South Africa: SA, Botswana Ease Travelling for Cross-Border Community

Source: SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane), 09/12/2015

Pretoria — South Africa and Botswana have officially introduced a
pilot project that will make travelling much easier for the
cross-border community of Tshidilamolomo.


Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba inaugurated the pilot of the
border crossing point for the village of Tshidilamolomo in the North
West, on Tuesday.


The village straddles South Africa and Botswana due to what Minister
Gigaba described as the "irrational borderlines" drawn by
colonialists.


The project flows out of a discussion between President Jacob Zuma and
President Ian Khama, which began in 2011.


The two Presidents recognised the movement challenges faced by the
village of Tshidilamolomo, which is separated by the South
Africa-Botswana border. The shared border is 1 840kms -- the longest
border South Africa shares with any of its neighbours.


Many people in Tshidilamolomo need to cross the borderline on a weekly
or even daily basis to study, work, shop and visit family members. It
is impractical for them to travel to the nearest ports of entry --
Bray and Ramatlabama -- which are over two hours away by car.


Minister Gigaba said officials from South Africa and Botswana have
worked closely together to develop a solution that facilitates the
easy movement of members of the Tshidilamolomo community, while
ensuring that movement is regulated by the respective
governments.


"Thus, after a joint borderline survey, we have agreed to pilot a
community crossing point in Tshidilamolomo.


"Each government will enrol its nationals residing in the area by
ensuring they have machine-readable passports and are proven residents
based on affidavits from traditional leaders and local councillors as
required.


"Residents will be given a border pass document, which will enable
them to cross at the community crossing point. We will capture and
verify each traveller's identity using biometrics -- fingerprint scan
and photo -- on each entry and exit," said Minister Gigaba.


The pilot project is scheduled for 12 months. Minister Gigaba said
they will use this as an opportunity to work out the modalities of the
system to ensure the efficient facilitation of movement for community
members.


The Minister said the use of community crossing points, where
appropriate, is one of several initiatives the Department of Home
Affairs will take in the coming years to ease movement for legitimate
travellers.


Blocking illegal travellers
Minister Gigaba said the system will be closely monitored to filter
out illegal travellers.


"While the vast majority of travellers crossing borders are
legitimate, law abiding citizens, there is a small minority of
criminals who seek to conceal themselves amid these migration
flows.


"These include people fleeing arrest and prosecution for crimes
committed in other countries and transnational criminals such as
traders in illicit goods, human traffickers, people smugglers and
terrorists.


"The challenge for immigration authorities is to design systems which
make it easy and efficient for legitimate travellers to do so, while
making it difficult to impossible for illegitimate travellers to do
so," said the Minister.


He said the Department of Home Affairs is committed to easing travel
for legitimate visitors to South Africa, especially for Southern
African Development Community and African citizens.


"We are committed to managing immigration for development and for
contributing to regional integration, and our nation's foreign policy
objectives of a better Africa and a better world."