01 Nov 2023

Migration brings with it many complex challenges, among them human rights issues, economic opportunity, labour shortages and unemployment.

Speaking during the opening of a week-long capacity building workshop for the 12th Parliament in Gaborone on October 30, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms Barbara Dithapo said that even though migration was a challenge in the whole of Africa, Southern Africa in particular saw an increase in the prevalence of irregular migration which included women and unaccompanied minors.

Ms Dithapo cited a recent incident in which a truck carrying 40 undocumented persons, allegedly en route to South Africa, was intercepted by Botswana Police at Kazungula border.

“This is an indication that human trafficking may be more prevalent than we think and may be ongoing right under our noses,” she cautioned.

She said considering such circumstances, it was the right time to equip legislators with knowledge on issues of migration to enable them to make informed input into the ongoing processes aimed at improving migration related legislation.

On the issue of climate change, Ms Dithapo said that of late, the country faced intense heat waves with temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius, which signalled the impact of global warming.

“A United Nations report foresees a future with possibly deadlier and more frequent heat related humanitarian emergencies. This is evidence that climate change is having an impact on our countries, and if we do not act now the situation will only get worse,” she said.

She said that such emergencies required humanitarian responses and partnerships between legislators, government, civil society and other development partners.

She urged MPs to use every available opportunity to discuss the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

Ms Dithapo said that this was because reported cases of violence against children continued to rise.

“Violence Against Children Study of 2018 reported that about 10 per cent of females and five per cent males aged 13 to 17 years experienced sexual violence, and the police were reported to have dealt with more than 2 300 abuse cases of children below 15 years between 2020 and 2022,” she said.

She said that the report also showed that incidents of children dropping out of school due to sexual harassment were on the rise, and that more worrisome was the increase in non-reporting or under-reporting of child abuse in Botswana.

The two day workshop was held to strengthen MPs legislative and oversight role on issues of migration, climate change and children-based budget. ENDS