Thursday, March 28, 2024

African Union to start issuing African passports next year -Ngwenya

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COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya(r) presents a gift to First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda(l) during Zambia Association of Musician KK's Birthday Bash in Chongwe
FILE: COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya(r) presents a gift to
First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda(l) during Zambia Association
of Musician KK’s Birthday Bash in Chongwe
THE African Union (AU) will next year start issuing African passports to allow better movement of people to stimulate African economies, AU commission deputy chairperson Sindiso Ngwenya has said.

In July last year, the AU launched the African passport at its summit in Rwanda following overwhelming requests for the passport from many citizens on the continent.

Mr Ngwenya said the issuance of the AU passport, which is envisaged to boost intra-Africa trade, is expected to start in the next 18 months.

Mr Ngwenya, who is also Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) secretary-general, said this yesterday when he received letters of credence from Rwandan Ambassador to Zambia Monique Mukaruliza.

“AU passports will in the next 18 months be issued to ordinary citizens in our quest to create a region of one people, destiny and economy. A lot of African countries do not require a visa from travellers, and people [in Africa] are integrating,” he said.

18 COMMENTS

  1. Who cares. A British passport is the greatest passport in the world.

    I will be eligible to acquire one very soon. The African or Zambian passport. I will throw them away and flash them for all I care.

    I’m moving onwards and upwards – this is my life people.

    Thanks

    Bb2014,2016

    • Mushota, please do us all a favour and stay in the UK. Please, we would do without you. It is God’s mercy that you are there in the UK and not infecting us with your vitriol on the continent. I thank God everyday that you’ll never be back on the continent.

    • I foresee south afrixit, such move might be a burden on South Africa, in terms of economic refugees.

    • It’s good to plan but l am worried about the practical implications.
      Even in Europe its not all countries that are members of the EU.
      Take countries like Somalia a failed state and suddenly you have an influx of Somalians buying Property in zambia. Yet the government doesn’t care to investigate how
      1. These people entered the country
      2. Where the money is coming from for all we know this could be pirate ransom money.
      3. The background of some of these people.
      Then you want to open the borders and economy to everyone! God help us!
      The xenophobic attacks in South Africa are an indication of Governments not paying attention to this sensitive issue.

    • It’s good to plan but l am worried about the practical implications.
      Even in Europe its not all countries that are members of the EU.
      Take countries like Somalia a failed state and suddenly you have an influx of Somalians buying Property in zambia. Yet the government doesn’t care to investigate how
      1. These people entered the country
      2. Where the money is coming from for all we know this could be pirate ransom money.
      3. The background of some of these people.
      Then you want to open the borders and economy to everyone! God help us!
      The xenophobic attacks in South Africa are an indication of Governments not paying attention to this sensitive issue.
      Get that passport and see how many western countries will grant you entry!

    • Mushota, so why are you on this ‘useless’ forum by your British Standards? And always the first creature to comment!

  2. Good move, now hopefully we can get an AU currency soon. As a Zambian, if I want tot do business in Malawi, Botswana and Tanzania, I have to change my currency at least 3 times, what nonsense. Make things easy for us to thrive.

  3. Why not just scrap visas to African countries for african passport holders. A much cheaper option. Who cares about the African passport? No one outside Africa will accept it without a visa…

    Africa has so much time to waste on useless experiments ….. build toilets and provide water with the money you will spend printing a useless passport

  4. So sudanese, somalians, Ethiopians zimbabweans Congo mozambique residents free to travel into and out of zambua at will.
    Good move zambia

  5. CORRECTION:
    Mr Sindiso Ngwenya is NOT the Deputy Chair of the African Union. He is the Secretary General of COMESA
    Please make the correction.

  6. AFRICAN LEADERS DON’T THINK THROUGH ISSUES BEFORE THEY IMPLEMENT THEM. THERE’S SO MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE ECONOMIES OF AFRICAN STATES AND THAT WILL NUMBER ONE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE CONTEXT OF FREE MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE. THE PASSPORT SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR 2064 WHEN THE ENTIRE AFRICAN CONTINENT IS SUPPOSED TO REACH THE STATUS OF FIRST WORLD OR SOMETHING NEAR. WHAT AN EXAMPLE FROM WHAT HAPPENS IN SOUTH AFRICA (XENOPHOBIA). AND WHY DIDN’T THE AU CONSULT THE CITIZENS OF INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES, FIRST, ON THIS MATTER THROUGH REFERENDUM? SOME COUNTRIES WILL BE OVERWHELMED WITH VISITORS AND THEREFORE MORE FUNDS NEEDED TO EMPLOY LAW AND IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS. FRAUD PROBLEMS WILL BE ENDLESS.

  7. More Nigerians, Boko Horan members, Somalian terrorists in Zambia and South Africa. This is a bad move. It will not benefit Zambia or South Africa. Nigerians and Somalians etc can live freely in Zambia but Zambians can not live freely in Nigeria or Somalia etc

  8. 90% of Africans don’t even travel due to poverty. A few that do cross border trading don’t necessarily need African passports.

    An African passport will create more refugee problems.

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