It’s a NO NO! Botswana MP’s On Zimbabwe Passport Scrapping Talks!
GABORONE | Parliamentarians from Botswana have made it clear that they oppose the idea of removing passport requirements for travel between their nation and Zimbabwe.
In response to a declaration made in the National Assembly by the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Annah Mokgethi, members of parliament on both sides criticised the plan, which calls for national identity cards to be used at entrance points in lieu of passports for people of both nations.
Botswana is currently attempting to reach a similar agreement with Zimbabwe, having already established one with Namibia.
Although there was no resistance to the February implementation of the Namibian arrangement, lawmakers informed Minister Mokgethi that they disagreed with the government’s action on Zimbabwe.
The president of Zimbabwe, Emerson Mnangagwa, stated last week that he and the president of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, had come to an agreement to do away with the need for passports at entrance points while in Gaborone.
However, Mokgethi was compelled to deliver a declaration in Parliament claiming the deal was not yet in effect because of public outcry.
It read in part, “… I wish to make this statement to clarify and to set the record straight that there is no signed agreement to effect this initiative. Given this background Batswana are assured that by a concept being appreciated by the two leadership does not mean the people of the two countries can now use their IDs to cross into their countries. There are processes and procedures to be undertaken to ensure and qualify validity of all necessary requirements for travel, locally, regionally, and internationally before implantation can take place. Most importantly upon adoption of acceptance of regulatory standards, the two countries will enter into a memorandum of agreement that has clauses including cancellation or exit in the event, concerns of violation arise during implementation.”
The leader of opposition, Dithapelo Keorapetse said it was surprising that the deal was announced without due consultations.
“We don’t know who President Masisi was representing when he reached this agreement with Mnangagwa or the government of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Francistown MP, Wynter Mmolotsi said it would not be ideal to allow the arrangement to proceed as the country, in particular, areas closer to the border, were already bearing the brunt of the influx of Zimbabweans.
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‘”The health system in Francistown is already overburdened by Zimbabweans. Some come here to illegally mine gold. If we open up, without even knowing it, we will have more Zimbabweans than the entire Francistown population,” he said.
Unity Douw, one of the MPs, questioned how using machine-readable identification cards would be any less complicated than using passports.
Because it is so expensive to get a passport in Zimbabwe, some people are compelled to flee their own country because there aren’t many work possibilities there. A few members of parliament expressed their preference for other nations, like as Zambia and South Africa, to negotiate a passport-free travel agreement before Zimbabwe.
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