13 Aug 2026

Botswana and South Africa have reaffirmed commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation, with both countries recognising the relationship as an important pillar of the broader bilateral ties.

Speaking during a courtesy call by the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, in Gaborone on Tuesday, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, said the two countries had a shared responsibility to ensure that the relationship continued to grow in depth, scope and practical impact.

He said cooperation between the armed forces demonstrated a collective commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.

Minister Mohwasa said the contributions made by Botswana, South Africa and other SADC member states through the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was an example of what could be achieved through regional solidarity and collective action.

He said lessons learnt from SAMIM should continue to inform future cooperation, noting that the mission was neither the beginning nor the end of the two countries’ mutual defence cooperation.

Rather, he said, it had strengthened the foundation for continued collaboration and enhanced their ability to respond collectively, where necessary, to emerging regional security challenges and peace support operations.

“Our Government has officially passed legislation providing for the establishment of a domestic defence industry. As Botswana is relatively new to this sector, we recognise the importance of learning from countries that have developed established defence-industrial capacities,” he said.

Minister Mohwasa said South Africa had experience and expertise in the defence industry and expressed confidence that Botswana could benefit from technical cooperation, guidance and experience from the

South African side as it developed its domestic defence industry.

“We would particularly welcome opportunities for the exchange of expertise, capacity building and technical cooperation in this area. We consider this another potential avenue through which our defence partnership can evolve beyond traditional cooperation,” he said.

He further said South Africa remained a vital strategic partner for Botswana in matters relating to peace and security.

For his part, General Maphwanya said Botswana and South Africa shared common economic interests and had demonstrated their ability to adopt a common approach when confronted with challenges such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

He said they shared a lot with Botswana as they had Exercise Dune for desert military training, wildlife project which focuses on protecting threatened big cats and rhinos. ENDS