Parliament fears ‘skirmishes’ over Botswana border treaty
An investigation by a National Council standing committee warned of a potential war with Botswana.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The border treaty signed between Namibia and Botswana in 2018 could lead to potential conflicts and skirmishes between the two countries, an investigation by a parliamentary standing committee found.
“These little cases may lead to full-blown conflicts eventually spilling into civil wars and cross-border conflicts,” the report, by the Standing Committee of Home Affairs, Security, Constitutional and Legal Affairs, read.
The focus of the investigation by the committee, conducted from 20 September to 6 October, was on the repercussions of the Botswana Defence Force’s (BDF) aggressive tendencies on Namibian people living along the Botswana-Namibia border, and how the alleged hostilities have affected tourism activities in these areas.
Namibian communities living along rivers bordering Botswana have lost a sense of national security and a great deal of their livelihoods due to aggression by the BDF, which killed three Namibian brothers and their Zambian cousin in cold blood last year.
These are some of the findings by the standing committee, which investigated the security situation along the Chobe, Kwando and Linyanti rivers in Zambezi.
A total of 223 public hearings were conducted and 32 written submissions were received and analysed.
According to residents, their crop fields, islands which they relied on for fishing and other natural resources formed part of Namibia before the signing of the 2018 treaty, and are now annexed as Botswana territory.
Communities live in constant fear of losing their lives at the hands of the BDF, to the point that normal household chores of collecting water from the river, cutting reef or herding animals has become life-threatening.
The report added that there has been a significant reduction in fishing, and on Namibia’s grazing activities alongside the rivers, as most communities are confused and scared to carry out their daily activities to make a living.
“In terms of livelihood, almost nothing is happening alongside the rivers.”
No respect
According to the report, an inaugural session in Katima Mulilo clarified that the acts of aggression by the BDF showed that they did not respect the lives and rights of Namibian people.
“The acts of aggression saw a total number of 70 Namibians detained from the Situngu Island. Among those arrested were expectant mothers and children.”
It further stated that the BDF cases of hostility were indiscriminatory, directed at fishermen, cattle-herders, grass mowers, tourism operators, subsistence farmers and even people just frequenting the river on the Namibian side.
The acts of aggression entailed members of the BDF telling Namibian fishermen to abandon their nets and their catch, and demanding grass and reed mowers to vacate the areas that were traditionally known to be theirs. Even gatherers of grass lilies were not spared as they were harshly rushed out of the water and told to never set foot in Botswana waters again.
Furthermore, the report said BDF soldiers pointed guns at individuals fishing, cultivating, mowing grass and tending to cattle on the Namibian side of the river, and demanded them to go in to Botswana.
“Fearing to be shot, these innocent people would heed the call and head into Botswana. Upon setting foot on the banks of the river in that country, they would then be accused of having crossed the river illegally.”
Not allowed to say anything in their defence, they would then be taken to BDF camps, according to the report.
‘Peaceful and sustainable’
It further mentioned several incidents involving the threatening of tourists by members of the BDF, which involved soldiers pointing guns at tourists, confrontations and tourists even being arrested.
The report also noted incidences of BDF members crossing into Namibia illegally to burn grassland pastures to prevent wild animals from crossing into the Land of the Brave.
The committee, amongst other things, recommended that the safety and security ministry prioritise and come up with a peaceful and sustainable approach to protect these communities from intimidation and harassment from members of the BDF and report to the National Council with evidence regarding a reduction of incidences of BDF aggression.
The absence of visible beacons in the rivers as vital demarcations of borders were also highlighted as key contributing factors exposing local communities to undue BDF aggression, as residents do not know when they cross into Botswana territory.
It was therefore recommended that the agriculture ministry should prioritise the installation of beacons.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
The border treaty signed between Namibia and Botswana in 2018 could lead to potential conflicts and skirmishes between the two countries, an investigation by a parliamentary standing committee found.
“These little cases may lead to full-blown conflicts eventually spilling into civil wars and cross-border conflicts,” the report, by the Standing Committee of Home Affairs, Security, Constitutional and Legal Affairs, read.
The focus of the investigation by the committee, conducted from 20 September to 6 October, was on the repercussions of the Botswana Defence Force’s (BDF) aggressive tendencies on Namibian people living along the Botswana-Namibia border, and how the alleged hostilities have affected tourism activities in these areas.
Namibian communities living along rivers bordering Botswana have lost a sense of national security and a great deal of their livelihoods due to aggression by the BDF, which killed three Namibian brothers and their Zambian cousin in cold blood last year.
These are some of the findings by the standing committee, which investigated the security situation along the Chobe, Kwando and Linyanti rivers in Zambezi.
A total of 223 public hearings were conducted and 32 written submissions were received and analysed.
According to residents, their crop fields, islands which they relied on for fishing and other natural resources formed part of Namibia before the signing of the 2018 treaty, and are now annexed as Botswana territory.
Communities live in constant fear of losing their lives at the hands of the BDF, to the point that normal household chores of collecting water from the river, cutting reef or herding animals has become life-threatening.
The report added that there has been a significant reduction in fishing, and on Namibia’s grazing activities alongside the rivers, as most communities are confused and scared to carry out their daily activities to make a living.
“In terms of livelihood, almost nothing is happening alongside the rivers.”
No respect
According to the report, an inaugural session in Katima Mulilo clarified that the acts of aggression by the BDF showed that they did not respect the lives and rights of Namibian people.
“The acts of aggression saw a total number of 70 Namibians detained from the Situngu Island. Among those arrested were expectant mothers and children.”
It further stated that the BDF cases of hostility were indiscriminatory, directed at fishermen, cattle-herders, grass mowers, tourism operators, subsistence farmers and even people just frequenting the river on the Namibian side.
The acts of aggression entailed members of the BDF telling Namibian fishermen to abandon their nets and their catch, and demanding grass and reed mowers to vacate the areas that were traditionally known to be theirs. Even gatherers of grass lilies were not spared as they were harshly rushed out of the water and told to never set foot in Botswana waters again.
Furthermore, the report said BDF soldiers pointed guns at individuals fishing, cultivating, mowing grass and tending to cattle on the Namibian side of the river, and demanded them to go in to Botswana.
“Fearing to be shot, these innocent people would heed the call and head into Botswana. Upon setting foot on the banks of the river in that country, they would then be accused of having crossed the river illegally.”
Not allowed to say anything in their defence, they would then be taken to BDF camps, according to the report.
‘Peaceful and sustainable’
It further mentioned several incidents involving the threatening of tourists by members of the BDF, which involved soldiers pointing guns at tourists, confrontations and tourists even being arrested.
The report also noted incidences of BDF members crossing into Namibia illegally to burn grassland pastures to prevent wild animals from crossing into the Land of the Brave.
The committee, amongst other things, recommended that the safety and security ministry prioritise and come up with a peaceful and sustainable approach to protect these communities from intimidation and harassment from members of the BDF and report to the National Council with evidence regarding a reduction of incidences of BDF aggression.
The absence of visible beacons in the rivers as vital demarcations of borders were also highlighted as key contributing factors exposing local communities to undue BDF aggression, as residents do not know when they cross into Botswana territory.
It was therefore recommended that the agriculture ministry should prioritise the installation of beacons.
[email protected]
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