04 Sep 2024

Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs does not have a digitalised database on the number of foreigners working and doing business in Botswana.

Answering a question in Parliament on Monday, labour and home affairs minister, Honourable Annah Mokgethi said it was only now that its procurement was being undertaken as part of the ministry’s digitisation of the process.

“That notwithstanding every effort has been made to provide as much information as possible from the manual system that processes issuance of work and residence permits. 

Given the broad nature of the question and the information required, it will take a lot time to collate data as requested,” Minister Mokgethi said.

On the qualifications for non-citizens working in the country in various sectors, she said there were some working in the health sector and held diploma and degree in various fields like radiology, anaesthetics, nursing, pharmacy, dental surgery, sonography, orthopaedics, among others. “These qualifications are considered scarce skills,” she said.

Under accounting, she said employees held degree in banking and finance and accounting and were members of recognised professional accounting bodies. 

“The accountant must be registered with the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) and other recognised professional bodies,” she added.

She indicated that foreigners under engineering held diploma and degree in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, structural engineering, electrical engineering, metallurgy among others, adding “all engineers must be registered with professional bodies for example the Engineers Registration Board,” the Minister said.

Parliament also heard that some employees held Masters and PhD in various academia. 

“As I have already mentioned, it is not easy to respond to this question as it is not specific in terms of the period sought. The reason for this is that work permit expire and a non-citizen may leave and come back again after some years. 

It is important to indicate that after the expiry of the work permit, a non-citizen may apply for a renewal of work permit, which will still be considered by the Regional Immigrants Selection Board (RISB).

On one hand, Minister Mokgethi said they had not received any complaints from the accountants in the retail and manufacturing sector who were ill-treated in favour of foreigners who were better paid and given managerial accounting positions.

“Lastly I guarantee this House that the labour inspectors under my ministry will be on the look-out for such complaints and action will be taken once any wrong doing has been established. 

I implore workers to report any such grievances or disputes to the nearest District Labour Office to be mediated according to the Trade Disputes Act,” the minister said.

Selebi Phikwe West legislator, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the minister to update Parliament on the number of foreigners working and doing business in the country and to further state and the number of foreigners by industry who were employed in Botswana.

Mr Keorapetse also asked the minister to state qualifications of foreigners working in the country in accounting, medical, engineering, law, academia and other professions. 

He also wanted to know the longest time a foreigner had worked in the country and the profession concerned. 

The legislator asked the minister if she was aware of complaints by accountant in the retail and manufacturing sectors who were ill-treated in favour of foreigners who were better paid and given managerial accounting positions. Ends