“IBotswana izonikeza izizalwane zeZimbabwe ezingenamaphepha ubuzwe.” uMongameli Boko

Umongameli osanda kukhethwa waseBotswana, uDuma Boko, usememezele izinhlelo zokubhalisa ngokusemthethweni izizalwane zeZimbabwe ezihlala kuleliyazwe ngokungemthetho. Ekhuluma nebezindaba ngaphambi kokugcotshwa kwakhe, uBoko uchaze inhloso yakhe yokunika izizalwane zeZimbabwe ezihlala eBotswana ubuzwe ngokomthetho.

Umongameli omutsha, osanda kwephula ibandla leBotswana elibusayo okweminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu lasitshiyagalombili, uthemba ukuthi lesisinyathelo sizavuselela umnotho kanye nokuthuthukisa ukuhlangana kwezizalwane zeZimbabwe ezisiza izisebenzi zaseBotswana.

“Benza imisebenzi ebingeke yenzeke,” kuchaza uBoko, ephawula ukuthi izizalwane zeZimbabwe zivame ukusebenza ezindaweni ezishodayo, ezifana nemisebenzi yasekhaya kanye neyamapulazi. IBotswana ililizwe lesibili ngezizalwane zeZimbabwe emhlabeni jikelele, iningi labo elabaleka ngenxa yobunzima bezomnotho.

Kodwa-ke, bavame ukubhekana nokudingiswa, kubikwa ukuthi amaphoyisa ahlela ukudingiswa nsuku zonke kwalabo abatholakala bengenazo izincwadi noma abathinteka emacaleni amancane. Isiphakamiso sikaBoko sihlose ukunciphisa ukufuduka kwabantu abangenazo izincwadi ngokunikeza indlela yomthetho kubantu baseZimbabwe.

“Bangena bangenazo izincwadi…abakwenzayo-ke ukuthi bahlala ngaphandle komthetho futhi benza ubugebengu,” kusho uBoko. Ukholelwa ukuthi ukunikeza isimo esingokomthetho kuzokhuthaza “uhlelo olufanele” futhi kunciphise ukucasuka kubantu bezwe.

Ngaphandle kokuqinisekisa ukuthi izifiki zaseZimbabwe zisemthethweni, uBoko ubheka lolu hlelo njengendlela yokwabelana ngamakhono. Ubone ukuthi abantu baseZimbabwe bavame ukuba namakhono abalulekile—okushisela, awokwakha amapayipi, nawokwakha—adingeka kakhulu eBotswana.

UBoko uphakamise ukuthi kube nohlelo “lokudlulisa amakhono” oluzovumela abantu bakuleli ukuthi bafunde kubasebenzi baseZimbabwe abanamakhono, ikakhulukazi emikhakheni esemqoka ekuthuthukisweni kwengqalasizinda yezwe.

“Ezindaweni zonke zokwakha eBotswana, iningi labantu abanalawo makhono baphuma eZimbabwe,” kuphawula uBoko, wengeza ngokuthi iBotswana idinga ukuthuthukisa la makhono ngaphakathi kodwa, okwamanje, ingazuza kulwazi lweZimbabwe.

Kodwa-ke, lesi siphakamiso kungenzeka sibhekane nokuphikiswa eBotswana, izwe elicebe ngedayimane lapho abantu bendawo bezwakalise ukukhathazeka ngomthelela wokwanda kwabantu bokufika. Ngomnyaka odluleyo kwaba nempikiswano ngesiphakamiso sikahulumende sokuthi izizalwane zeZimbabwe zingene eBotswana zisebenzisa omazisi belizwe esikhundleni samapasi, abagxekayo besaba ukutheleka kwabantu abavela kwamanye amazwe.

UBoko, ummeli wamalungelo abantu kanye nomsunguli weqembu le-Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), ugcizelele izinzuzo ezingase zibe khona kubantu bendawo, ephakamisa ukuthi ukuhlanganiswa kungathuthukisa ubunye bezwe kanye namathuba okwabelana ngamakhono.

Okuphakathi kwesikhundla sikamongameli weBoko yinjongo yokuvuselela umnotho weBotswana. Eceleni kwezinguquko zakhe kwezokufika kuleli, uhlose ukuxoxisana ngesivumelwano esivuselelwe nesikhondlakhondla sedayimane i-De Beers ukuze kuqiniswe inzuzo yedayimane, akholelwa ukuthi sizoqinisa ukuzethemba kwabatshalizimali futhi sidale amathuba emisebenzi. UBoko uzibophezele ekutheni uzodala amathuba emisebenzi angu-100 000 minyaka yonke kule minyaka emihlanu ezayo ukuze kubhekwane nesibalo sabantu abangasebenzi esingama-30%, asichaza “njengebhomu elihamba phambili.”

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uBoko ufuna ukuhlomisa intsha yaseBotswana ukuthi ibe osomabhizinisi ngokunikeza ithuba lokuthola imali ethengekayo nezimakethe. “Abakudingayo kuhulumeni ukufinyelela kwezimali ezifinyelelekayo kanye nokufinyelela ezimakethe, futhi uhulumeni kufanele akwenzele lokhu,” esho.

Umcimbi wokugcotshwa kukaDuma Boko, obesenkundleni yezemidlalo eGaborone, uphawule isahluko esisha eBotswana. Njengoba umenyezelwe njengeholidi lomphakathi.