By HELEN ZULU –
NEGOTIATIONS on the possibility of reviving and expanding the Kaza Uniform Visa (Univisa) system, which was initially piloted by Zambia and Zimbabwe, are underway.
Discussions to revive it and include Botswana are currently going on in Botswana.
The Kaza Univisa is a common tourist visa for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region which was successfully piloted by Zambia and Zimbabwe last year.
Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa said negotiations on the possibility of resuming the issuance of the Univisa and further including Botswana on the project were currently underway in that country.
Mr Mwansa said in an interview in Lusaka that the initial Univisa project between Zimbabwe and Zambia had been successful and hoped that it would be extended further.
“We are currently in Botswana to discuss the possibility of extending the issuance of the Kaza Univisa at our respective borders and include Botswana on the project.
“The Kaza Univisa will facilitate easy movement across the partner countries for all travellers as well as increase length of stay in the region,” he said.
According to the Southern African Tourism Update online daily news, the Univisa is also an opportunity for joint marketing among Southern African countries, as they each had unique and complementary offerings for travellers.
Tourism and Arts acting principal tourism and development research officer Chilala Habasimbi said the Zam-Zim Univisa would soon be fully implemented as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the partner countries was almost cleared.
Mr Habasimbi said the Univisa between Zimbabwe and Zambia, as well as the possibility of including Botswana on the project, would depend on the authorisation of all the three countries.
“The Zam-Zim Univisa will soon be fully implemented. I cannot give you an exact date, but the MoU is almost cleared.
“The inclusion of Botswana on the project will depend on the authorisation of all the three countries,” he said.
Zimbabwe Council of Tourism president Francis Ngwenya said he hoped that the Univisa would be implemented urgently as it would do much to promote hassle-free cross-country combinations.
“But, unfortunately, it is something that has to be signed off on both sides of the Zambezi River, and it’s not just the ministries of tourism but also for the immigration counterparts to sign off,” he said.