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Cross-border movement of people-defining moment for the Zambezi River Basin to make impact
Clever Mafuta, The Zambezi Vol 6 #2
March 20, 2006

http://www.sardc.net/imercsa/zambezi/zambezi/eng/view.asp?vol=24&pubno=v6n2

The recently signed protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons in the SADC region has much to offer the Zambezi River Basin where communities share assets, cultural values, traditional leadership, economic opportunities and languages.

The protocol, premised on the basis that the process of building the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is possible only when its citizens can enjoy movement across borders, was signed at the SADC Silver Jubilee Summit in Gaborone in August 2005.

The new SADC Executive Secretary, Tomaz Augusto Salomão, in an interview with SADC Today, cautioned that the movement of people needs to be put into context as it should correspond to stages of integration and the level of development of member states. "What we need to do is to be clear about our priorities, policies and strategies," he said.

The protocol is particularly significant for the Zambezi as this is the most shared river basin in southern Africa, encompassing part of the territory of eight of SADC's 12 mainland member states. The countries that share the 1.4 million sq km Zambezi basin are Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Political boundaries drawn at the 1884/85 Berlin Conference restrict the movement of people, fragmenting societies which were historically bound through common ancestry, chieftaincy, culture and language. Communities, particularly the Tonga people, were further separated by the construction of the Kariba dam more than 50 years ago, resulting in division of the Tonga communities living in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Communication within the Tonga community was restricted, although the shared culture has been preserved, as well as traditional leadership style, music and dance.

Similarly, the Lwena ethnic group shares the same language and cultural values although living in both Angola and Zambia, while the ChiChewa-speaking people live in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Lwena get their name from the Luena river, a tributary of the Zambezi. In the north-western district of Zambia they are also known as the Lovale.

The Zambezi River Basin is abundant with shared natural resources and habitats, and is home to some of the region's most famous wildlife conservation areas, including the Kameia National Park and Mavinga Game Reserve in Angola, Caprivi Game Reserve in Namibia, Chobe Wildlife Conservation Area in Botswana, West Lunga and Kafue Parks in Zambia, Hwange National Park and Mana Pools Park in Zimbabwe, and Lake Malawi Park in Malawi.

The Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons in SADC should boost trade and regional tourism in the basin states.

The objectives of the protocol are to facilitate:

• entry into member states without the need for a visa for a maximum period of 90 days per year for bona fide visits and in accordance with the laws of the member state;
• permanent and temporary residence in the territory of another member state; and
• working in the territory of another member state.

Already signed by half of the 14 member states of SADC, the protocol will come into force on ratification by two-thirds of the members.

The overall objective of the protocol is to develop policies that are aimed at the progressive elimination of obstacles to the movement of people in the SADC region. It will facilitate visa-free entry for a maximum of 90 days per year for bona fide visits and in accordance with the laws of the member state.

Through the protocol, member states agree to make travel documents readily available to their citizens. They agree to cooperate in harmonising travel whether by air, land or water and to increase and improve travel facilities especially between mutual borders.

Already there is free movement of wildlife in the basin. As such the protocol will further support Trans Boundary Natural Resources Management (TBNRM) initiatives in such areas as wildlife conservation and water resources management. The protocol will make it easier to share knowledge and skills, as well as in harmonising conservation strategies.

TBNRM initiatives are increasingly gaining prominence as a holistic approach to environmental and natural resources management, and sustainable development. This is because ecosystems span across borders and workable solutions can only be attained with the involvement of all stakeholders.

The Zimbabwe Mozambique Zambia (Zimoza) transboundary initiative is one of the major TBNRM initiatives currently being implemented in the Zambezi River Basin. The initiative is located in Zambia's Luangwa district and the adjacent Zumbo district in Mozambique, as well as Zimbabwe's Guruve district on the other side of the river.

Another TBNRM initiative is the Four Corners project located around the Caprivi Strip, one of the few places in the world where four countries meet. These are Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Besides natural assets, there are many shared infrastructural assets within the Zambezi basin. These include the historic Victoria Falls bridge, an important trade and economics link between the south (Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe) and the north (Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo). The bridge is also known for the world-famous bungee jumping.

The Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons in SADC complements the more than 30 other protocols, policies and multilateral agreements that the SADC region has adopted in its quarter century of existence. These include the Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses and the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZamCom) agreement , which have direct relevance to the Zambezi River Basin.

While the protocol has more positives than negatives, the region must move with speed to harmonize its other policies and national laws. For example, down seasons for fishers need to coincide, and the free movement of the people must be well managed so as to combat cross-border crime.

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