15 Jul 2015

Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA) has agreed with its sister ministry from South Africa to establish a pilot border crossing point in Tshidilamolomo effective September which will facilitate movement of people in the area.

There are two Tshidilamolomo villages situated on either side of the border with South Africa between villages of Mabule and Mmakgori in the Good Hope/Mabule constituency.

But with no designated border crossing point there, movement across the border by members of the community living in the two villages has always been difficult.

However, the two countries reached an agreement during a meeting between the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Mr Edwin Batshu and his South African counterpart Mr Malusi Gigaba to establish a pilot border crossing point for members of the community in the Tshidilamolomo villages.

The meeting held in Gaborone on Tuesday (July 14) was attended by top government  officials from the two countries.

Mr Gigaba said members of the two communities “overwhelmingly” expressed that they wanted a border crossing point to be opened between the two villages a long time ago.

During the meeting both ministries shared ideas and initiatives on modernization of migration systems, and gave feedback on computerization of ports of entry and exits between the two countries.

Mr Batshu said Botswana has managed to computerise six of its border posts with South Africa and was in the process of computerising four more this financial year.

Those that have been computerised are the Tlokweng, Pioneer, Martins Drift and Ramatlabama border posts, while Middle pits, Bray and Plaatjan would be computerised this financial year.

There are a total of 16 border posts between the two countries. Mr Batshu said computerising border posts would help to combat movement of criminals across the borders. It was also agreed during the meeting to tighten the process of issuance of temporary /emergency travel documents by both countries. Ends