17 Dec 2024

Chobe District Council and Zambezi Region in Namibia have proposed a new border post along the villages of Satau and Parakarungu.

This was discussed at the two councils twinning partnership inception meeting in Kasane on Monday, where the Chobe District Chairperson Mr Johane Chenjekwa stated that people in the Chobe Enclave villages travelled a long distance to Ngoma Border Post despite sitting on the boundary with their relatives on the other side in Namibia.

He said it was imperative for the two councils’ task forces to work hard in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding in order to promote economic growth and citizen empowerment for the people of Chobe and Zambezi.

Mr Chenjekwa said Chobe District should advocate for a border post or satellite port and articulate the opportunities that would accrue from this development.

He said a new port would cultivate trade between Chobe Enclave villages from Mabele to Parakarungu and strengthen cultural ties between Botswana and Namibia.

He said people of Chobe and Zambezi shared history and cultural heritage as supported by traditional authorities who visited their people on either side from time to time.

Mr Chenjekwa opined that Batswana domiciled along the borderline had long advocated for new ports of entry to facilitate travel and convenience of which the government yielded to their requests.

The chairperson said signing of the MoU by the ministers of foreign affairs from the two nations in July 2024 strengthened the long existing peace and stability.

“This collaboration intends to promote cultural exchanges, local economic development, strengthen environment and waste management efforts, sport and culture initiatives by fostering a sense of community and mutual respect among citizens”, he said.

Councillor Chenjekwa further said that the MoU should expand the twinning to law enforcement in order for Botswana and Namibia to collaborate in fighting poaching, smuggling of firearms and drugs and illegal border crossing.

For his part Namibia’s Katima Urban councillor, Mr Kennedy Simasiku implored the two councils to be fully focused on ensuring the programmes outlined in the MoU were fully actualised.

“We should deliberate action plans designed with deliverables and timelines that will ensure we hold ourselves to account to our set implementation targets”, he said.

He emphasised that the programmes and frameworks crafted should be towards the advancement of people so they benefited from the partnership.

Mr Simasiku said that Chobe and Zambezi regions were areas of immense beauty endowed with natural resources that needed conservation strategies and effective management of the shared riverine resources for sustainable development.

He stated that tourism was a major economic contributor for Chobe and Zambezi regions which called for innovative and robust plans that would elevate these regions and their people.

He reiterated that ports of entry were critical in trade in order for people and goods to move effectively hence he said Botswana and Namibia should increase ports along the Chobe- Zambezi region. ENDS