There is no problem with our passports-Botswana

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday June 10, 2010 00:00

 

Travel documents are also being rejected by South Africa. Botswana government only issued the press release regarding the travel documents early this week.

Mmegi posed questions to the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA) about this state of affairs, amidst panic by Botswana passport holders regarding the value of the old passports. Below we reproduce the questions from Mmegi and answers provided by Osesenaqa Lekgoko, the Ministry's principal public relations officer.

Mmegi: Recently commotion and confusion reigned at South African borders when hundreds of Batswana crossing to South Africa using the old passports (non-machine readable passports) were turned away. We understand the confusion ensued for two days, Thursday and Friday. We would like to understand why the Immigration Department failed to warn the public that Botswana's old passports were not going to be accepted at South Africa's borders from the beginning of June?

MLHA: At no point did the South African government take the decision not to allow Botswana passports at their borders.

They continue to accept them to this day. As such there was no reason for us to warn the public that Botswana passports will not be allowed at South African borders. Further to that, we are not aware of any Botswana citizens, carrying Botswana passports, who were returned from South African borders.

We are only aware of some people who were turned back because they had Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) which South Africa has since taken the decision not to accept at its ports of entry beginning June 01, 2010, except in emergency cases like medical grounds where consultation or approval has to be sought from the South African High Commission in Gaborone. This is information, we have since given to all Batswana through the media.

Mmegi: We understand the confusion was resolved after two days, but we want to know the period of time agreed between the two countries, to allow Botswana citizens to switch to the e-passports.

MLHA: There has never been an agreement to that effect between the two countries. As mentioned above, Botswana passports, both manual and electronic remain valid for travel to all countries including South Africa. The manual passports will remain valid for travel to all countries until December 2011 when they shall be altogether phased out.

Mmegi: Our investigations in SA reveal that Botswana has assured SA that by July this year, that is next month, everyone will have switched to the e-passports. Can you confirm this sudden arrangement?

MLHA: No. We cannot confirm this because we never made any such assurance. The only assurance we have made to all countries including South Africa is that our old manual based passports will remain in use until December 2011 when all Batswana are expected to have switched to the new e-passport.

Mmegi: All along your Ministry has been assuring Batswana that they could use ETDs at anytime to cross to neighbouring countries like SA, Zimbabwe, Zambia, but today we learn that our ETDS cannot be used to enter SA, did you perhaps make a mistake in your assumption regarding the use of ETDs as an alternative to passports?

MLHA: No, ETDs are used in neighbouring countries only for emergency travel purposes as the name suggests. That remains so to this day. The only recent development pertains to South Africa which has taken the decision not to allow single page Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs). This is the same class of ETDs that the Botswana ETD belongs to. However, as earlier mentioned, such ETDs can still be accepted in South Africa when there are some circumstances as mentioned in the answer to Question 1. We however encourage Batswana to apply for passports to be on the safe side. Botswana's ETDs however, still remain acceptable in other countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia.

Mmegi: Did you consult the neighbours as to what they expect to see on ETDs, as it appears that Botswana's ETDs are the only ones in the region with one page?

MLHA: It is not true that Botswana ETDs are the only ones with one page in the region. It is also worth mentioning that before launching our Electronic ETD and the e-passport, we circulated their specimen to all countries including South Africa.

Again, our old ETD has been a one-page document and has been accepted in all neighbouring countries including South Africa for as long as they have been in existence. It may also be of interest to you, to note that our ETDs are fully compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

Mmegi: Are you intending to increase the ETDs pages to at least four pages, as South Africa requires?

MLHA: No

Mmegi: Under the current circumstances, does the Ministry still maintain the deadline for switching to the e-passports as December, 2011, or have you decided to move the deadline to July this year, as sources in South Africa tell us?

MLHA: The Ministry remains put in its initially stated deadline of December 2011.