GABORONE – Botswana’s newly inaugurated President, Duma Boko, has announced plans to legalize the status of undocumented Zimbabweans living in the country.
Boko, who assumed office on Friday, told the BBC that he intends to grant temporary work and residence permits to Zimbabweans. He acknowledged the significant contribution of Zimbabwean workers to Botswana’s economy, particularly in sectors like domestic work and construction.
“They do jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko said. “We need to formalize, have a proper arrangement that recognizes that people from Zimbabwe are already here.”
While the move is expected to face opposition from some sectors of Botswana society, Boko believes it is necessary to address the challenges posed by the influx of undocumented migrants and to harness their skills.
He emphasized the need to create opportunities for skills transfer between Zimbabwean workers and Batswana, particularly in technical fields.
“We can’t stop people with skills from coming in when we don’t have the skills ourselves,” Boko stated. “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.”
The new president also outlined plans to revitalize Botswana’s economy by securing favorable deals with international partners, particularly in the diamond industry. He aims to create 100,000 jobs over the next five years to address the country’s high unemployment rate.
