13th October 2021
Sello Motseta
On the eve of a legal case of 4 ‘fisherman/poachers’ from Namibia killed by Botswana Defence Force(BDF) along the Chobe River, the country’s Ministry of International Affairs and Co-operation has rejected outright allegations historical relations between these two neighbouring countries has soured with the pursuit of a belligerent ‘’shoot to kill policy,’ against alleged poachers.’
With no physical boundaries between the two countries except the obvious danger of encountering crocodiles and hippo there are no fences on either side, to deter villagers in boundary villages like Kasika who often fish in these areas from straying into ‘hostile territory.’’
However, officials from both countries have been quick to deny any suggestions that consultations in those areas with villagers in recent weeks have been designed to warn rural communities about the dangers of straying into foreign soils given Botswana’s hard line approach against poachers.
“The authorities of the two countries, particularly the wildlife and law enforcement authorities, continuously engage in joint patrols and outreach programmes for the communities along the border. The outreach programmes are meant to provide awareness on the Governments’ policies and initiatives to the communities,” said Dr. Lemogang Kwape, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation.
He said, “There is no tension and diplomatic ‘tiff’ between Botswana and Namibia. As you are aware, the two countries continue to have High-Level exchanges and official visits.”
Botswana and Namibia are both signatories to a Border Reaffirmation Agreement signed in 2018 and insist that there are no official disputed areas between the two countries.
Kwape maintained the goodwill between the two neighbouring countries is also reflected in that the two countries virtually held the 6th Session of their Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation from 16th-18th February 2021, and most recently, the 29th Session of their Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security from 13th-16th September 2021, in Walvis Bay, Namibia.
Botswana officials say these joint cooperation mechanisms have since been elevated to a Bi-National Commission (BNC), during the course of the year.
“This is clear evidence of the strong bonds of friendship and fruitful cooperation that subsist between the two countries,” revealed Kwape.
Kwape conceded that whenever there is a poaching incident, especially one that leads to loss of life, thorough investigations are always conducted as demonstrated by the recent joint investigations into the shooting incident where the matter is expected to be heard in court in soon.
He insisted co-operation against poaching is now beginning to yield positive results.
“It should be understood that most poachers are heavily armed and in some cases with sophisticated weaponry such as automatic machine guns. It should be noted that there is a satisfactory decline in poaching activities in the Zambezi/Chobe area. The decline is attributed to the fact that the Namibian Defence Force has also deployed a unit along the Chobe, Linyanti and Kwando areas of Zambezi region to combat poaching, organised crime and transnational crimes,” said Kwape.
The two countries allegedly found it necessary to discuss cross-border concerns and challenges faced by the communities living along the common riverine border in recent weeks.
According to Botswana officials, the intention was allegedly to engender peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness amongst the communities on both sides of the river.
Namibian officials are however, loathe to provide specific responses to queries on the alleged border tensions with Botswana electing to refer queries to a joint statement of the 29th Namibia-Botswana Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security.
They also refer to the Ministerial Address in the National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia on l5 September 2021, by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relation and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia.
The Commission had urged the two countries to expedite the implementation of the Agreement on the Facilitation of Persons residing in lmpalila lsland and Kasika Villages and have it operational by December 2021. The Commission further urged the two countries to finalize the establishment of the Joint Technical Committee on the use of National ldentity Cards for cross border travel.
The Commission also urged the two countries to expedite the consultations and implementation on the issue of the twenty four (24) hours operation and one Stop Border Post (osBP) Concept at Mamuno/TransKalahari Border Posts.
It has also called for the harmonisation of the Fisheries Legislations, expedite consultations on the Boundary Treaty processes and formalisation of the working relations between the Veterinary Authorities amongst civil servants often slow to implement agreed government policies.
Asser Kuveri Kapere, Namibian High Commissioner to Botswana, said “The Mission wishes to inform that the questions have been addressed through the Communique on the Joint Visit to the Zambezi Region of Namibia and the Chobe District of Botswana by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia, and the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Botswana.”
