Govt relaxes visa requirements

Ropafadzo Ndangariro and Audrey Rundofa
Government has regularly reviewed visa requirements to make it easier for visitors, especially those from countries that don’t pose a security threat.

Speaking during the inaugural Tourism, Security and Enablers conference in Harare last week, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya said Government was responsible for providing a secure, accountable, transparent and conducive environment necessary to foster a globally competent and prosperous country.

“The Ministry intends to achieve this vision by promoting and maintaining law and order, managing migration, timely registration and issuance of secure identification documents, as well as regulation of private security industry,” he said.

“This facility has been extended to nationals in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and I am humbled to say that we are the third country in the SADC region to adopt this stance.”

Visitors from Zimbabwe’s traditional source markets, he said, were largely under category B, where they were required to get their visas at the port of entry.

Those from countries that have security concerns, who fall under category C, are expected to get visas prior to boarding planes headed for Zimbabwe.

According to Mr Matshiya, the department of immigration has introduced an electronic visa application platform which makes it convenient for potential visitors to apply from wherever they might be.

“Most applications are processed within one working week,” he said. “The ministry is currently working on reviewing and assigning the visa regime for nationals in category C so as to upgrade their status,” said Mr Matshiya.

“In a related manner, the ministry has adopted the Integrated Border Management (IBS) system whose objective is to establish an effective, efficient and integrated border management system to help have open, but well controlled and secured borders.”