admin
Kudzanai Gerede
On the 28th of November 2014, Zimbabwe and Zambia took an intrinsic step towards the realization of regional integration when the two neighbours officially launched the first KAZA (Kavango and Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area ) Uni-Visa in the resort town of Victoria Falls, a move that is expected to ensure easy connectivity and also see an increase in tourist arrivals due to low costs to be incurred and efficiency in the Visa regime for travellers wishing to get both sides of the majestic Victoria Falls and other attractions the two countries have on offer.
There are five countries in the KAZA, which are Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area covering 444 000 km2 making it a potential tourism hub, and one such noble initiative in line with the African Union’s idea of creating Regional Economic Communities(RECs) as the basis for African integration with a timetable for regional and then continent integration to follow.
The Uni-Visa is a legacy of the two countries’ successful hosting of the 20th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in which Presidents Robert Mugabe and the late Michael Sata agreed on an open border between the two neighbours as the first step to regional integration and it will also give access to Botswana territory through Kazungula border.
The Uni-Visa concept is a huge step in catching up with modern international standards adopted by developed economies like the European Union in which entering one EU member state gives one the leeway to enter the rest of the EU community as all its 27 members share one visa.
This has seen the European bloc emerge as the world’s major trade and financial hub, providing ease of doing business as trade between member states is made easy by the absence of excess costs for customs duty and free from complex and stringent border requirements as the case with Africa.
Despite that other countries within the KAZA are expected to be part of the second and third stages of the Uni-Visa project soon, there is still need for the RECs such as SADC and ECOWAS to work towards the Uni-Visa concept.
The uni-visa concept was first muted and endorsed by the SADC heads of government in 1998 and was meant to enhance regional integration and openness of member states’ borders and ports for economic benefits but the major block has been the process of implementation.
The Zimbabwe-Zambia KAZA Uni-Visa has thus been the first step in the southern region towards the commitment to regional integration following the East African Community promulgating the uni-visa for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
According to UNWTO statistics, out of the world’s $ 1,3 trillion in global direct income generated through tourism and travel trade , Africa only has a 4 percent market share in the business and one of the major hindrances to the growth of the continent’s market share has been pointed to its lack of openness of its borders and ports which still have stringent requirements.
Until we start addressing very seriously this aspect of openness, open-skies to international tourism and trade traffic and opening borders to tourism traffic , we will continue with a 4 percent market share that we are as a continent.
Online Reporter