Botswana and Zambia Presidents have been urged to consider implementing the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons.
The protocol encourages free movement in the SADC region where citizens of member states would use national identity cards for cross border travel.
Botswana and Namibia implemented the protocol in 2023, resulting in easier, faster and more effective travel for citizens of the two countries.
Chobe Member of Parliament, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga made the call when giving a vote of thanks at the launch of the Kazungula Bridge Authority, citing that the move would help relax cross border restrictions.
Presidents Advocate Duma Boko and Mr Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia were among the multitudes who graced the event to witness the historic commissioning of the Authority, and Mr Mapulanga pleaded with them to engage on the said protocol and explore the possibility of having their citizens cross using identity cards.
The move, he said, would not only reduce barriers but would also increase trade and offer greater access to job opportunities and provide greater economic benefits.
He said the success of the implementation of the protocol by Botswana and Namibia should serve as inspiration for the same gesture to be adopted between Botswana and Zambia particularly since the people of the two countries shared cultural ties and also cooperated on different fronts including economically.
While he appreciated the launch of the Authority and the iconic bridge, Mr Mapulanga said the infrastructure should not export jobs but rather bring industrialisation to benefit the Chobe region community.
“We expect this bridge to enhance trade, create employment opportunities and eventually grow the local economies for both communities in Botswana and Zambia,” he added.
He said historically, the bridge was a meeting place for people who practised barter trading and that it was inspiring to note its evolution from the use of canoes to a pontoon and to the majestic piece of infrastructure that it was today.
Mr Mapulanga noted that the people of the region wanted to utilise the bridge to promote sport tourism and development.
Furthermore, he urged government to also consider constructing a bridge at which people would cross into Impalila Island in Namibia, thus further easing travel by the people of the two countries.
For his part, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development in Zambia, Mr Charles Milupi concurred that the people of Botswana and Zambia were one and vowed to work together with the government of Botswana to build a shared common destiny.
Mr Milupi appreciated that the increased truck traffic at the Kazungula Bridge demonstrated that efforts toward regional economic integration through infrastructure development were yielding positive results.
With the Kazungula Bridge Authority in place, he believed that the investment would further enhance, sustain and improve the efficiency of the operations of the border and would result in increased trade and traffic volumes.
“The operational efficiency at the border will be further enhanced by the Authority in that we intend to quickly move from a one-stop border post to a non-stop border post by leveraging technology,” he said.
“This bridge is a masterpiece of infrastructure that stands out to be Africa’s newest super bridge. It is not just a marvel but a benchmark for the region and the continent as a whole,” Mr Milupi added.
He stated that the governments of Botswana and Zambia had directed that in addition to facilitating trade and enhancing regional integration, the area around the bridge and border must be transformed into a world class tourism destination.
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