05 Feb 2020

Management at the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs has been implored to come up with innovative ways of addressing the ministry’s challenges.

Officiating at the ministry’s seven-day Strategy Review and Annual Performance Plan Retreat for the 2020/2021 financial year on February 4, Minister Anna Mokgethi said the interventions would help to combat other emerging challenges such as vulnerabilities of the ministry’s system and processes, which could allow criminal activities to go undetected.

Such activities, she said included illegal immigration, human trafficking, money laundering, bribery and fraud.   

However, the minister acknowledged her ministry management’s commitment to fighting corruption in all its manifestations, saying there were a few reported cases of corrupt practices across the ministry. 

During the 2019/2020 financial year, she said 137 officers were trained in corruption prevention measures. 

“This resonates well with President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s roadmap and I urge you to spread the ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption’ message to all our officers and stakeholders. 

For my part, I commit to provide you with all the support you need as we strive to take our country to the next level,” she added.

She also encouraged her ministry management to come up with robust strategies that could enable them to forge ahead and achieve the ministry’s mandate.

“We should use this retreat to share and exchange our experiences, but at the same time critique ourselves candidly. 

When we deliberate, let’s not withhold things, because if you withhold, you are denying us the opportunity to learn from that experience and come up with a better solution.  

So, as we critique our processes and procedures, let us do that with the hope of improving our internal processes,” she added. 

Ms Mokgethi said she believed that by the end of the retreat, the ministry would have a comprehensive annual plan with implementation targets and time lines, as well as tools to measure progress. 

She stressed that it was imperative that the outcome of the strategic planning session addressed and added value to the achievement of the goals of the National Development Plan 11, Vision 2036, Sustainable Development Goals, as well as implement the President’s Roadmap. 

This, she said would help realise the ministry’s mandate and to deliver on other government priority areas, as the ministry was charged with safeguarding the national identity of every Motswana, facilitating movement of people across borders, regulating residence permits and promoting gender equality.

Since her ministry provided people-centred services, Minister Mokgethi said that should also form the basis of everything the ministry did, expressing delight that the ministry had made notable achievements such as the adjustment and abolishment of VISA fees in certain categories and introduction of payment for VISA in convertible foreign currency. 

These measures, she said, would go a long way in enabling the country to compete with the region and the rest of the world in areas of trade, investment and tourism. 

“It is our duty as a ministry to continuously monitor our systems, processes and procedures to determine areas that can be tweaked to improve service delivery,” she stressed.

Currently, Minister Mokgethi said the ministry was also reviewing some of the legislations that legitimised its operations to better serve the public, such as the Marriage Act, CAP:29:01, Change of Name Act, CAP:15:02, Married Persons Property Act, CAP:29:03 and Immigration Act and Societies Act. 

During the 2019/2020 financial year, she said her ministry also developed Gender Based Violence (GBV) Standard Operating Procedures for Botswana Police Service, Education Sector and for psycho-social support and care. 

Additionally, she said the ministry conducted a Training of Trainers on the same, for key GBV safe providers, being; social workers, health service providers, police officers and education officers, to ensure effective utilisation of the Standard Operating Procedures, 

Setting the tone for the retreat, the ministry permanent secretary, Ms Kebonye Moepeng, commended the ministry staff for being passionate about delivering quality services.  

“I know that I am blessed with ladies and gentlemen who are eager to do their work and who are loyal, dedicated and forever supportive to ensuring that we deliver our mandate,” she said.

She also expressed gratitude that the ministry staff ensured that, during the 2019 general elections, every Motswana who was eligible to vote had the national identity card ‘which we all know that is a gateway to ensuring that we do have smooth elections.’

“We are also aware that we have been entrusted to safeguard our public in terms of safety and security and I believe that we have been doing that quite well, because we are responsible for ensuring that people who enter Botswana are desirable persons. 

And in the past year, we never had undesirable persons entering our ports of entry, thanks to this team,” she added.

The retreat, meant to help the ministry determine the appropriate strategic direction that will guide its operations over the course of the next financial year, is also attended by ministry deputy permanent secretary, Mr Bome Matshaba and Public Service Reforms coordinator, Dr Omponye Kereteletswe.  ENDS