adminHe called for a revamp of the immigration regulations which he said were put in place by colonialists to divide the continent.
Minister Mzembi said this yesterday in Victoria Falls while addressing delegates attending the Conference on Intelligence and Security Services of Africa who visited the resort town on a familiarisation tour.
He said there was a need to research on how the immigration procedures including Visa systems, destination accessibility and connectivity could be liberalised without compromising individual countries national interests.
“They should be subject of intrinsic and intensive research by our economic units to see to what extent we can liberalise them without dramatically violating the national interest. Reforms in Visa facilitation hold the potential to create 5,1 million additional jobs in G20 economies while we are implementing in the majority of cases colonially derived visa regimes that were meant to divide and rule us.
“Visa regimes are a product of the Berlin Conference. When in their (EU countries) own backyard entry into one country means entry into 27 countries under the EU Schengen Visa, this is what stimulates tourism.”
He said the UNWTO General Assembly that would be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia offered an opportunity to address some of the challenges affecting the growth of tourism in Africa.
“I request you to convey to your governments that the 20th Session of the UNWTO general assembly is not for Zimbabweans and Zambians but an African affair whose policy output resolutions and declarations will determine how we reverse our prejudice in the lucrative sector,” he said.
Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation and incoming chair of Cissa Retired Brigadier General Happyton Bonyongwe promised to look into the issues raised by the minister.
“Tourism is one of the major areas of the economic activities today and as security sector and intelligence we must understand the dynamics in this sector.
“Tourism is very important and we will definitely take up the issue.
“It entails facilitation of movement of people in their economic activities and I am sure there will be a lot of discussion on that from the delegates,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Matias Bertino Matondo, an advisor in the Office of the AU chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma yesterday promised to market the Victoria Falls.
“We did not only come for the conference but also to learn about the history of Zimbabwe.
“For some of us it was our first time to visit the Victoria Falls so when I go back to Angola or Addis Ababa I will be an ambassador for Zimbabwe,” Mr Matondo said.
In a related development, the Director General of Zambia’s intelligence services Mr Martin Mwanambele said they were working round the clock to ensure security for delegates attending the UNWTO general assembly that would be held in August.
“We are collaborating on that and we have had several meetings on security arrangements to be made,” he said.
Online Reporter