Rudolf Gaiseb
Former Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi said Botswana played a supportive role in Namibia’s liberation struggle and provided for genocide victims during the colonial era.
Delivering a public lecture at the University of Namibia (Unam) on Monday, Masisi said Botswana did what any reasonable neighbour could have done.
“The pain we feel to this day, the trauma of your neighbours in Botswana when they received traumatised, wounded, limping, ailing, ill brethren of Nama and Herero with horrific stories, was trauma to us in Botswana. We still feel it today because we get very scared, particularly when you look at what’s going on in the world and ask, ‘How can this be stopped forever? How can impunity be prevented forever?’ Masisi said. He added,
“Many of the Herero and Nama people who survived sought refuge in the then Bechuanaland, now Botswana, and we accepted and welcomed them. This was perhaps the initial test of how to handle relations with a neighbour when you yourself have no experience to draw from,” Masisi said.
Today, the two nations boast strong bilateral relations.
Masisi also gave a public apology for the killing of Namibians by the Botswana Defence Force during past border disputes between the two countries.
In the most recent incidents, brothers Tommy, Martin, and Wamunyima Nchindo, along with their cousin Sinvula Munyeme, were four Namibian fishermen gunned down by the BDF in 2020 along the Chobe River.
Following these disputes, Namibia and Botswana solidified cooperation efforts.
“We agreed to work very hard to ensure that we diffuse tension, which could potentially be disastrous for our two countries.
To that end, Botswana and Namibia replaced their earlier joint commissions on cooperation and on defence and security by instituting a higher-level platform for bilateral cooperation in the form of a bi-national commission,” the stateman said, addressing a fully packed venue. In fact, Unam had to arrange a second venue to accommodate everyone for the Masisi lecture, which attracted students, academics, lawmakers and businesspeople.
Former president Nangolo Mbumba, former first lady Monica Geingos, erstwhile Cabinet secretary George Simataa, ex-MP Maximalliant Katjimune, and lawmaker Job Amupanda were all in attendance.
Brotherhood
What is more, Masisi and the late president Geingob agreed to the formalisation of the Botswana National Commission (BNC) agreement.
It focused on politics and diplomacy, legal matters, regional and multilateral issues, economic cooperation, including trade and the diamond sector, social affairs, and defence and security.
This agreement also led to passport-free travel using IDs for citizens of both countries. This was also a result of the deep friendship shared by Masisi and the late Geingob. The two presidents, both from different generations, related purposefully for their nations to an extent that this relationship accelerated diplomacy and cooperation.
“Bring it on. Show me anybody who is going to compete with Hage and me,” he jested, saying other African leaders can take a cue from their friendship, which transcended beyond government corridors. Speaking at the event, Mbumba noted the two countries are cooperating in numerous areas for economic and social development towards the mutual benefit of the people.
“We all look forward to new and intensified cooperation in the years to come under the helm of our respective leaders, Her Excellency Dr Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and His Excellency Duma Boko,” he added.
Adding his part, Unam Vice Chancellor Kenneth Matengu said the university has significantly shaped knowledge in terms of its scientific productions and scholarly works.
The university has improved its ranking in Africa, from 94 in 2018 to 13 in 2024.
“Unam participates in knowledge production and research, and also in impact and contribution to the sustainable development goals,” Matengu said. Since its inception in 1992, 1 786 Batswana have graduated from Unam.