24 Feb 2022

The Botswana-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission is an important forum for both nations to identify areas of mutually beneficial interest, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Lemogang Kwape has said.

“There are many areas of cooperation we are interested in pursuing. There is a railway we have been proposing to construct across the two countries to ease the flow of goods and services. There is also the Kazungula Bridge, constructed by Botswana and Zambia, but with Zimbabwe initially meant to be part of the project, we could decide how they may play a part,” Dr Kwape said in an interview Wednesday.

In the field of education, he said there was a lot Botswana could learn from Zimbabwe revealing that Botswana had recently engaged Zimbabwean educators with a view to making the country’s education relevant to the modern economy.

 Dr Kwape described the third session of the commission, which kicked off in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe this week,  as an opportunity for the two countries to deepen bilateral ties. 

He said high level delegations of ministers and senior government officials from both countries accompanying presidents Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa to the session signified the seriousness with which the two countries regarded ties between them. 

After senior government officials’ meetings earlier in the week, Dr Kwape and his Zimbabwean counterpart Mr Frederick Shava led a ministerial session yesterday, paving the way for today’s heads of state meeting. 

Ahead of the ministerial session, Dr Kwape said having ministers representing a wide range of portfolios in attendance testified to the broad nature of cooperation sought.

"We are interested in better movement of people and labour between the two countries, improving the flow of goods, such as possibly routing our coal or soda ash through Zimbabwe for export, better transport links and how to best utilise Zambezi River for projects such as the Pandamatenga Agro-project without harming the ecosystem which benefits our countries and sister states such as Zambia. 

On all issues we need synergy," Dr Kwape said. 

The two states would also  explore means of better outcomes in the management of contentious issues such as illegal immigration, cattle rustling, Foot and Mouth Disease and cross border wildlife migration.

Today’s heads of state meeting, which wraps up the week-long session, is expected to cover implementation of signed agreements and MOUs, trade and investment, immigration, energy and water security, tourism, wildlife conservation, transport and infrastructure, youth, sport and culture as well as labour and employment. ends