Siele was speaking at a Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non Governmental Organisation (SADC-NGO) free movement of persons campaign held on Tuesday in Gaborone. The campaign brought together state and non-state actors (NSA) from the SADC region. Siele said the purpose of the gathering was to open up a multi-stakeholder dialogue on how best SADC can make the movement of citizens of the region convenient and efficient. He said that the free movement of people within the region is a phenomenon that spans generations from the pre-colonial period. He said there was need for this movement to be revived because there were better people relations then. Botswana is leading by example as they have already introduced a 90-day VISA free period for all but three SADC member states.
"We are already strengthening our migration systems and procedures as well as the national identification system, all of which are beginning to deliver on the easy movement of people across our borders," Siele emphasised.
