daniel chigunwe
Tapiwanashe Mangwiro
The country is currently crafting a bill that will result in the establishment of a Zimbabwe Border Ports Authority according to recent reports.
This was revealed during a meeting between border authorities from Zimbabwe and South Africa as they seek to resolve border challenges.
The Commissioner of the Border Management Authority (BMA), Michael Masiapato, says good working relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe will help to resolve border challenges between the two countries.
“Zimbabwe is in the process of developing a Border Ports Authority Bill whose aim is to establish the Zimbabwe Border Ports Authority,” he told SABC News in an interview.
He added that Zimbabwe has a lot to learn from the approach of South Africa which has established a new border management system.
“We do believe that moving away from the multi-agency approach, in as far as border management is concerned, to an integrated border management model with a single command in control, is a key step in effective border management,” Masiapato said.
“Our focus must be on the legitimate movement of persons and goods across our borders, with the intention to grow our economy and ultimately ensure the realisation of regional economic integration. This is very much critical as the step towards the realisation and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
The authorities in South Africa said they are committed to sharing lessons of their journey of 15 years towards the establishment of the South African Border Management Authority.
He said; “We do believe that moving away from a multi-agency approach as far as border management is concerned into an integrated border management model with a single command and control is the key step towards effective border management.”
The two parties agreed that efforts should also focus on the legitimate movement of persons and goods across borders, with the intention to grow the two nations’ economies and ultimately ensure the realisation of regional economic integration.
Border officials from South Africa and Zimbabwe were engaged in talks in Pretoria for four days to find a solution on the never ending problems at the borders.
Bongani Ndlovu