22 Sep 2024

A group of Batswana of Namibian descent were given a warm welcome by their Namibian counterpart during a ceremony held at Dobe Border Post (Namibia) on Friday.

Speaking during the welcome ceremony of 98 Batswana of Namibian descent, Namibia Otjozondjupa Region governor, Mr James Unomasa Uerikua said it was an exceptional moment to welcome their brothers and sisters back to their motherland.

Mr Uerikua said the current relocation happened over 120 years after the forefathers of Ovaherero, Ovambanderu and Namas of the then South West Africa, now Namibia fled to Botswana to seek refuge from war that engulfed that country between 1904-1908 from the German colonial troops.

He commended Botswana government for good neighbourliness since Namibians who fled into the country were well received hence the descents were found in places in the Ngamiland such as Tsau, Semboyo, Makakung, Kareng, Bothatogo, Toteng, Sehithwa, Bodibeng, Komana, Chanoga, Maun and other districts such as Charlesshill.

Mr Uerikua thanked the two countries of Botswana and Namibia for working together to ensure the current relocation process went well.

He observed that the two states ensured the relocatees renounced their Botswana citizenship and acquired the Namibian citizenship hence were now part of Otjozondjupa Region in Namibia.

“They will be settled in Omaheke, Otjozondjupa and Hardap regions and five commercial farms, amounting to about P44millon  (N$58,7 million) have been purchased for them as well as land allocated by Kambazembi Traditional Authority at Otjipaheua,” he said.

Mr Uerikua said the relocation was to be done in two phases hence the second group’s repatriation would be done at a later stage on a date to be set.

He said phase one of the repatriation required less complicated logistics since the group were without livestock and they were from Ngamiland which was a red zone while the second group which was from a green zone would involve movement of livestock.

The governor observed that the repatriation of Batswana of Namibia descents dated to as back as 1993 when the first group of 1600 people was relocated.

In his remarks, Chief Sam Kambazembi of Kambazembi Traditional Authority in Namibia thanked the people of Botswana especially traditional leaders who welcomed their Namibian forefathers who fled to Botswana at a time when the country was still under traditional leadership.