The Ministry for State President, Defence and Security has committed to undertake comprehensive benchmarking exercises on border management security, studying best practices from jurisdictions that have successfully established border management agencies. 

Responding to a question in Parliament,  Minister Moeti Mohwasa said the benchmarking exercises would help determine the need for continuous review of border management capabilities to address the evolving nature of cross-border threats that were on the rise.

Minister Mohwasa said while the establishment of a dedicated border patrol management authority remained under consideration, the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and Botswana Police Service continued to execute their primary mandate of border security with vigilance. 

Recognising that transboundary crime cannot be tackled in isolation, the minister said on February 21, he led a high-level bilateral engagement with the South African Minister of Defence and military veterans.

“We agreed to develop an urgent, structured Bilateral Security Cooperation Model which includes formal intelligence-sharing mechanisms between defence, border management and intelligence authorities, joint early-warning systems to detect security vulnerabilities along the two states’ common border, coordinated response protocols for cross-border criminal activities and disease outbreaks and a high-level technical meeting within two weeks in Mafikeng to finalise this framework and operational protocols,” he said. 

He added that while in South Africa, he also held a separate engagement with the head of the South African Border Management Authority and discussed several border management issues affecting the two countries, including a proposal to have some border posts operating on a 24-hour basis to facilitate efficient movement of people and goods while enhancing security controls during off-peak hours.

 Mr Mohwasa also said on February 25, he officiated a meeting of Southern African Police Chiefs from all countries sharing borders with Botswana Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, specifically dedicated to collaborative solutions for cross-border crime.

 “These bilateral and multilateral steps demonstrate our commitment to a proactive and collaborative approach to border security with all our neighbour,” he said. 

He further indicated that establishing a new Authority was a complex undertaking that involved significant legal, financial and administrative considerations. He highlighted that the process required thorough assessment to ensure that any new structure did not duplicate the existing roles and responsibilities of current security organs, including the BDF, BPS and Directorate of Intelligence and Security, immigration and Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS).

“Government is committed to ensuring any new structure adds tangible value to the national security architecture and that the ministry is actively exploring all options to ensure a cohesive and whole-of-government approach,” he said. 

Mr Mohwasa also said discussions with South Africa and Namibia following benchmarking visits would collectively inform the future structure of Botswana’s domestic border management arrangements.

Member of Parliament for Okavango East, Mr Gabatsholwe Disho had asked the minister to state steps intended to address cross-border crime in the absence of a fully functioning border patrol management authority. 

Mr Disho also wanted to know why the border patrol management authority had not yet been set up and when the ministry intended to set it up or a similar agency in that respect. ENDS