25 Aug 2024

The Minister of Defence and Security, Honourable Kagiso Mmusi has hailed the strong ties between Botswana and Namibia.

The minister said this on Friday during a courtesy call by the visiting Namibian parliamentary standing committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, which was in the country for a five- day benchmarking trip.

Botswana and Namibia enjoy good neighbourliness including on matters of international boundaries.

As such, Minister Mmusi said member states of the two countries always felt at home whenever they were visiting adding that his ministry portfolio covered among others national defence and international boundaries which the two countries enjoyed good relations with.

A member of the Namibia Parliament and Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, Mr Leevi Katoma also paid tribute to the relations between the two countries.

He said the committee resolved to undertake the benchmarking visit to Botswana in a bid to reform its mandate to ensure responsiveness to electorate needs and parliamentary norms and procedures.

He said the committee also wanted to understand the overall mandate of the committee dealing with foreign affairs, defence and homeland security and veteran affairs as well as oversight work and the implementation of recommendation thereof.

Mr Katoma also said the committee also wanted to appreciate the works of different stakeholders falling within the realm of its mandate as well as to harness the long standing relations between the two countries.

He further said the benchmarking visit was crucial and relevant to the committee as it would assist them to be equipped with skills that would enhance their capabilities and capacities to debate matters of national interest in line with their mandate and to assist building and sustaining parliamentary success. ENDS