On October 24th, I went to Entebbe Airport to catch a South African Airways flight via Johannesburg to Namibia. Airline officials said I needed a transit visa through South Africa. I explained that I was not going to enter the country, only to change flights in the airport. “You still need a transit visa. These are new rules,” a lady told me. Frustrated, I went to Kenya Airways and booked a ticket via Nairobi to Lusaka from whence I could catch Namibian Airlines to Windhoek, Namibia.

However, upon arrival in Lusaka, I was told that the Namibian Airlines flight to Windhoek passes through Johannesburg. Under the new rules, passengers are required to disembark, enter the transit lounge and re-board the plane. You need a transit visa to do this. I changed my flight, returned to Kampala without getting to Windhoek. I had spent three days flying between Entebbe, Nairobi, Harare and Lusaka (and staying in hotels) without getting to my destination, another country in Africa. Talk of the African Union!

However, the new visa requirements do not apply to British, Americans, Irish and other Europeans (or nations of white people); so my colleagues going to the same conference from the United States and Europe faced no problem transiting through that country. South Africa employs the new rules against African people except on her neighbours – Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

There has never been an issue that united the whole of Africa than the apartheid system in South Africa. Almost every country on our continent – big and small, rich and poor, powerful or weak made a commendable contribution to the liberation of South Africa. Uganda under all its governments – Milton Obote, Idi Amin, Milton Obote II and Yoweri Museveni committed a lot of its resources to the struggle against apartheid.

I went to public schools in Uganda where I studied with South African students.  They carried Ugandan passports, their accommodation in Kampala and fees at school were paid by government of Uganda (I paid my own fees) etc. And this was a time when tax revenues of Uganda were Shs 90 billion (now it is Shs 5.5 trillion). But we sacrificed the little we had for our South African brothers and sisters. I always felt proud that my government did so; and as a 17-year-old when I met Nelson Mandela in person in 1990, I volunteered to join Umkoto Wesizwe to fight the apartheid system.

The struggle against apartheid was important to all Africans because South Africa was the last frontier in the open and institutionalised mistreatment of the black person based on skin colour. Black people today continue to suffer one million and one indignities. Africans are humiliated beyond description daily; treated as criminals in their Western countries of residence (30% of all African American male youths live in prison) and as vagabonds at Western embassies when trying to get visas to travel to Europe and North America. Despite our internal problems, our independence and sovereignty is our last stand.

These “democratic countries” demand bank statements (invasion of privacy), land titles (one’s right to travel depends on property qualifications), family members (literally seeking to hold people hostage) from persons seeking to travel to Western countries. At any major airport, the African is treated as an unwelcome intruder. This racial discrimination is institutionalised through the democratic process. It is global apartheid where a few Africans are admitted into these “civilised” societies as citizens or permanent residents. Talk of the world as a global village!

Yet in spite of all this, I transit through Schipol Airport in Netherlands without a visa. I have transited through the USA and spent two nights in Chicago without a visa. I have also transited through Switzerland, cleared through immigration and stayed two nights in Zurich without a visa. It is post-apartheid South Africa which is introducing these apartheid-like requirements specifically on Africans and exempting whites.

Under apartheid, South African blacks were required to carry pass books (visas) to move around the country. Meanwhile, Africans from other countries could travel through and to South Africa without much hindrance. In fact it is African countries that issued passports saying “free to travel to any country except South Africa.” It is under post-apartheid South Africa that other Africans are required to carry the equivalent of the passbook (the visa) and where black South Africans have rioted to kill fellow black people from other African countries.

Yet this anti-African policy against Africans is practised by other African countries. People from Europe and North American can travel to Uganda and get a visa at the airport, a very good thing. However, Ghanaians are required to get a visa before they depart for Uganda. In return, Ghana today also demands that Ugandans apply for visas before they travel. The same applies to Ethiopia and many other African countries. Last year, I was attending a conference in Addis Ababa. The delegates who came from other African countries without Ethiopian visas were held hostage at Addis Ababa Airport for the night while those from Europe and North America would be allowed to apply for the visas right at the airport.

