HARARE, Zimbabwe – Epworth North lawmaker Zivai Mhetu on Tuesday urged the government to adopt policies that would allow Zimbabweans to travel more easily across regional borders, pointing to recent moves by Namibia and Zambia to permit entry with only national ID cards.

Mhetu raised the matter during a question-and-answer session in Parliament, asking whether Harare intended to pursue similar agreements with neighbors such as Botswana, South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique.

“Schengen countries in Europe have boosted trade and mobility through the introduction of the Schengen visa, enabling citizens to travel freely within member states using just ID cards. Closer to home, Namibia and Zambia have recently implemented a similar system, removing the need for passports when travelling between their countries,” said Mhetu.

Lands Minister Anxious Masuka, responding on behalf of the government, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has prioritized regional integration during his tenure as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chair.

“The Government policy, and in particular our President … was to enhance regional integration, be it industrialisation, agriculture and travel of people,” Masuka said. He noted existing negotiations with Botswana and highlighted the UniVisa arrangement already in place for the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, which covers parts of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

Masuka said the administration hopes African citizens will eventually be able to travel freely across all 54 countries on the continent, describing current talks as “a start to gather momentum” toward that goal.

Mhetu pressed further, asking whether the government had a timeline for implementing such agreements with Zimbabwe’s neighbors. Masuka did not provide specific dates.

MP Challenges Tough Policies on Regional Travel Restrictions

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