South Africa and Lesotho in Talks to Ease Border Travel
South Africa and Lesotho are considering a border change that would allow travellers to cross using national identity documents instead of passports. According to a report by GroundUp, Lesotho’s Minister of Home Affairs, Lebona Lephema, made the announcement after a meeting with South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, in Cape Town last week.
If implemented, this change would be one of the biggest travel changes between the neighbouring countries in years. Human rights groups in Lesotho have been advocating for South Africa to do away with passport controls at the border of the landlocked mountain kingdom.
Easier Border Travel on the Cards
A joint research team has been working on a new migration model aimed at simplifying border travel between the two countries, while also helping to ease Lesotho’s passport crisis. Bertha Piletso, an immigration manager involved in the research team, said, “We recommended that the document to be used by both Basotho and South Africans when crossing the border should be the national identity card.” This means that if you’re a Mosotho, you would use your Lesotho ID to cross the border, and similarly, a South African would use their national ID.
Currently, travellers need passports to cross the border, which can lead to delays and long queues. The new system would reportedly use electronic gates, where travellers would scan their ID cards instead of being processed separately on each side. Children under 16 would still need passports, as they do not qualify for national IDs. Passports would also remain necessary for onward international travel.
Amnesty Proposal for Some Overstayers
GroundUp also reported that some Basotho who were banned from South Africa for overstaying could qualify for amnesty. Puleng Mbangamthi, Lesotho’s Director of Legal Affairs, said, “We want these processes to begin on a clean slate.” These are individuals who overstayed only, not those who committed crimes. Those affected would first need to register with Lesotho immigration authorities, with their details then verified with South Africa.
SA Home Affairs Says Passports Are Still Required
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has pushed back against reports that passport-free travel for Lesotho nationals has already been approved. In a statement issued on Wednesday, 22 April, the department said claims that Basotho can now enter South Africa using only national ID cards are “false reports” and “misinformation.” The DHA stressed that no such agreement has been reached between the two countries and that current rules remain in place. “The status quo remains,” the department said, adding that Lesotho nationals and South African citizens must still present valid passports when entering or leaving through shared border posts.
The DHA did confirm that ministers from both countries met in Cape Town to receive recommendations from a joint task team: “Home Affairs Ministers of Lesotho and South Africa met in Cape Town, on 17 April 2024, to receive a study report from a joint task team that was established to look at the development of a new migration model. The Ministers were directed by the Bi-National Commission between the two countries to undertake the study.”