All this happens in spite of 47 years since the formation of the Organisation for African Unity; nine years since the African Union came into life, and in spite of COMESA, PTA, SADC and other regional groupings. While the case of South Africa is extreme (you can transit through any country in Africa without need for a visa), it is difficult for Africans to travel, work and trade with each other on this continent. 

There are many big things that colonialism did to separate and hinder mutually beneficial interaction among us. However, there are small things we can do that can correct a lot of these colonial distortions. We do not need grandiose ideas like African Unity or the East African Federation. We need, initially, little things like the removal of visas within Africa, removal of border controls and roads linking our countries for our people to begin to move and trade freely on this continent. No one is going to develop African except Africans through trade.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (30)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

apartheid in Africa
written by Murera, November 17, 2010

@Mwenda

forget about the visa and South Africa, in Tanzania people who immigrated there in 1940's from Rwanda are still considered Banyarwanda and their children and grand children can be kicked out anytime Yet a Tanzanian who immigrate to Canada becomes a Canadian after 3 years !!!!! and nobody would dare to challenge his citizeniship ....same problems in Cote d'Ivoire, people from Burkina Fasso who were born in Cote d'ivoire are still facing discrimination they are not considered ivoirien, yet Cote d'Ivoire leaders send their kids in France (using embezzled money probably from taxes collected from these Burkinabe) to apply for French citizeniship..... sometimes man i feel like i want to give up on Africa,

• 
• +3
• 
• 

Journalist
written by pata_peter, November 17, 2010

i think its the African Union which is sleeping, i wonder what its leaders copy when ever they travell to meet with UN, EU in New York confrences. i hate it when i am denied a right because i am black here in the M iddel East. Africans, we must stand up and fight the social injustices we are facing or else we shall become beggers in our own continent. Pata_peterson in UAE.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

...
written by carter, November 17, 2010

Colonialism has nothing to do with.Uganda got its independence. The fact is Ugandans tulina amajimbi in our hearts. You want evidence of intelligent design?.................. thats what is happening to uganda today.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Citizen
written by Pojo, November 17, 2010

Africa leaders are selfish. Since they can go anywhere they want with a lot of ease, they don't mind about others Friendly and non discriminative polices are need. Much as there could be viable reasons for the stringent laws, because we have not herd from SA officials on this matter, the fact other guests (white) through J'burg were allowed make whatever explanation unacceptable.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Bantustan walls created by Apartheid are still in place
written by Ocheto, November 17, 2010

Through Bantustanization, Apartheid divided South Africans the same way colonialism Balkanized the African continent into economically unviable entities. The walls – physical, cultural and psychological - created and erected by colonialism or traditionalism are more or less still in place. Sovereign walls (especially within African) need to come down. Even African peoples trade, it is smuggling, black marketing, barter trade or other illicit trade practices that have no place in this day and age. As regards to the international regime that discriminates against Africans: the fault is with African watchmen governments that instead of bargaining for equal rights and respect would rather stand as hired global guardsmen against Africans’ interests.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

Bantustan walls created by Apartheid are still in place
written by Ocheto, November 17, 2010

. When it comes to Africa, reciprocity tenets practiced everywhere else in international relations don’t apply. Africans are treated more like terrorists, pests or diseases to be eradicated. The solution is the same old adage of thinking globally and acting locally. The older generation has forgotten or is resting on its laurels and the younger foolish generation is ignorant of what it took to get here and wouldn’t care for it. Just because Africa got independence doesn’t mean all negative forces arrayed at it have evaporated. Quite to the contrary the ugly prejudices are alive and well. Lower thy guard at thine peril. The biased trade policies – favoring OECD countries - perpetrated by the so-called World Trade Organization was one reason the hijackers flew planes into world trade center.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Wow!
written by Pyati Sololo, November 17, 2010

Mr. Mwenda spent 3 days flying between Entebbe and Lusaka and staying in hotels without reaching his destination. This must have cost him no less than US$3,000.00 On the other hand, if he had eaten humble pie and applied for a South African transit visa in Kampala, he would have probably paid a mere 50 bucks for the Visa, gone to his destination, attended that conference and told us the same story!

