JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News)THE scrapping of passport requirements to travel between Botswana and Zimbabwe is a giant step towards regional integration and aligns with the free movement advocated for under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The new arrangement will culminate in citizens of both neighbouring countries visiting the respective countries without the need of a passport, permit or visa, which have for years been bemoaned as expensive.
An identification document (ID) would be enough to cross the borders. Citizens of both countries can live in Botswana or Zimbabwe for a maximum of 90 days without any visa, permit or passport.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe announced that he had discussed with his Botswana counterpart, Mokgweetsi Masisi, to open up their borders.
“I have been talking to my brother here (Masisi) after he was making a statement here and we have agreed. I can announce that from now on we shall instruct our officials that there shall be no question of how to enter Zimbabwe, how to enter Botswana,” Mnangagwa said.
Masisi concurred.
“The authorization of the use of national identity documents to cross our national borders, is a clear demonstration of our steadfast commitment to promote relations between our countries and foster social cohesion among our citizens, as well as enhance regional cooperation and integration,” Masisi said.
Botswana has several border posts with Zimbabwe. The two most important are the one between Kasane and Victoria Falls, at Kazungula and the busiest one at Plumtree-Ramokgwebana.
There is a smaller post at Pandamatenga.
Botswana, which hosts the headquarters of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc, earlier this year entered into a similar arrangement with Namibia.
Namibian President, Hage Geingob, said the countries were taking the first steps towards realisation of SADC Protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons and goods.
“In the same vein, steps like these could form a foundation whose stepping stones may lead to the path in inspiring Africans to attain continental integration,” Geingob said.
Another SADC member state, Seychelles, has opened its borders declaring passports, permits or visas will no longer be compulsory for visitors from the continent.
In East Africa’s largest economy, Kenya, President William Ruto recently announced his country’s border would open to visitors from the entirety of Africa, with no visas required effectively

December 2023.
Other African countries to implement similar measures are Gambia and Benin in West Africa.
These developments are in line with the African Union (AU) advocating for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is aimed at creating a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, and thus pave the way for accelerating the establishment.
AfCFTA was established in 2018, which then saw 43 parties and another 11 signatories commit themselves, making it the largest free-trade area by number of member states, after the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the largest in population and geographic size, spanning 1.3 billion people across the world’s second largest continent.
The agreement founding AfCFTA was brokered by the AU and signed by 44 of its 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda in 2018.
AfCFTA’s negotiations and implementation are overseen by a permanent secretariat based in Accra, Ghana.
Under the agreement, AfCFTA members are committed to eliminating tariffs on most goods and services over a period of five, ten or 13 years, depending on the country’s level of development or the nature of the products.
General long-term objectives include creating a single, liberalised market; reducing barriers to capital and labour to facilitate investment; developing regional infrastructure; and establishing a continental customs union.
The overall aims of AfCFTA are to increase socio-economic development, reduce poverty and make Africa more competitive in the global economy.
In 2022, AfCFTA took a major step towards its objective with the establishment of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which allows payments among companies operating in Africa to be done in any local currency.
The move towards a borderless Africa is a major blow to some South African opposition politicians and parties, who are swimming against the tide and advocating for the continent’s most advanced economy to tighten its borders and deport so-called foreign nationals.
Among these are Herman Mashaba of the ActionSA and counterpart, but little known Gayton Mckenzie of the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
On the contrary it is a boost to the bigger opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which is advocating for a borderless Africa. V.5120

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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