23 Jul 2017

Lobatse Immigration chief, Ms Lopang Thebe has encouraged Batswana to ensure safe keeping of their passports as they bear some details of national security, which need to be protected from possible perpetrators.

“Passports bear national security details which need to be protected from possible criminals who need them across the world.”

Speaking at a consultative meeting at Woodhall ward recently, Ms Thebe said they were concerned at the rate at which people lose their passports in addition to taking safety of their passports for granted.

“If passports fall into the hands of possible criminals, the safety of our boarders and travelling of Batswana across the globe might be seriously compromised,” she warned.

She said other countries in the southern African region had always ensured that passport safety was a priority.

Ms Thebe said making a passport was a costly process and government ends up incurring more costs when re-producing the passports.

She stressed the importance of reporting lost passports on time and the requirement was such that those who lost theirs should stay at least a year without applying for replacement. ENDS