Visa-free Africa campaign says visa-free Africa will boost jobs, trade and tourism

The lead campaigner for a visa-free Africa says his campaign received 'limited response' from Namibia.

Former Ghanaian MP and lead campaigner for the ‘Trans Africa Tourism & Unity Campaign’, Ras Mubarak, said in his final report to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama that he received a “limited response” from several countries, including Namibia.

Although Namibia introduced the principle of reciprocity in April last year, Mubarak noted that visas for his eight-member delegation were included in the US$12 800 total bill for visa fees.

During their visit to Namibia in October, the delegation shared their findings with the deputy director for visas and permits at the Namibian home affairs ministry, Juuso Max Niilenge.

"Despite significant challenges, including bureaucratic delays, extortion at borders, visa denials, poor infrastructure and a serious vehicle accident in Zambia, the team engaged leaders in 31 nations," the delegation's report notes.

Borderless ambitions

Mubarak said intra-African trade could rise by 109% by 2035 and that tourism across the continent would grow if Africans were able to travel freely.

"The African Union (AU) wants Africa to be borderless by 2063. You can imagine the youth in Swakopmund or Windhoek looking for opportunities, or in Accra, or Nigeria. They don't have to wait 40 years for the borders to be removed before they can access opportunities. So we believe that we can have a borderless Africa within five years," Mubarak said at a media conference in Windhoek in October.

The campaign organisers said opportunities in Africa should be prioritised for Africans before being offered to citizens from other regions.

"I am not saying this to belittle Africans who trade with other continents, but we must first take care of ourselves to maintain the jobs here because we are literally exporting work to Europe, North America and Asia," he said.

Acting Namibian high commissioner to Ghana, Vivian Gyasi, confirmed that civilian passports are not exempt from visa requirements when entering Ghana at the moment.

"It is a new year and we hope to have those discussions this year," she said in response to a query by this publication.

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