Major Travel Shake-Up: Lesotho Urges Passport-Free Access to South Africa

Published 12 hours ago• 1 minute read

Precious Eseaye

Major Travel Shake-Up: Lesotho Urges Passport-Free Access to South Africa

Lesotho's opposition Basotho Action Party (BAP) has launched a significant campaign advocating for the abolition of passport requirements for cross-border travel between Lesotho and South Africa. Led by Nqosa Mahao, the party urges the government to negotiate with Pretoria to allow citizens of both nations to use national identity cards for movement, residency, and employment purposes, aiming to ease existing restrictions.

The BAP's petition outlines several key demands: allowing citizens of both countries to use national ID cards instead of passports for travel, enabling them to work, study, and access healthcare freely, and granting them the right to participate in local elections wherever they reside. Nqosa Mahao asserts that these proposals would not compromise the sovereignty of either Lesotho or South Africa, but rather strengthen relations that have seen only