Illegal immigrants invade border villages
Pini Bothoko | Thursday March 24, 2016 18:00
This influx has irked authorities in the district, a development that they say is adding to the increase in cross-border crime.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer in charge, detective assistant superintendent, Motlapele Maropamabe discussed the issue with Mmegi during a recent visit to Tshesebe police station.
He said the influx of illegal immigrants in his policing area has been rising for many years and contributes to cross-border crime.
Botswana shares a long border line with Zimbabwe that stretches from Maitengwe to Bobonong villages, which Maropamabe said defeats their best patrol efforts.
Maropamabe said despite the para-military Special Support Group (SSG) patrols along the borderline, they still find it difficult to curb the problem.
“We do not know how they manage to cross into Botswana, but when we do patrols within villages in my policing district, we always arrest them in high numbers,” said Maropamabe.
Although they ensure that illegal immigrants are deported, desperate Zimbabweans continue to find their way back into the country.
In the past it was reported that around 15 to 20 illegal immigrants were arrested on a daily basis on their way to Francistown in this policing area.
He said some of the illegal immigrants enter Botswana by cutting the fence, causing the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to use substantial amount of money to maintain it.
Maropamabe said after arresting the illegal immigrants they fine them amounts ranging from P100 and P5,000 or send them to customary courts to be flogged before they are deported.
He said as long as Zimbabwe’s economy does not improve, there is a possibility that Botswana will continue to experience the influx of illegal immigrants from her neighbour, Zimbabwe.
He stated that for years, villages located along the border have been living in terror of cross-border criminals who steal their property and take them to Zimbabwe.
He said that incidents of house breaking, burglary and stock theft are high, adding that criminals target electronic gadgets like expensive mobile phones, television sets and more.
Maropamabe pleaded with Batswana to stop harbouring illegal immigrants in their homes and illegally hiring them at cattle posts.
“Some Batswana hire them and fail to pay them, which sometimes forces the illegal immigrants to pay themselves by selling the properties of their employers and in some dire situations causing harm to their employers,” said Maropamabe.
He added that they have been holding kgotla meetings and crime prevention fora to sensitise the public about the problem.
In the past, President Ian Khama admitted that the problem of illegal immigrants remains a challenge and over the years, the government has deported over 36,000 illegal immigrants.
Khama said efforts by government to fine those who overstay in the country do not bear much fruit and forces government to spend over P2 million every year to repatriate illegal immigrants.
Kgosi Motlotegi Khachana of Tshesebe also shared the same sentiments with Maropamabe.
He said that the influx of illegal immigrants in the area has been an issue of great concern for years, but government interventions to stop the problem seem to be bearing fruit.
Khachana said ever since the police partnered with the community to fight cross-border crime, there have been positive results.
Khachana said that police fine the illegal immigrants and bring them to the kgotla to be flogged, adding that the majority of illegal immigrants are arrested along the Francistown-Ramokgwebana road.
He also reiterated Maropamabe’s assertion that illegal immigrants are the main culprits who are responsible for many criminal activities in villages along the border.
To arrest the situation, dikgosi of villages along the border met with their Zimbabwean counterparts.
The situation has also affected the village leadership and residents in equal measure.
Tshesebe Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Daniel Moipolai also echoed other village leaderships’ sentiments.
He expressed concern over the influx of illegal immigrants linked to cross-border crime for years.
Moipolai said efforts have been made to sensitise the community on harbouring illegal immigrants, especially that they are related to the people of Zimbabwe.
A resident of Tsamaya, Mpho Mpoho said the problem is caused by the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.
He said the problem with some illegal immigrants is that they are also involved in crime while some come into the country purely to do menial jobs to sustain themselves.
During a recent NED full council meeting the district’s council chairperson, Florah Mpetsane also expressed concern over the influx of illegal immigrants.
Mpetsane pleaded with councillors to assist in educating the public to stop harbouring their relatives from Zimbabwe, who have no travel documents.