19 Mar 2026

Government fully recognises the importance of upgrading borders into commercial border post to support logistical supply chains that are critical for regional integration  and to act as a catalyst for economic activity and development of communities surrounding such infrastructure. 

Answering a question in Parliament on Wednesday, Vice President and Minister of Finance, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe, said government aimed to establish additional commercial border facilities to generate new trade routes with a view to open Botswana to the world trade markets and to distribute traffic flows for enhanced seamless cross border movements. 

Mr Gaolathe stated that the intention was to convert Platjan Border Post in the Bobirwa constituency into a commercial border post. 

“Botswana did engage South Africa on the matter as far back as 2018. However, South Africa cited insignificant movement of persons across the border thus negating the proposal to convert the border in this regard,” he said. 

He noted that commercialisation of Platjan Border Post was a strategic intervention to redistribute and optimise regional freight flow to relieve the current congestions experienced at Martin’s Drift Border Post.  He added that the development would ensure that Botswana added a critical route for cargo feeding into Zimbabwe and Zambia, extending to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania along North South Transport Corridor. 

“South Africa was not keen on the matter and it was removed from agenda. The only development that was carried forward on the agenda was the development of a new bridge across the Limpopo River at this border,” he said. 

He told Parliament that the next Bi-National Commission is scheduled for May 21, and the intention was to resuscitate the engagement on the matter given that it had the potential to relieve the traffic congestion at the Martin’s Drift Border Post. 

Bobirwa MP, Mr Taolo Lucas, had wanted to know if there were any plans to upgrade borders in the Bobirwa constituency to commercial status, and if so, state the progress recorded so far in actualising such plan. ENDS