EDITORIAL: Border treaty branded ineffective

The long-standing friction that continues to persist along the Namibia-Botswana border needs a lasting solution, one that transcends far beyond politics.

This is simply because political solutions are based on individuals instead of systems.

The 2018 Border Treaty signed between Namibia and Botswana is one such example.

The two governments penned the treaty, but Namibians living near the border in the Zambezi Region continue to bear the brunt of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) due to constant threats and intimidation.

Most of those communities in the area eke out a living by fishing in the Chobe River and grazing their cattle nearby. Many of these activities are now in jeopardy because of the BDF presence in the area.

It is high time our military increased its presence in the area to protect our people and, by extension, our territorial integrity.

It came as no surprise when a recently-tabled parliamentary report noted that community members in the areas close to the border feel the NDF is failing in its duty to protect villagers from attacks by the BDF.

According to the report, community members feel unprotected because Namibian soldiers live within community villages as opposed to their BDF counterparts, who live and tend to patrol their borderline, especially from 18:00 till dawn.

If our government does not intensify its efforts to protect its citizens in Zambezi, we are bound to see increased poverty levels in that area due to the fact that people are being deprived of their source of living by another government that is seemingly overstepping boundaries.