03 Mar 2022

Re-opening of border posts requires further consultation with border agents, legislators have been told. 

That was a response by Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi to some legislators’ plea to her to consider reopening some borders during a debate of the ministry’s proposed budget for the 2022/2023 financial year on Wednesday.

Minister Mokgethi told them that the decision to reopen border posts did not lie on her ministry alone as it involved many stakeholders, including border agents such as the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), Ministry of Health and Wellness and neighbouring countries sharing the border with Botswana.

“As much as closure of the border posts had affected border trade, legislators should understand that the decision to re-open closed borders involves many stakeholders. 

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is critical, particularly during this period of COVID-19 pandemic to help mitigate the spread of the virus,” she added.

However, she indicated that the issue of reopening borders was at some point discussed with the South African counterparts, but a consensus was reached to open the Bokspits border post only. 

On the legislators’ concerns about the dilapidated infrastructure at some border posts, Ms Mokgethi said plans were underway to refurbish buildings and staff houses, adding, however, that maintenance of roads at the borders did not fall in her portfolio, including transformation of Sikwane border post to a commercial entity.

In addition, she said Botswana was still in talks with Namibia to establish a one-stop border post at Mamuno.

On other issues, Minister Mokgethi explained that the women empowerment funding was suspended in 2017 because her ministry had capacity constraints in terms of staffing.

She added that monitoring and evaluation was among challenges that affected the programme, thus urged women across the country to seek funding from other government programmes such as Mabogo Dinku to start businesses and improve their livelihoods.

Regarding gender-based violence (GBV), Ms Mokgethi said more needed to be done to fight gender-based violence, hence the ministry’s intent to focus on gender programming in collaboration with other key stakeholders including the Men Sector and Botswana Re-Integration of Offenders, among others.

She also emphasised the need to include men and boys in such programmes and further teach them about gender equality, effects of gender-based violence and how they could avoid being perpetrators.

“We should have a comprehensive sexuality education not only aimed at learners, but also trickle down to Parents Teachers Association and caretakers so that all parties are on the same level,” she said.

She further emphasised the importance of having gender audit as well as mainstreaming in all ministries.

Some legislators had pleaded with the minister to reopen border posts, arguing that closure had affected their constituents as well as cross-border trade.

They also complained that the closure of some border posts had exacerbated illegal border crossings and cross border crime.

In other issues, legislators raised concern about the Inter-Ministerial Committee on gender-based violence, arguing that it was not functioning to their expectation. 

They also needed an update on the women empowerment funding. ends