Gaborone – In a move that has generated considerable discussion, Botswana’s newly elected President, Duma Boko, has announced plans to legalise the status of undocumented Zimbabweans residing in the country.
Speaking to the BBC Africa Daily podcast ahead of his historic inauguration on Friday, Boko revealed his intention to grant temporary work and residence permits to these individuals. This decision, while potentially controversial within Botswana, forms a key part of his broader economic revitalisation strategy.
Botswana hosts a substantial Zimbabwean population, the second largest globally, many fleeing economic hardship in their home country. This significant presence has, however, often been met with tension, resulting in regular deportations. President Boko acknowledged this challenging reality, stating, “They come in and are undocumented. Then their access to amenities is limited, if it is available at all, and what they then do is they live outside the law and they commit crimes – and this brings resentment.”
He highlighted the crucial role played by Zimbabwean workers in Botswana’s economy, noting, “A lot of these workers from Zimbabwe perform tasks that the citizen finds unattractive… they do jobs that would otherwise not get done and so there’s no conflict there.” This pragmatic approach recognises the contribution of Zimbabwean labour to sectors often overlooked by Batswana workers.
The president’s proposal is not without precedent. Statistics reveal that Zimbabweans constitute a staggering 98% of what are classified as “irregular migrants” in Botswana. Government figures from 2021 to 2023 indicate that out of 13,489 recorded irregular migrants, a significant 13,189 were Zimbabwean nationals.
Daily deportations of Zimbabweans lacking proper documentation or facing criminal charges are a common occurrence, highlighting the precarious situation many find themselves in. These individuals often fill roles in low-wage sectors such as domestic work and farm labour.
Boko’s initiative, however, goes beyond simply addressing the legal status of undocumented Zimbabweans. He envisions a mutually beneficial arrangement that fosters skills transfer and economic growth.
He explained, “In any and every construction site in Botswana the majority of people with those skills are from Zimbabwe, so we need to do a twin programme of allowing them to come in and we utilise the skills that they have and in the process of utilising these skills we also engage in some sort of skills transfer.”
This plan directly addresses a skills gap in Botswana, particularly in areas such as welding and plumbing, where Zimbabwean expertise is widely recognised. By formalising the presence of these skilled workers, Boko aims to leverage their capabilities while simultaneously upskilling the Batswana workforce.
He emphasised the necessity of this approach: “We can’t stop people with skills from coming in when we don’t have the skills ourselves – we need to develop these skills and it takes time, so in the interregnum we need to have them come in properly, come in legally and be rewarded appropriately for the skills that they bring.”
This proposal follows a previous attempt by the previous government to allow the use of identity cards instead of passports for travel between Botswana and Zimbabwe, a move that was met with considerable public opposition due to concerns about increased Zimbabwean immigration. President Boko’s approach, however, seeks to address these concerns by focusing on regulated immigration and skills development.
Boko’s commitment to economic improvement is central to his platform and a key factor in his electoral victory. He plans to prioritise securing a new deal with De Beers, a global diamond giant, believing that the previous administration’s handling of diamond sales negotiations jeopardised this crucial agreement. He is confident that securing diamond revenues will boost investor confidence, attracting much-needed capital into the country. This, in turn, will help him achieve his ambitious goal of creating 100,000 jobs annually over the next five years.
Addressing the pressing issue of unemployment, which currently affects nearly 30% of Botswana’s 2.4 million population, Boko stated, “We are facing a crisis of unemployment – for a population that’s 2.4 million when you have almost 30% of those people unemployed, it is a crisis. It’s a ticking time bomb.”
He intends to tackle this challenge through job creation and by encouraging entrepreneurship amongst young Batswana, providing them with access to finance and markets.
“What they need from government is access to affordable finance and access to markets, and government should facilitate these,” he affirmed.
