By Josef Kefas Sheehama
The governments of the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of Botswana have agreed to use national identity cards as travel documents. This move is seen as a significant milestone in the relationship between the two nations.
Namibia and Botswana are among the safest countries in Africa, but their landscapes differ. While Botswana has the Kalahari desert, Namibia has Savannahs, wetlands, deserts, salt pans, and the Tiras Mountains, Spitzkoppe, Fish River Canyon, and Skeleton Coast. Namibia is considered to have more diversity and world-famous tourist attractions. Swakopmund also has beaches and plenty of adventure activities.
In 1992, Namibia and Botswana had a border dispute over the uninhabited Sedudu island. In December 1999, the World Court judges declared that Botswana was the rightful owner of the island. In terms of infrastructure, Namibia is slightly ahead of Botswana as it has better roads, more restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and hostels.
The agreement to use national identity cards as travel documents is expected to bring significant progress in the development of both countries as they work together to achieve mutual goals. The agreement is an important step forward in the long process towards regional integration, not only economically but also politically. Free movement between Namibia and Botswana can plug skills gaps, fix skills mismatches in their labour markets, and help businesses find the necessary talent and skills that they need.
Namibian President Geingob says the move is a key step toward integration among countries of the Southern African Development Conference (SADC), and ultimately the entire continent. The Botswana President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, said introducing the use of identity documents for travel is necessary to foster unity between the two neighbours and other southern African states. Furthermore, President Masisi revealed that the authorization of the use of national identity documents to cross national borders is a clear demonstration to foster social cohesion among citizens, as well as enhancing regional cooperation and integration.
However, the free movement also has its challenges, including possible job losses and dampening of wages for local workers. The fear of brain drain and the consequent loss of working-age individuals persist. The potential increase of violent incidents driven by xenophobia and the countries’ mounting security threats cannot be addressed in isolation but as a result of collective effort.
According to the World Bank, Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was worth 17.61 billion USD in 2021, and Namibia’s GDP was worth 12.31 billion US dollars in 2021. In 2020, Namibia exported $498M to Botswana, while Botswana exported $64.9M to Namibia. Therefore, in the last 20 years, the exports of Botswana to Namibia have increased at an annualized rate of 12.9%, from $5.7M in 2000 to $64.9M in 2020. For Namibia, a country that aspires to become industrialized, prosperous, and economically competitive by 2030, there is a need to consider the contribution of free movement between these states. We cannot overrule a competitive advantage between Namibia and Botswana.
Free movement among Africans will significantly increase intra-African trade, which will have important implications for the competitiveness and growth prospects of the African market. The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement is the first step to realizing free movement. The adoption of national IDs shows the highly knowledgeable of the role of integrating free movement in Africa for economic development, including enhancing currency stability, reducing financial risks, reducing transaction costs, reducing exchange rate fluctuation, enhancing price transparency, and reducing inflation that impacts trade within the region.
