Hiked pass****t fees fuel illegal border jumping
Mmegi. Botswana
Friday, 14 December 2007
RYDER GABATHUSE
STAFF WRITER
FRANCISTOWN: Officials and resident Zimbabweans fear that raised pass****t
fees in that country could cause escalation of illegal borderjumping into
Botswana.
This follows press re****ts emanating from Zimbabwe that the country's
Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede had directed that with immediate effect
adults applying for pass****ts would pay US $ 220 (P1 320) while minors
would
be required to pay USD$120 (P720). "The changes have the backing of
President Robert Mugabe's cabinet," re****ts ZimOnline. Whilst the adoption
of the US dollar was only tem****ary and meant to raise foreign currency to
im****t production materials, it has attracted condemnation from
Zimbabweans
living in Botswana and some political commentators.
They condemn this as an unnecessary move which would also affect
neighbouring countries like Botswana. Samson Muumba, chief executive and
chairman of Marknorth Cor****ation said yesterday that through the new
move,
the Zimbabwe government "is trying to stop people from traveling to places
of their choice." He stressed: "Look, even with me based here in
Francistown, I just cannot afford to pay US$ 220. The economy of Zimbabwe
makes it impossible for people to afford that much.
"He felt that what the Mugabe-led government was doing amounted to
"oppression and denying the people of Zimbabwe the right to obtain
pass****ts.
"He feared that the new pass****t fees would very much encourage border
jumping because obtaining a pass****t would be almost impossible to many.
"Imagine, people have been jumping the border in large numbers when
pass****ts were reasonably priced. With the new prices it means thousands
and
thousands of them would find their way into the country". Muumba wondered
if
the Botswana government was really going to cope with the situation of
illegal immigrants given the latest developments.
Jacob Ncube sells traditional artifacts across the border in Francistown.
He
has been coming to Francistown for six months now. "There are so many
illegal aliens from Zimbabwe in Francistown and the rest of the country,
perhaps they are even more than Zimbabweans whose stay is above board. The
newly effected fees would make the situation even worse," observed Ncube.
Andrew Martin is a taxi driver who plies his trade just near the Meriting
Spar car park.
He operates a pirate taxi but he has all the requisite do***entation to
stay
in Botswana because he has recently married a Motswana woman and lives at
Monarch. "The Zimbabweans are all over the place here. Now that they are
denied an op****tunity to obtain pass****ts through the high fees, hell is
likely to break loose possibly forcing the law enforcers who would have to
double up now."
He fears that even people with pass****ts would choose not to use them and
instead join the m***** across the fence. A 22-year-old Zimbabwean from
Bulawayo who identified herself, as Mariah Jericho fears that with the new
pass****t fees the Zimbabwean government could "become brutal and monitor
the
movement of its people across the border and make sure that travelers have
valid pass****ts.
"Jericho travels on a valid Zimbabwean pass****t and posits that life is
likely to become very tough for habitual border jumpers. "If a single
pass****t application means US$220, for adults and US$120 for minors, then
the Zimbabwean government desperate to acquire foreign currency as it is,
it
would have to ensure that it curbs border jumping which is prevalent
across
the Botswana and South African borders. "University of Botswana (UB)
political science lecturer and political analyst Dr. Zibani Maundeni says
for Zimbabweans who have been coming here with their valid pass****ts there
is no worry at all.
"Those who will be applying for pass****ts for the first time would
definitely have a tough time because they have to pay the new high fees.
For
these people, the legal way of coming into Botswana would be difficult and
this might therefore, encourage border jumping," says Maundeni.
He feared that the hiking of pass****t fees might even prompt the
development
of a situation where the law enforcers would end up dealing with
'unidentifiable' illegal immigrants because they do not have means of
identification." They will be coming here to commit crimes and even on
arresting them it would be difficult for the law enforcers to positively
identify them since obtaining a pass****t would be a difficult thing,"
added
Maundeni. He agrees that hiking of pass****t fees has a potential to
exacerbate the problem of border jumping "because it would be difficult
for
Zimbabweans to obtain legal do***ents anyway". Zimbabwe's runaway
inflation
is estimated at about 7, 000 percent and the highest in the world so far.
Zimbabwe has one of the highest number of people living in the dias****a
because the country cannot generate the requisite jobs and other needs.
Another UB academic and social work lecturer, Log Raditlhokwa shares
similar
sentiments with Maundeni. "Botswana has always grappled with the problem
of
illegal immigrants particularly among the group of the youth.
Now with the escalation in pass****t prices, you expect a lot of illegal
aliens to continue breaking the law". He feels the issue of pass****t
prices
hiking has another element to it: A lot of people would possibly prefer to
remain in Botswana after entering illegally or entering legally and
remaining in the country illegally for fear of what might befall them once
they return home. Raditlhokwa fears that Zimbabwe's neighbours like
Botswana
and South Africa are now going to bear the consequences of Zimbabwe's
immigration laws and regulations. The UB academic says it was disturbing
that the SADC countries were aware of the troubles bedeviling Zimbabwe but
were unfortunately reluctant to take a decisive action. The southern
African
region instead prefer the silent diplomacy which is not helping the
situation and instead has left SADC condemned from some quarters as a
'toothless bulldog". "Botswana must be part of the solution to the
Zimbabwean problem. We must have a constructive solution to this problem".
Raditlhokwa condemns Zimbabwe's stance describing it as "a desperate
mission
by the government to raise foreign currency that is in short supply." He
adds that Mugabe's government wants to discourage people from leaving the
country in large numbers."It's shameful that Mugabe has abandoned the Zim
dollar for the US dollar and on the other hand claims that Zimbabwe is
sustainable. This is the same man who has always claimed that he is in
control of his country and yet he is claiming that the Zim dollar is
worthless," concludes Raditlhokwa.Contacted for the government's view on
the
issue yesterday, Assistant Minister of Labour and Home Affairs,
Gaotlhaetse
Matlhabaphiri, under whose docket the Department of Immigration falls,
said
they have not taken any position yet. "We have not made any decision on
Zimbabwe's pass****t price hike from the ministry nor has the relevant
department come up with any position," said Matlhabaphiri yesterday.
"May be we would come up with a position at a later time. The station
commander for Kutlwano police station, Superintendent Silton Fidzani
commented: "I cannot provide a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Although sup****ting
statistics were not immediately available, previous records show that
several thousands of the illegal aliens were arrested and de****ted with
some
of them involved in incidents of crime.
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