26 Mar 2020

Normally one of the country’s busiest ports of entry, the Tlokweng border gate on Wednesday was devoid of its normal lengthy queue of travelling citizens as the police, health and immigration officials in the frontline of Botswana’s war against Coronavirus worked to enforce new regulations. 

On Tuesday, Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane announced the latest measures to curb infections and the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which included restrictions of travel to neighbouring countries, and mandatory 14-day quarantine for those returning from South Africa.

Botswana Police Service Deputy Divisional Commander, Assistant Commissioner Reginald Matlhamo, who is leading the police battalion deployed to the border, told BOPA that the situation started to calm down a day after the new restrictions were announced.

“Things had started to normalise on Wednesday morning, after a busy Tuesday when the new measures had just come into effect. Many people then were still unaware of new restrictions on Tuesday, there was a lot of movement of people seeking to travel to South Africa, and many others returning.  We had to explain to people, and some were initially resistant as we escorted them to quarantine facilities,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner Matlhamo shared his experience of leading the very first group of people who were sent for quarantine at the IDM campus in Gaborone, and said despite the uneasiness of some of those being sent for isolation, the situation was well handled in the circumstances.

“We led those who were returning to the quarantine, and while there were people who complained about the facilities, health authorities including doctors and senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness were there to address their complaints.  When some people needed immediate assistance, they were sent to the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital for better monitoring,” Assistant Commissioner Matlhamo said.

He added that given the global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including claiming huge casualties in developed countries such as Italy, and the sharp rise in cases in neighbouring South Africa, Batswana should adhere to the measures announced by government.

For his part, Mr Obakeng Kgosiethata, Officer in Charge of the Port Health facility at the Tlokweng border gate, also said that after a frenetic Tuesday, the situation had become better on Wednesday, though they still had to assist those transporting essential goods.

“We are working as a team; the health sector, immigration, the police and the revenue collection authorities.  Under the new regulations we only allow those citizens and non-citizens who are transporting essential goods in and out of the country. People are screened and we assess each case and some have been turned back. We take the contacts of those we let in, and hand them instructions on how to prevent the possible spread of the virus,” he said.

Mr Kgosiethata said they also allowed those non-citizen truck drivers who were transporting goods in transit from South Africa to other neighbouring states to pass through, though as authorities they were still working on modalities of how to ensure they properly trace them during their passage through Botswana.

“We took the decision from a higher authority that had to be implemented with immediate effect, and as such, some of the details such as monitoring of those in transit to provide goods to sister states is something we are yet to complete,” he said. Ends