Africa-Press – Botswana. The city of Windhoek municipality, the local government administrative council of the Namibian capital has resolved to name one of the roads in the city after Botswana’s founding President, Sir Seretse Khama.
This was revealed by the President of Namibia, Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during her tête-à-tÄ›te with President Advocate Duma Boko at the Office of the President . Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was in the country for a one-day working visit to formally introduce herself to her counterpart, President Boko after her inauguration as Namibia’s fifth president on March 21 said the gesture stemmed from her nation’s recognition of Botswana’s role in Namibia’s history.
“The Windhoek Municipality took the decision to name one of our streets after Botswana’s founding President Sir Seretse Khama, since we appreciate what he did for our country and region. The peoples of Namibia and Botswana are one people, and we recognise the role your leaders and people had in our liberation,” said Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah.
In addition to acknowledging Botswana’s role in supporting South West African People’s Organisation liberation fighters during the Namibian War of Independence of 1966 to 1990, Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah said the two countries bond went further back into history. She noted that Botswana had many citizens of Herero heritage, largely descendants for those who fled the Herero and Nama Genocide of 1904 to 1908 in the then German South West Africa, and Namibia also had people of Tswana descent which underlined the common bond of ethnicity, language and culture.
Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah said the time was nigh for such historical and familial bonds between the two states to be promoted towards tangible economic benefit through stronger cooperation in trade, in order to commonly address the socio-economic challenges facing the two states.bShe identified youth unemployment as a major challenge facing the two nations which could be addressed through increased regional trade and collaboration in economic sectors the countries could identify as viable.
For his part, President Boko reiterated that the people of Botswana and Namibia had a common bond and heritage, giving the example that in his home village, Mahalapye, there was a Herero ward largely inhabited by descendants of the early 1900s exodus and Frederick Maharero Primary School was named after a former Herero paramount chief.
President Boko acknowledged that Namibian freedom fighters, including the country’s founding president, the late Dr Sam Nujoma used Botswana as a conduit toward exile, and also concurred that such a common bond of historical friendship should be heightened toward common, mutually beneficial trade.
Both leaders called for greater cooperation between Southern African Development Community and African Union member states in the face of a world that is increasingly jettisoning multilateral approach to geopolitical affairs in favour of unilateralism.
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