Fear over discontinuation of passports between Bots, Zim
Friday, March 17, 2023 | 860 Views |
Sennye Obuseng
Recently, President Mokgweetsi Masisi told a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) gathering that he will soon meet with his Zimbabwe counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa to discuss the possibility of citizens of the two countries using national identity cards (IDs) for border crossing.
Masisi stated that the move will facilitate easy movement of people and goods between Botswana and Zimbabwe. He also said advanced technology will be used at the borders to prevent some criminal elements from abusing the dispensation. If the deal comes to pass, it will be similar to the one that Botswana recently entered into with Namibia.
But on the particularly sensitive question of cadre deployment, the BNF must tread very carefully.The issue deserves robust debate, not ideological enthusiasm. Recent public comments from the BNF leadership are reassuring: the party has said that government positions should be based on merit and competence rather than party membership, and that it does not have a specific cadre-deployment policy.That principle should remain firmly at the centre...