Kampala- Officials from South Africa recently visited Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs to discuss the removal of visa restrictions.
The joint meeting between immigration chiefs from Uganda and South Africa took place from August 31st to September 2nd 2023.
According to Simon Mundeyi the ministry spokesperson, the South African delegation, led by Director General Livhuwani Makhode from the Department of Home Affairs, aimed to understand Uganda’s immigration processes and explore the possibility of waiving visas for travelers between the two countries.
During their visit, he says, the delegation inspected various facilities under the ministry, including the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC), the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), and the Office of the Prime Minister’s department of refugees.
“The delegation received briefings on civil registration, National ID and refugee registration, issuance of Conventional Travel Documents (CTDs), visas, resident facilities, and passports,” Mundeyi told Journalists in Kampala on Monday
Currently, Ugandans need visas to travel to South Africa unless they hold service or diplomatic passports. However, both countries are in discussions to resolve this issue.
Earlier this year, President Yoweri Museveni expressed confidence that the South African government would address the visa matter, emphasizing its importance for business between the two nations.
“On the issue of visas I’m sure the government of South Africa is going to solve this because there is no way you can do business without multiple entry visa.” the president observed while meeting investors from both countries in pretoria, after a two days’ business forum in Midrand,South Africa.
