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SA transit visas against spirit of Sadc integration
Sifelani Tsiko, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
November 30, 2005

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=49214&pubdate=2005-11-30

THE recent move by South Africa to demand transit visas from Zimbabweans wishing to connect flights to other destinations from that country will result in unnecessary inconvenience, higher costs and possibly engender bitterness and resentment towards South Africans.

South Africa Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula approved this arrangement recently which will see Zimbabweans and nationals from 16 other countries being required to apply for a transit visa before their departure to that country.

An official at the South African embassy in Harare says Zimbabweans who need transit visas are required to produce an air ticket, two passport photos and an itinerary.

There is no fee charged.

"These measures will simply produce unnecessary delays, bureaucratic complications and deeper resentment," says an official for a travel agent in the city.

"We should be moving to harmonise the free movement of our people in the region and to boost tourism and not erecting barriers."

Other Zimbabwean travellers to South Africa were angered by the new requirement.

"South Africans are now displaying their true colours," says one Zimbabwean who often travels to Cape Town for business. "They don-t seem to like Zimbabweans that much."

However, some travel agents say passengers making international flights are generally well-heeled and therefore, the cost of the visa is of little significance to them.

"This does not augur very well for our struggling tourism sector," says a salesman for a travel agent. "It sends wrong signals to other western countries that are fond of issuing travel warnings.

"The reasoning ignores the economics at work — increased costs, time wasted and bureaucratic delays."

The SA home affairs department has informed airlines, travel agents and travellers about the changes.

Airlines that flout the new regulations face heavy penalties and will incur an administrative fine of 10 000 rand for each passenger conveyed.

The new transit visa requirement will apply to all nationals from Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Russia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

Officials from the South African embassy could not readily comment on the matter and said they were only implementing a decision made by Pretoria.

The SA home affairs department said transit visas were being applied to countries that had no visa agreement with the SA government. The purpose of the transit visas, the department said, was to ensure "proper screening of applicants so that undesirable persons are not admitted to the country and to facilitate the entry of approved applicants at South African ports of entry."

Visas provide immigration officers with the necessary information to ensure that applicants are admitted for the correct purpose and period into that country, the department said.

This has angered nationals from some of the affected countries.

"It appears like South Africa has completely forgotten who her true friends are and is now playing the 'Big Brother- to the rest of Africa," Chieth Ogwal, a Kenyan traveller was quoted saying.

"More recently, they are now requiring Kenyans and other African nationals to obtain transit visas to pass through SA airports. This is absurd given that South Africans don-t need any visa to enter Kenya.

"I now strongly believe that SA would be the wrong country to hold the African permanent seat at the UN," says the irate Kenyan.

Other travellers also vented their frustration as well.

"South Africa, it seems has joined the club of the 'Bullies of the World," says a Nigerian national. "Because of these things, we view SA as arrogant and overhanded. They have forgotten what Africa did in support of their liberation struggle."

But some analysts believe South Africa as a nation must take security measures to protect its people and legitimate interests in the wake of an influx of people entering that country illegally.

Granted, South Africa has the sovereign right to decide who may or may not enter its soil but the imposition of the transit visa requirements on Zimbabweans will cause unnecessary delays, waste time and deeper resentment.

In addition to this, this reasoning ignores the fact that they may be people who may travel for study, for work, for medical reasons and other urgent purposes who may be inconvenienced.

It appears South Africa is turning left when the Sadc movement towards the scrapping of visas and the free movement of people in this part of the sub-region is indicating to turn right.

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