10 Nov 2017

Parliament has been told that the border fence along the South Eastern side (Tlokweng-Ramotswa area) separating Botswana and South Africa is to be maintained in the financial year 2018/19. 

Answering a question in Parliament from MP for Tlokweng, Mr Kenneth Segokgo recently, Assistant Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Ituemeleng Moipisi said the fence was last maintained in 1994 by South Africa as per the existing international boundary Treaty of 1973, which places the responsibility for maintenance on the South African government. 

He said the arrangement, according to the Treaty, is that South Africa undertakes maintenance of the boundary fence and bills Botswana government half the maintenance costs. 

Minister Moipisi however, said discussions are ongoing to review this arrangement. 

He further explained that there was no direct correlation between the absence of the borderline fence and cross border crime, noting that in most cases, perpetrators of cross border crime used gazetted ports of entry. 

MP Segokgo had asked the Minister when the border fence along the South African side (Tlokweng-Ramotswa area) separating Botswana and South Africa would be mended and maintained. 

The legislator had also asked when the fence was last maintained, if at all, and whether the absence of the fence in some parts of the borderline increased and encouraged incidences of cross border crime; if so, what were the nature of crimes committed and their severity. ENDS