{"id":40500,"date":"2023-12-17T19:41:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T19:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/?p=40500"},"modified":"2023-12-17T18:18:59","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T18:18:59","slug":"zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel","title":{"rendered":"Zimbabwe\u2019s Passport Fee Hike Sparks Debate on Accessibility and Regional Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. <\/strong><\/span>Pupurai Togarepi, the chief whip of Zimbabwe\u2019s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has urged the government to consider a three-tier passport system. His call comes in response to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube\u2019s contentious proposal to raise passport fees, which has sparked widespread public outrage.<\/b><\/p>\n

A Plea for Accessibility<\/p>\n

Togarepi\u2019s proposal is a plea for accessibility, ensuring that all Zimbabweans can secure this essential travel document. Ncube\u2019s initial proposal was to hike the fee for an ordinary passport from US$120 to US$200. However, after widespread public outcry, this fee was adjusted to US$150, with the cost of an emergency passport set at US$200.<\/p>\n

Togarepi has argued that these proposed fees are excessively high and could deter people from obtaining a passport. He maintains that having a passport is a fundamental right and should not be impeded by prohibitive costs. His recommendation is for a proportional pricing system that takes into account the individual\u2019s economic circumstances.<\/p>\n

Opposition and Backlash<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, there\u2019s a significant opposition brewing in Botswana\u2019s parliament to the proposed removal of passports for travel between Botswana and Zimbabwe. The public has also expressed disapproval of the agreement between the presidents of Botswana and Zimbabwe to abolish passports at entry points. Parliamentarians have voiced concerns about an influx of Zimbabweans and the subsequent strain on Botswana\u2019s health system.<\/p>\n

Despite a joint announcement by Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa and Botswana\u2019s Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Annah Mokgethi, the lack of a signed agreement has caused confusion and further opposition. Critics argue that the agreement was announced without prior consultation and have questioned the practicality of replacing passports with machine-readable identity cards.<\/p>\n

The Zimbabwean Exodus<\/p>\n

Underpinning this debate is the harsh reality of Zimbabwe\u2019s economic collapse. Many Zimbabweans have sought opportunities in Botswana and other neighbouring countries, leading to increased migration. The proposed scrapping of passport requirements would primarily benefit these Zimbabweans who have fled economic hardship.<\/p>\n

As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Zimbabwe\u2019s government will navigate these complex issues. What\u2019s clear is that any decision on passport fees and requirements will have far-reaching implications for both Zimbabweans and their neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Botswana<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. Pupurai Togarepi, the chief whip of Zimbabwe\u2019s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has urged the government to consider a three-tier passport system. His call comes in response to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube\u2019s contentious proposal to raise passport fees, which has sparked widespread public outrage. A Plea for Accessibility Togarepi\u2019s proposal is a plea for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":40499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[233,237,234],"class_list":["post-40500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-botswana","tag-botswana"],"yoast_head":"\nZimbabwe\u2019s Passport Fee Hike Sparks Debate on Accessibility and Regional Travel - Botswana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pupurai Togarepi, the chief whip of Zimbabwe\u2019s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has urged the government to consider a three-ti ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Zimbabwe\u2019s Passport Fee Hike Sparks Debate on Accessibility and Regional Travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pupurai Togarepi, the chief whip of Zimbabwe\u2019s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has urged the government to consider a three-ti ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Botswana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-17T19:41:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2023\/12\/sm_1702824331.325957.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1066\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"599\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Zimbabwe\u2019s Passport Fee Hike Sparks Debate on Accessibility and Regional Travel\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-17T19:41:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\"},\"wordCount\":388,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2023\/12\/sm_1702824331.325957.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Botswana\",\"Botswana\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/zimbabwes-passport-fee-hike-sparks-debate-on-accessibility-and-regional-travel\",\"name\":\"Zimbabwe\u2019s Passport Fee Hike Sparks Debate on Accessibility and Regional Travel - 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