Africa-Press – Botswana. Bilateral relations between Botswana and Namibia present opportunities that benefit citizens of the two countries, Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng has said.
The minister was speaking during a welcome dinner in honour of the visiting Namibia Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Peya Mushelenga in Gaborone on Monday.
Minister Morwaeng said the relations had seen the two countries signing significant high-level agreements.
He said the relaxed travel restrictions where Batswana and the Namibians used national identity cards to cross into either country at Mamuno one Stop Border post was one of the achievements.
Furthermore, Minister Morwaeng said the historic milestone had now been extended to three other border posts of Ngoma, Kasane and Mohembo.
Moreover, he said the relaxed travel restrictions would help to enhance trade and the movement between the two countries.
Mr Morwaeng said the common history, in addition to strong cultural and family ties of the people of the two countries, continued to bind them together as one people.
“We have continued to demonstrate good neighbourliness in different ways at family, community and national levels,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Morwaeng urged the dignitaries to improve their media to save good press freedom across the two nations.
He said as the region and continent continued to face criticism for encroaching media rights, there was a need to engage with the media and related stakeholders to find ways of improving media practice, regulations and compliance.
“I am hopeful that your tour of the mass media complex painted a good picture of our operations as state media and highlighted our strengths and shortcomings. It also gave you a comparative analysis of our full potential,” he said.
Mr Morwaeng said it was his conviction that Dr Mushelenga would carry forward the lessons taken from the tour and make improvements where there it was necessary..
Mr Morwaeng extended an invitation to Namibian counterparts in the media space to forge collaborations with Botswana media fraternity at the national level, citing that government stood ready to welcome any collaborations on media and communications.
Meanwhile, Dr Mushelenga said he was glad for the invitation as it would cement existing ties and friendship that long existed between the two countries.
Dr Mushelenga stated that the relationship between the two countries dates back to the days of the Namibian civilization struggle, citing that after they attained independence the first Head of State to pay a state visit was the late Sir Ketumile Masire.
He said upon the establishment of the University of Namibia in September 1992 they invited the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana Professor Thomas Tlou for the official inauguration of the Vice Chancellor.
“When countries started establishing diplomatic relations with the Republic of Namibia and many countries were trying to compete for the ranking of diplomatic number plates, Botswana was allocated 002 after Angola,” he said.
Dr Mushelenga said it was for this reason that his delegation felt ‘free at home away from home,’ to benchmark from a country with which they shared many similarities.
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