Another border post opened

ANOTHER non-commercial border post linking Richtersveld National Park in South Africa and Ai-Ais Game Park in Namibia was officially opened yesterday.

The Ministers of Home Affairs, Tourism and Environment of the two countries officially opened the Sendelingsdrift Port of Entry. The ceremony marked a small but significant step towards the creation of a park spanning the two countries, easing and facilitating the free movement of people.Travelling between South Africa and Namibia through the Park has become a reality.An old pontoon, which last saw service in 1988, was rebuilt and restored and now offers an exciting and convenient way of crossing the Orange River bordering the two countries.Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Willem Konjore, said the pontoon symbolised joint approaches to tourism and conservation across a shared border.”We are no longer planning tourism country by country but are looking at regional tourism planning and seeing how best we can harness it for the benefit of us all,” he said.South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said that the entry point provided a great physical link between the countries, facilitating tourism.Namibia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Rosalia Nghidinwa, implored communities of both countries to guard against any negative activities that might compromise the intentions and purpose of the Sendelingsdrift access facility.”Any undesirable activities at this port of entry could lead to its unfortunate closure,” she cautioned.South African Minister of Home Affairs, Nosiviwe Matisa-Nqakula, said the two countries’ Governments would strive to ensure harmonisation of immigration management instruments so as to allow for integration and relaxation of control measures that inhibit free movement.The ceremony marked a small but significant step towards the creation of a park spanning the two countries, easing and facilitating the free movement of people.Travelling between South Africa and Namibia through the Park has become a reality.An old pontoon, which last saw service in 1988, was rebuilt and restored and now offers an exciting and convenient way of crossing the Orange River bordering the two countries.Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Willem Konjore, said the pontoon symbolised joint approaches to tourism and conservation across a shared border.”We are no longer planning tourism country by country but are looking at regional tourism planning and seeing how best we can harness it for the benefit of us all,” he said.South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said that the entry point provided a great physical link between the countries, facilitating tourism.Namibia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Rosalia Nghidinwa, implored communities of both countries to guard against any negative activities that might compromise the intentions and purpose of the Sendelingsdrift access facility.”Any undesirable activities at this port of entry could lead to its unfortunate closure,” she cautioned.South African Minister of Home Affairs, Nosiviwe Matisa-Nqakula, said the two countries’ Governments would strive to ensure harmonisation of immigration management instruments so as to allow for integration and relaxation of control measures that inhibit free movement.