02 Sep 2014

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, Mrs Segakweng Tsiane, has commended the Botswana/Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security (JPCDS) for successfully implementing the resolutions of the last session.


Speaking at the meeting of officials of the 19th Session of Botswana/Zambia JPCDS in Gaborone on Tuesday September 2, Ms Tsiane said the Kazungula bridge project which was one of the biggest regional projects under implementation.


She said the project was not only important to the two countries, but to the entire SADC region. He said upon its completion the bridge would support the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, which connects the sea ports in the eastern part of the region to the western part.


Ms Tsiane said they look forward to the establishment of a one-stop-border-post that would facilitate efficient movement of goods and persons between SADC and other regions.


She said as officials of the two countries they ensured that the project was completed on time, on cost and on quality, which she said were the key tenets of efficiency and effectiveness.

She said they had an obligation to ensure this achievement as the citizens of the two countries were anxious to be serviced by the bridge.
 The permanent secretary said besides the citizens, there were also stakeholders who would like to achieve value for money on the investment they had made on the project which its groundbreaking ceremony will be on September 12.


She said the other significant achievement from the JPC relates to a meeting held between the two countries security agencies, together with those of Namibia and Zimbabwe, the outcome of which was revitalization of anti-poaching strategies and re-engineering of joint operations.


Ms Tsiane said such cooperation and operational alignment between the four countries security agencies should send a clear message to local and external poachers that the four countries have unity of purpose to protect the wild resources, which were source of revenue through tourism, especially in the Chobe-Zambezi area.


Touching on the challenges, Ms Tsiane said currently they were faced with the outbreak of Ebola and said the devastating effect of the disease related to the speed of mortality and spread from one country to another.


She said the disease posed the greatest risk to the already strained human resource capacity in Africa, particularly as it also affects and kills the health professionals, who are often a beacon of hope to the sick and their families.


Regarding the political and governance level, it is notable that the region continues to conduct peaceful elections.


For her part the Zambian Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Defence Ms Rose Salukatula said the continued interaction between Botswana/Zambia defence and security institutions was a testimony of the importance that the two governments attach to the general well-being and inter-state security of its people and the two countries at large.


Ms Salukatula implored the defence and security of the two countries to deepen their relations by exploring more areas of cooperation and ensure continued peace and security along the common border as well as within the two states.


She urged member institutions of this commission to enhance their cooperation in fighting transnational crime, including illegal migration, money laundering, poaching, smuggling, as well as drug and human trafficking.


She challenged all the participating officials to utilise the forum to explore new ways of addressing various defence and security problems affecting the two countries. Ends