The simple truth MLHA is failing to grasp
Mmegi Editor | Wednesday May 27, 2015 15:43
In its zeal to ensure adherence to these absurd principles, the MLHA has separated babies from parents by refusing the children entry into Botswana while allowing the parents entry, said the PAC. Besides confusing, this is preposterous. Someone should have sense enough to realise a small child couldn’t survive without its parents. The world must surely laugh at Botswana’s incapacity for logic.
Botswana’s very strict immigration requirements, as the PAC have rightly noted are costing this country billions of Pula in terms of both financial and human resources investment.
Progressive countries, such as the US have realised the major role that educated, high-skilled immigrants can play in increasing their economic growth, and yearly award thousands of foreigners – among them Batswana - citizenship. It was immigrants who built America’s business giants such as DuPont, Procter & Gamble, the drug giant Pfizer, U.S. Steel, Google, Yahoo, and eBay.
These countries have realised that nothing -not diamond, not oil or gold can beat investment in human capital. And they are busy harvesting expertise from snoozing countries such as Botswana. Allowing investors; tourists and experts to take up residence in and visit Botswana will boost growth. Economic growth would mean lower unemployment, less burdensome debt, and more opportunities for entrepreneurs and the people who work for them.
What the PAC was essentially saying - and we can only hope the MLHA understood it, is that Botswana cannot survive in isolation. The country desperately needs a better immigration policy to ensure stronger growth.
“Your policies are pulling in the wrong direction!” is what the PAC wanted Matome to understand.
True, Botswana is busy training its people and counting on their skill and ingenuity. But it will take a very long time to have all the skills and inventiveness that we need. In fact, we will never have all that. No country has ever achieved that feat.
So, the only reasonable and fastest way to enhance our supply of human capital is to encourage the best and brightest foreigners to live and work Botswana. Yes, provide opportunity for every bright mind, every ambitious hardworking man or woman from every country and race whose expertise we can harness to stay and help develop this country. Do not deport them. Allow them to come and create more jobs and come up with innovations. Allow the tourists to bring their money in. Refuse them entry and they will go to another country.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Immigration is not just compatible with but is a necessary component of economic growth. ―U.S. Rep. (R.,WA) Dave Reichert