Know the law Batshu
James Kgosi | Wednesday April 1, 2015 11:01
Addressing Zwenshambe residents on services offered by his ministry recently, Batshu explained the contents of the Citizenship Act.
He said a child born of a Motswana and a foreign national will enjoy the rights of any Motswana but at the age of 21 he or she has to make a choice of which nationality to take since the country does not allow dual citizenship.
He said failure to do so, the child will automatically be stripped of Botswana citizenship and as such cease to enjoy the benefits of every Motswana.
On foreigners married to Batswana and seeking Botswana citizenship, Batshu said they have to have stayed in the country for five years covered by a residence permit.
If not married to Batswana, the foreigners should have stayed legally for 10 years.
The minister said in both cases, the applicants will not automatically be given citizenship but have to go through an assessment process.
On labour issues, Batshu urged residents to understand the terms and conditions of agreement that they enter into with their potential employers to avoid disputes.
He said there were many cases where people engage in employment contracts with ambiguous terms making it difficult for the labour officers to come to the rescue of the aggrieved party.
Batshu said since the country is in need of foreign direct investment, it will accommodate businesses that add value to the socio-economic development of the country.
In addition, he said the country will engage foreign nationals with skills that locals do not have and the engaged foreigner is expected to transfer skills to locals within a 10-year period.
The minister encouraged residents to register their children for Omang when they turn 16 years, as the process is easy compared to when they register them when they are grown up as it then becomes tedious.
He said his ministry is grappling with a good number of elderly Batswana who do not have Omang thus denying them a chance to benefit from social grants like old age pension.
He urged residents to work with the tribal leadership to assist those qualifying to have Omang to be registered so that they too benefit like other Batswana.
Residents were urged to register births and deaths within the stipulated time as the statistics help influence policy.
Earlier, Kgosi Moses Mabutho complained of the long standing problem of exorbitant electricity connection fees as well as the dilapidated Zwenshambe Junior Secondary School.
He said their concerns have been reported to relevant offices.
“We have the problem of high electricity connection fees and we are not happy with the state of Zwenshambe secondary school which is in a state of dereliction.
The school has not been renovated since it opened in 1983.
We reported the matter to relevant offices,” he said.