03 Jan 2018

A widowed parent travelling with a minor is required to produce a death certificate of the deceased parent as a replacement of an affidavit in order to cross the border with the minor.

An immigration officer at Sikwane Border Post, Ms Lilian Saitsoketsa said in an interview that a Zimbabwean national travelling with a minor was refused entry into Botswana because she did not possess a death certificate of her deceased husband, who was also the father to her minor.

Ms Saitsoketsa explained that the new Immigration Amendment Law required that if one of the parents was deceased, the remaining parent should produce a death certificate in order to cross the border with the minor aged below 16 years.

A total of 2 021 both citizens and non-citizens used the Sikwane Border Post since December 29 last year to January 2 this year.  They include 1 007 arrivals and 1 014 departures of both citizens and non-citizens.

Ms Saitsoketsa explained that people were cooperative during the festive season, and that the border experienced less congestion this time around.

Meanwhile, Tlokweng Border Gate experienced an increase by 15 153 both departures and arrivals since December 24 last year to January 2 this year as compared to the same period in 2016/2017.

Chief immigration officer at the border, Mr Kedumetse Lepang said in an interview that 23 314 people, both citizens and non-citizens, used the border since December 24 to January 2 this year as compared to 37 006 who used the same border in 2016/2017 during the same period.

He explained that during the same period there were 12 314 Batswana who arrived in the country while 11 000 departed the country into South Africa as compared to 7 049 and 6 267 who arrived and departed during the same period in 2016/2017 respectively.

Mr Lepang attributed the increase to a number of activities taking place in South Africa such as church services and music festivals during the festive season.

He said the border experienced a huge number of people crossing the border on both sides two weeks before the festive season which might have also contributed to the increase in the figure.

However, he said the number of people travelling without the required documentation for minors was constantly decreasing attributing this to public education campaigns over the media.

Still at the Tlokweng border, police arrested a Zimbabwean national who attempted to cross the border into Botswana with bottles of Broncleer cough syrup.

Sub Inspector Direlang Moabi of Tlokweng police base at Tlokweng border confirmed the incident, saying the man was arrested on December 23 carrying 400 and 93 bottles of the cough syrup which were found in the dash board of his car.

Broncleer is a common cough syrup that contains codeine, alcohol content, and is known as “Bronco” in the streets. The container clearly states that overdose can cause hypo tension, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and a coma among others.

He said the man claimed that he was going to sell the medication in Zimbabwe, adding that the police suspect the medication was going to be sold at the Gaborone Bus Rank where there were reports of it being used as a drug substitute because of its high alcohol content.

Ramotswa Border Post also recorded an increase in the number of people using the border as compared to last year between December 29 last year and January 1 this year.

Principal immigration officer at the border, Ms Maureen Moetlo said there has been an increase by 2 953 of people using the border from last year’s figure.

She explained that last year 6 472 citizens and non-citizens used the border as compared to 9 425 of the people who used the border during the same period (December 29, 2016/2017 – December 29, 2017 to December 29, 2017 to Jan 1, 2018).

The border recorded 3 703 arrivals of citizens and 733 arrivals of non-citizens between December 29, 2017 to January 1, 2018 and a further 4 105 departure of citizens and 884 of non-citizens during the same period.

Ms Moetlo explained that they recorder three cases of parents travelling with minors who did not possess affidavits for those minors, but they were later accorded access to cross after the affidavits from the consent parents were faxed to the border. Ends