• 
• +2
• 
• 

...
written by kristen ma, November 18, 2010

I am beginning to think South Africans are becoming a joke. First, they think it is proper to beat-up, rape and set on fire the very Africans who came to their rescue in their time of need i.e xenophobic attacks. This is a classic example of biting the hand that fed you. Their government argued that the attacks were the acts of a few lost souls. However, its actions tell quiet another story. These extra requirements placed on African travelers prove their government has a deliberate policy of humiliation and segregation directed towards Africans. We do not seek preferential treatment over whites, we just reject the notion of treating us like second rate (world) citizens the way you were during apartheid. Come back to your senses south Africa.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

...
written by Blackie, November 18, 2010

As I read, I had planned to give you the Ethiopia story. The African Union Commission could not even fix it here as part of its host agreement with Ethiopia. You probably should recall that rather than using VISA as emigration controls, they are for getting money and this beats the purpose. Why should a person like me from a COMESA country working for the AU require a VISA for another COMESA country? and Yet COMESA is considered advanced in the ratifying movement of people protocols. Its really strange for Africa. But you are also a poor planner. How would you dare book a flight with an airline without understanding its rules. As you bought your KQ tickets, you must have read the itinerary that you had to go through SA and yet you had got what the rules require to pass though the same.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

...
written by Blackie, November 18, 2010

I hope you had carried a Yellow Fever Improvisation Certificate because you could still have been sent back. As a principle the article is right but as a person you don't seem to plan your journeys well. Sorry

• 
• +1
• 
• 

...
written by Major Adam Kifaliso, November 18, 2010

Andrew you must improve your online services of your paper , we are tired of 1 week late news update , online new is instant and read for the next one , NOTE you are loosing many comments from good people , so , Show us that you are better than m7 and you can deliver instant and quality information , we can even pay monthly subscription fee , for new news but not old news, keep informing us in line with events , we are not forensic readers , thanks Andrew and hope you keep up the sprit, Jah Bless

• 
• +1
• 
• 

...
written by moncler jackets women, November 18, 2010

Just saying thanks will not just be adequate, for the exceptional clarity in your writing. I will right away grab your rss feed to stay abreast of any updates. Genuine work and much success in your business enterprize!

• 
• -2
• 
• 

...
written by Margaret S. Maringa, November 18, 2010

Haaaaa..........Mwenda ............your problems are nothing ........compared to the harrassment being meted to my innocent relatives by your political friends. Nor have you been "rendered" across the Busia border like so many of my fellow Kenyans now permanently detained in your neighbourhood.

Even though I happen to be a mere woman -- you have not heard any whining from my direction !!!!!!!

• 
• +4
• 
• 

Africa Learn to Hold our Leaders to Account
written by CHARLES KINTU, November 19, 2010

People from rich countries are let through because they come from wealthy nations not because they are white, Many of these countries are rich because their people can hold their leaders to account.

The only solution to the kind of discrimination Mwenda is talking about is develop our economies. UNFORTUNATELY Africa cannot do that unless Africans learn to hold their leaders to account.It really amuses me to see that with all the corruption and abuse of office in Museveni's government people still flock to his rallies for another RAPE! If this Man Museveni was in Europe he would not be allowed be even a chairman of a tinny local council.

If you continue to vote thieves and despots do not complain when decent countries and even you own despots in Africa deny you visas.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

Africa Learn to Hold our Leaders to Account
written by CHARLES KINTU, November 19, 2010

People from rich countries are let through because they come from wealthy nations not because they are white, Many of these countries are rich because their people can hold their leaders to account.

