He said that South Africa and Zimbabwe are conniving with some companies not to use the railway line that passes through Botswana even when they are transporting goods to Zambia.
He said Botswana is the nearest and cheapest route to Zambia but the two countries complicate matters to make it impossible to use the Botswana Railway especially when transporting fuel. He was concerned about the lack of regional cooperation and urged the ministry to do something to maintain good relations with neighbouring countries. However, the Minister for Works and Transport Lesego Motsumi explained that the countries have started using the railway line.
MP for Gaborone North, Keletso Rakhudu shared the same sentiments with Molebatsi and insisted that, “we don’t have friends in the Southern Africa region”. Rakhudu said Botswana must work hard to reach out to other parts of Africa. He noted with disappointment that Botswana has not acceded to African Peer Review Mechanism. He said this could be the reason some countries are hostile to it. He urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work hard to help Batswana get jobs in international institutions like the Pan African Parliament, which he said is currently recruiting members. Rakhudu supported sentiments by Palapye MP Boyce Sebetela that Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) should be developed to have cinema-type auditorium to encourage arts and culture. The two MPs said they were disappointed after attending an event at GICC in which a local group was on stage but they could not see the performers properly because of poor facilities.
Sebetela said the facility could be used to market the tourism sector when Botswana is hosting international conferences and workshops. He said Botswana is not benefiting from being known world-wide as a stable and peaceful country because none of the international institutions and organisations, apart from SADC, has headquarters in Gaborone. “Even for the fight against AIDS, it was difficult at the beginning for Botswana to get assistance,” Sebetela said.
He suggested that Batswana should be taught about international issues like the treaties their country has got into and the way some international organisations and institutions operate. He said this could be done through Parliament although the Constitution does not provide it.
Botswana National Front MP for Letlhakeng East, Gordon Mokgwathi expressed disappointment at the manner in which government handled the relocation of Basarwa from the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR). He said that it overlooked the seriousness of the matter and ignored voices of ordinary people. Mokgwathi said many Batswana are not against the relocation hence government should listen to their comments and views.
Nominated MP Botsalo Ntuane said government’s silent diplomacy on Zimbabwe is not working. He said there are 500,000 Zimbabweans living in Botswana, most of whom illegally, and government should act before things get out of hand. “Put more effort in finding durable solutions to this problem,” he urged government.
