29 Nov 2018

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Unity Dow has appreciated the diplomatic role played by the Namibia High Commissioner, Mr Mbapeua Muvangua during his time in Botswana.

Bidding Mr Muvangua farewell on November 27, Dr Dow lauded him for having strengthened cooperation between the two countries and leaving an indelible mark bolstering bilateral relations where he facilitated major treaties.

She said the highlight of his work in Botswana was the signing of the Border Treaty in 2018, adding that the territorial border of Namibia and Botswana was partly in the river and therefore more often than not it was very difficult to decide where the border should be placed. 

“Once the coordinates were mapped out and agreed upon by the two countries this alleviated any conflicts that may arise,” she said.

Further, Minister Dow said under Mr Muvangua’s tenure, there was continuity of accords which were signed by his predecessors in various sectors of the economy such as, education where Batswana teachers were employed to teach Setswana in Namibia schools, health, tourism and in areas of defence and security.

She highlighted that Namibia was a critical development partner to Botswana on account of its proximity to the seaport. Therefore, she said, it was pertinent to continue to strengthen cordial relations between the two countries for the benefit of the people in the two countries.

She said another milestone of note was the ratification of the Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation (KAZA) agreement between Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia. 

She reasoned that the agreement covered the area as one of the largest tourism protected areas in the world which spread over 444 000 square kilometres of land. 

“This is one of the largest economic tourism which if managed prudently could immensely bring economic benefits for the five countries,” she said.

Dr Dow reiterated that bilateral relations between Botswana and Namibia had been fruitful, adding that the two countries had signed many bilateral agreements since the start of the relations dating back to 1946. 

This, she said, attested to the strong bilateral ties that the duo continued to enjoy over the years. 

For his part, Muvangua, who came to Botswana in 2015, noted that Botswana had supported Namibia over the years and that it had been an honour for him to serve in the country.

 “I interacted with people from all walks of life here,” he said adding that during his tenure he supported various events across the country where he learnt about Botswana and realised the similarities between Botswana and Namibia cultures.

Moreover, the ambassador said, Botswana shared strong values of democracy and good governance systems with Namibia.

To consolidate the bilateral relations, he said, there had been high-level visits between leaders of the two countries. 

He said President Hage Geingob recently visited Botswana, adding that early this year former President Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama visited Namibia where the two countries signed the Water Treaty. 

He advanced that when President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi ascended to office, the first country he visited was Namibia where the two countries agreed to move from Joint Commission of Cooperation to a Bi-National Commission, which was currently at the draft stage.

The Bi-National Commission, he said, would be hosted and chaired by the two heads of state on a rotational basis, he said, adding that he leaves the agreement at a draft stage.

He stated that the two countries had vowed to cooperate on issues of defence and security, interventions against Trans-border crimes, control of animal diseases and facilitation of the movement of people between the two countries. 

The event was attended by heads of diplomatic missions, permanent secretaries, Bank of Botswana Governor Mr Moses Pelaelo, international organisations and heads of parastatals as well as  senior government officials.ENDS