The only solution to the kind of discrimination Mwenda is talking about is develop our economies. UNFORTUNATELY Africa cannot do that unless Africans learn to hold their leaders to account.It really amuses me to see that with all the corruption and abuse of office in Museveni's government people still flock to his rallies for another RAPE! If this Man Museveni was in Europe he would not be allowed be even a chairman of a tinny local council.

If you continue to vote thieves and despots do not complain when decent countries and even you own despots in Africa deny you visas.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Africa Learn to Hold our Leaders to Account
written by CHARLES KINTU, November 19, 2010

People from rich countries are let through because they come from wealthy nations not because they are white, Many of these countries are rich because their people can hold their leaders to account.

The only solution to the kind of discrimination Mwenda is talking about is develop our economies. UNFORTUNATELY Africa cannot do that unless Africans learn to hold their leaders to account.It really amuses me to see that with all the corruption and abuse of office in Museveni's government people still flock to his rallies for another RAPE! If this Man Museveni was in Europe he would not be allowed be even a chairman of a tinny local council.

If you continue to vote thieves and despots do not complain when decent countries and even you own despots in Africa deny you visas.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

We blacks are a selfish race
written by Kitwembula, November 19, 2010

Well Mwenda you didn't have it your way so what? First before you blame rules of discrimination in SA how come you ve not mentioned who the rulers are ? Are they white or black? Am not colour blind but I see that Zuma is black as me. I think we blacks hate one another and dislike eachother tahn any other race before you argue about racism check out tribalism, and also we blacks sold our own into slavery. The African Union is a joke when every person in Africa is always weary of someone else who is not from their tribe or country. Its a pity that neither independence nor God can deliver us from the mess we are in for we are a selfish race and we will always be.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

POLE SANA, ANDREAS!
written by OJA, November 19, 2010

I can imagine and feel a frustrated Andrew! Brother, you have not really said what you wanted to say because you are, I think, too angry. Pole sana, Mzee Andreas! The great Kenyan writer NGUGI WA THONGO SAYS AFRICANS NEED TO BE DECOLONISED FROM THEIR MINDS LEST THEY BEHAVE WORSE THAN COLONIALISTS OR FOREVER SUFFER FROM INFERIORITY COMPLEX! If we don't overcome this mental problem, we shall forever remain dwarfs and an abused lot! Organise a TED conference!

• 
• +3
• 
• 

...
written by ken, November 20, 2010

well said.. though the statement was later withdrawn a ugandan politician was right when he said that the African Union was & is, as of to date, a joke!

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Ms
written by saad angrie, November 20, 2010

I recently enquired at the S African embassy in the country where i live in the middle east whether i need a visa to travel to S Africa. I was told i need one. But a Turkish Cypriot with whom I work (he is white) recently travelled to S Africa, and did not have to apply for a visa before embarking on the journey and after arriving in S Africa. Africans give white people preferrential treatment and treat fellow Africans badly and unfairly. They need to get their act together.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Not Suprised - welcome to Africa
written by Caven, November 21, 2010

welcome to Africa...... we shall always potray our theoretical understanding of issues. i wouldnt be suprised if the immigration guys / politicians at large showed concern about the immigration controls being meted out to fellow africans and thereafter do nothing at it. AU, AMISOM, IGAD, SADC, EAC, am begining to suspect that these bodies are aimed at empowering the crooks in power who we have become used to. otherwise, why wouldnt they showcase their disgust for the phony controls yet they aim to serve the larger picture of regional intergration and development.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by jade, November 21, 2010

movement of black people in africa is a big challenge especially south africa, ;it amazes to find black south africans asking other blacks born in other parts of africa when they are going back ,indeed we are a selfish kind.remember kenya incident,genocide in rwanda, etc

when you cross examine most african countries you find abunch of borrowed admini system and visas is part of it. visa in africa protects western markets in our continent because we cannot easily move about to share skills and knowledge .during colonialism i dont remember colonialist acquiring visa to come to africa in otherwords we are still mentaly colonised.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

