Visa free regime between SA, Botswana and Zimbabwe to stay

GOVERNMENT yesterday dismissed claims that South Africa is set to reintroduce visa requirements for Zimbabweans as part of measures to reduce the influx of people crossing into that country.

Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said Zimbabwe was not aware of such a development.

The social media has been awash with reports that South Africa was set to re-introduce visa requirements for Zimbabweans as part of measures to shut out Zimbabweans.

But Minister Mohadi said no such communication was extended to the Government.

"I am not aware of that, I do not know anything about that," he said.

"I do not have information to that effect unless it was done during the time I was out of office during elections."

South Africa scrapped visa requirements for Zimbabweans in 2010 as part of fulfillment of a Sadc Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons signed in 2005 in Gaborone, Botswana.

Authorities said the relaxation of visa rules was to facilitate the legal movement of people between South Africa and Zimbabwe and strengthen efforts to fight human trafficking, human smuggling and other cross-border crimes.

South Africa is Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner in Africa.