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Southern African leaders, who met last week to review and track progress in the establishment and development of Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) resolved to expand the usage of a special common visa as the region endeavours to increase tourist arrivals.
KAZA is the largest land-based TFCA in the world, covering about 520,000 km2 and located in parts of the Okavango and Zambezi river basin regions of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The special visa, known as a univisa, enables entrance into several countries.
Regional leaders who attended the KAZA heads of state summit in Livingstone, Zambia, said they want the special visa extended to other states in the conservation area and the southern African economic bloc.
Currently, the univisa is in use in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and it provides coverage for day excursions to Botswana via Kazungula.
“We must simply say that this will happen,” Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“I am grateful that my colleagues have reached a consensus on the univisa.”
Botswana Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said his country would fully adopt the univisa.
The KAZA TFCA was forged through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2006, which culminated in the KAZA TFCA Treaty.
Its mission is to sustainably manage the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and cultural resources based on the best conservation and tourism models for the socio-economic well-being of the communities and other stakeholders in and around the eco-region through harmonisation of policies, strategies, and practices.
Mathew Nyaungwa
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