There are exceptions - Ask Tanzanians
written by herbert mugumya, November 21, 2010

Andrew, welcome to Africa. You stayed three days and couldn't reach your distiantion within Africa! and yet half of that time you're reach anywhere on the global? I couldn't help laughing at you! Now, let everyone know that this travel ban is against Ugandans who many times are a nuisance and abuse their stay in other countries. In South Africa, we have Ugandans living and practising witchcraft than anyother noble profession. How do these witches manage to enter SA? Just to let you know that any Tanzania pasport holder does not require a VISA to enter or transit SA as of 1st Nov 2010. We as Ugandans must change our image when we go out of Uganda. But please know that if we had better government, situation would be different.

• 
• +2
• 
• 

clinical officer
written by solomom mbabazi, November 21, 2010

hahaha...Had a similar experience with S.A immigration,wanted to go for world cup,had my ticket,paid accomaodation,return flight and was only going for three days!well the visa guy in the embassy, awhite guy called me for anterview and asked me to show reason that will leave after my match!was so infuriated and told him if i wanted kyeyo then S.A would be the last place,he looked art me and sayed why?well i told him if you had looked at my ugandan passport carefully,you would have noticed that i have a canadian permanent resident visa embedded there!he gave me the damn visa but was so pissed off and had the same thoughts,after all we done for them,why treat us like this especially in africa...well for i will nevere go back to S.A again!!!

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Blame the person who sold you the air ticket
written by Rose, November 22, 2010

Andrew you need to blame the person/ Airline who sold you the air ticket in the first place ,she/he should have checked all this before issuing you a ticket, even checking that the flight was going via JNB from Lusaka all this is in front of her on that computer by the way if they are really trained . Even you Andrew you can google all this information for free. So next time you want to travel google this information to avoid wasting your precious time and money sir.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Blame the person who sold you the air ticket
written by Rose, November 22, 2010

Andrew you need to blame the person/ Airline who sold you the air ticket in the first place ,she/he should have checked all this before issuing you a ticket, even checking that the flight was going via JNB from Lusaka all this is in front of her on that computer by the way if they are really trained . Even you Andrew you can google all this information for free. So next time you want to travel google this information to avoid wasting your precious time and money sir.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

A breath of fresh Air!
written by Momo, November 22, 2010

After all this Uganda - Rwanda comparison bull crap, you finally got back to your senses and thought of something more sensible to write about, thanks for sparing us the poppycock. This is a subject more worthy of reading and debating about. Thanks

• 
• -1
• 
• 

Visas are necessary all the same
written by Wambede Jimmy, November 22, 2010

Sorry for the inconvience you went through, Andrew. But in a world of drug trafficers, some of whom carry diplomatic passports, suicide bombers, "illegal" immigrants etc, authorities need to know who is entering their countries. You should have got a visa at the South African High Commision in Kampala to save yourself the trouble.
As for the descrimination of blacks by whites, or blacks against fellow blacks, both races or groups are still evolving to higher levels of civilisation. May be after another 100 years ( keeping other factors constant) there will be mutual respect between all blacks and whites.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

100% right
written by Moses, November 23, 2010

mwenda, do justice to yourself and accept that what south africa is doing is the right thing to do for any responsible nation.
A country like uganda which issues a diplomatic passport to questionable characters like Ezra how do you allow in its citizens without a though check? people sleep with billions in their houses & its business as usual. so the term money laundering is non existent! do you know the number of non ugandans in possesion of uganda passport? blame your irresponsible leaders who have instituionalised corruption hence made us all suspects.

• 
• +1
• 
• 

Some of these regulations don't make sense
written by Stephen twinoburyo, December 02, 2010

Hi Andrew

I live in South Africa and there are some rules that don't make sense. I am going to highlight this issue in some circles and I am starting by phoning into a current affairs talk radio right away.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment Preview