Driven by their mutual quest to nudge their respective countries towards the achievement of economic freedom for their citizens, President Advocate Duma Boko and his Mozambican counterpart, Mr Daniel Chapo have committed to work collaboratively for the good of their people.

During a joint press conference that the duo addressed in Mozambique’s coastal town of Nacala on Friday, Botswana and Mozambique’s common objective of fighting for citizens’ economic emancipation emerged as one of the countries’ top priorities.

President Boko said to achieve such called for swift and decisive action hence they were committed to moving with speed to inject fresh life into the economies of the two countries.

Advocate Boko said they had identified the need to develop infrastructure, particularly transportation infrastructure, as central to any efforts that could be undertaken to revitalise and re-determine the direction of the economies of Botswana and Mozambique.

“We are fixed on strengthening economic cooperation between our countries. We therefore commit to developing infrastructure and corridors that link our countries,” he said as he highlighted how developing rail transportation between Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe could spur on economic development for the three SADC member states.

Through Ponta Techobanine Railway project, a Memorandum of Understanding in respect of which was signed in 2011, the three countries aimed to use the railway corridor to enhance regional trade and economic integration, the ultimate goal of which would, according to the Botswana and Mozambique leaders bring about economic freedom to their people.

“On the side of Botswana we are upgrading the existing infrastructure to make it world-class and ensure that it is efficient to power industry,” he said, observing that in Mozambique, the rail infrastructure was already good for purpose. We need to focus our collective attention to ensure that the internal rail infrastructure in Zimbabwe is also of the same quality and standard,” Advocate Boko said.

In 2024 Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe signed an agreement to each invest P136 million (US$10 million) for the refurbishment of the Zimbabwe stretch of the proposed 1 700-kilometre Ponta Techobanine railway line.

President Boko said it was paramount that the three countries made the necessary investment to ensure that the infrastructure could support business and the free flow of goods and services between the countries.

Away from infrastructure development, President Boko said Botswana and Mozambique maintained key partnerships such as the trade agreement through which Botswana Oil sourced fuel from Mozambican company Petroleos de Mozambique.

“We commit ourselves to strengthening the existing volumes of trade in fuel between Botswana Oil and Petroleos de Mozambique, sitting now at 132 million litres, we have indicated that we must raise it to 240 million litres,” he stated.

Advocate Boko disclosed that the two countries would also work together in the area of tourism.

Tying it back to the issue of infrastructure development, he said it was necessary that the right infrastructure be put into place to provide hassle-free travel to tourists as well as to the people of the two nations.

He said it was critical to develop air transportation between Botswana and Mozambique to lessen travel time between the countries.

Host president Mr Chapo had earlier reiterated his country’s commitment to the implementation of the tripartite railway project, describing it as a ground-breaking undertaking that would open up endless possibilities for the people of the three nations.

Mr Chapo said it was encouraging that the three countries remained committed to the project, and noted that its successful implementation provided a recipe for the attainment of economic freedom that the respective countries yearned for.

Regarding the potential to ramp up the volume of fuel that Mozambique exported to Botswana, he said the move would be beneficial to Botswana, a country that he said was still developing and therefore needed reliable and adequate fuel supply to drive its development and growth agenda.

On tourism, President Chapo said his country could benefit greatly from Botswana’s experience in conservation tourism, an area in which it had distinguished itself. ENDS