Zimbabweans to enter Botswana with only their national identity cards

Zimbabweans could soon be entering Botswana without their passports and only using their national identity cards (IDs) if proposals by that country’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi are implemented.

The Parrot newspaper in that country cites Masisi speaking to members of his Botswana Democratic Party at the Boteti West constituency celebrations.

“President Mokgweetsi Masisi has just revealed that in a few months’ time, he will be meeting his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa on a visit where he will make sure they discuss the use of identity cards for border crossing among the two countries,” wrote The Parrot newspaper.

Last year in September, Nehanda Radio reported how the Namibian and Botswana governments had agreed to abolish the use of passports for travel between the two countries and instead their citizens would use identity cards.

Namibia President Hage Geingob declared this while delivering his speech at the inaugural session of the Botswana-Namibia bi-national commission in Gaborone, Botswana.

“Our two countries not only share a common border, but also a common people and heritage. A symbiotic and inter-dependent relationship exists along our common borders,” Geingob said.