02 Apr 2014

The Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2014 No. 28 of 2013 that was recently presented to Parliament passed committee stage on April 1.

Responding to MPs debates on the bill, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said he was thankful of MPs feedback and comments on different laws such as the citizenship law.

He said for someone to be given permanent residence, one should have stayed in the country for five years, regardless of the kind of investment that one brought into the country. He said issues of hatred among Batswana and foreigners was dealt with and encouraged MPs to preach the message to their electorates.

Mr Batshu said his ministry was working around the clock to be at par with the developments and changes that were coming along with the relocation of Diamond Trading Company to Gaborone.

He said Botswana was interested in investors coming into the country, but noted that procedures should be followed accordingly. He said the ministry wished Botswana to be a destination of choice, but noted that they were curbing such incidences that would make the country a haven for criminals.

Minister Batshu also said the ministry introduced the point based system was introduced in regional immigration selection committees to for purposes of uniformity in their assessments at regional offices

Earlier on, Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi said he did not appreciate it when MPs trivialised Immigration matters on the floor of Parliament.

He said he did agree with allegations that there was some kind of a sinister club that procured properties of the deported prohibited immigrants. Mr Masisi said he was aware that there were attempts to popularise perceptions that were fundamentally flawed about security issues.

He said he went to an extent of asking MPs to avail to him what they perceived to be sufficient evidence to convince him of the perceptions of use they held instead of spreading gossip.

“To perpetuate what might amount to a smear campaign of an agency as important as DIS is unfair, this house deserves a higher level of responsibility,” he said.

Mr Masisi said some of the cases that were presented by MPs were comprehensively followed through and noted that it was intriguing for members who used to know the importance of DIS to turn up against it. Mr Masisi said Botswana deserved the stability and sustenance of the track record it has always been known for.

Mahalapye East MP, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso questioned the rationale behind refusing to give non-citizens residence permits, especially those that stayed in the country for more than 20years.

She said most of these people were in joint ventures with Batswana and in most cases had the technical know-how that Batswana do not have.

She said there was an outcry that such people were discriminated against, especially when such people have not had any criminal records.

Francistown West MP, Dr Habaudi Hubona decried discrimination at borders. She said people residing at border towns like Francistown were exposed to diversity of multi-people who do not only speak Setswana and were ill-treated especially at Ramokgwebana Border Post.

She appealed to the minister to address the problem by setting up a system that will pursue issues such as the one on multiplicity of languages spoken.

Gaborone North MP, Keletso Rakhudu said some Immigration laws were too rigid for investors and people seeking to work in Botswana.

He also questioned why regional selection boards were not uniform because the questions they asked for processing of permits were different from one office to another. ENDS