Namibia and Zambia are set to revolutionise border travel between the two countries. Dr. Albert Kawana, Namibia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security, announced that Zambian citizens will soon be able to enter Namibia using only their ID cards, eliminating the need for passports.
“Very soon, Zambian citizens will be able to enter Namibia using only their ID cards. We are working to abolish the use of passports between our countries,” Dr. Kawana stated during Zambia’s 59th Independence Day celebration in Windhoek.
This move follows a similar agreement between Namibia and Botswana earlier this year, making them the first countries in Southern Africa to permit cross-border travel using only national ID cards. Zambia’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Stephen Katuka, praised the deep-rooted ties between the two nations, recalling Zambia’s support for Namibia’s liberation struggle.
Both countries have also agreed to allow convicted nationals to serve the rest of their prison sentences in their home countries, further strengthening bilateral cooperation. The development aims to foster regional integration, trade, and people-to-people relations between the two nations.