Citizenship isn't for sale—Mokgware
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday December 17, 2025 10:00
When presenting the Citizenship Amendment Bill No. 30 of 2025 to Parliament on Monday, Mokgware said the objective of the Bill is to amend the Citizenship Act (Cap. 01:01) to provide, amongst others, multiple citizenship to persons who have more than one citizenship, as this will cater for persons who have more than two citizenships.
Mokgware said the Bill therefore amends the Act by inserting a new Section 15A to confer economic citizenship on any person who wishes to acquire Botswana citizenship (i) for purposes of investing in Botswana and (ii) boosting the economy of the country. Further amendments include deleting the requirement for failure to renounce under sections 16 and 18, and amending section 18 of the Act to provide for grounds for deprivation of economic citizenship.
He added that the Bill aims to provide for economic citizenship to any person interested in acquiring it for purposes of economic investment in Botswana, specifically to a person who will uplift the economy through a joint venture or direct investment in a business that will create jobs or generate new export sales and boost the country's economy.
The Bill stipulates that a person whose application under Subsection (1) is successful shall be granted economic citizenship solely for purposes of investment in the following sectors: (a) manufacturing; (b) mining and energy; (c) agriculture; (d) infrastructure; (e) financial services; (f) tourism; (g) technology and digitalisation; (h) sport and creatives; (i) health; (j) green economy or renewable energy; or (k) any other sector as may be prescribed.
Mokgware noted that a person who has committed a financial offence or was convicted of the financial offence in the last 10 years shall not qualify for economic citizenship. Furthermore, the Bill provides that a person granted economic citizenship for economic investment shall not register or vote in general elections or any elections under the Local Government Act (Cap. 40:01), or be employed in any public office. Mokgware also said that those granted citizenship through the economic citizenship shall not have access to free education in any school owned or funded by the government, nor shall they have access to financial services offered solely to other classes of citizens by any government-owned entity.
The Bill further provides that those granted economic citizenship shall not be members of any disciplined forces; be allocated state land or tribal land; have access to national security information, services, premises or installations; or hold any other office as may be prescribed by the minister.
A person who wishes to acquire economic citizenship shall apply to the minister in writing or in such manner as may be prescribed by the minister, and pay a prescribed fee.
Mokgware also announced that a Special Fund, known as the Economic Citizenship Fund, shall be established for the purposes of depositing prescribed fees applicable under the Act.
'The minister shall, for the purposes of Subsection (4), prescribe the procedure for the operation of the Economic Citizenship Fund,' he added.
The Bill states the minister may, by Order, deprive a person of economic citizenship where the person: (a) has committed a financial offence in or outside Botswana; (b) is declared bankrupt or becomes insolvent; (c) fails to fulfil his or her contractual obligation within the prescribed time; or (d) has committed a serious crime in or outside Botswana.