system installation phase one,” he said.
Recently Minister Kazembe toured the Immigration Department Unit at the airport to assess progress.
“We need to implement the integrated computerised system which the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has embarked on for those in the Civil Registry, Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Immigration Department.
“We are here at Immigration, where we have started working on the online border management system. Most of the hardware is here; what is only outstanding are e-gates. The systems are now in the final stage.”
Minister Kazembe said the online border management system would be rolled out across all border posts, a process expected to be completed by year-end.
“We have installed computers and scanners, everything is in place. The system is now working.
“There are no more queues at the arrivals and departures points,” he said.
Last week, Zimbabwe participated in the two-day conference for the second regional review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The conference brought together governments and stakeholders from 54 African countries to assess the progress in implementing the system since its adoption in 2018.
Addressing the conference, Minister Kazembe explained how Zimbabwe was implementing a robust integrated online border management system as part of efforts to enhance efforts to entrench human rights-based border governance which guarantees protection to migrants.
Online Reporter