To protect its border, Namibia has increased the presence of defence and security personnel along the border in the Zambezi region, international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said last week.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said this in parliament on Thursday while responding to questions posed to her as to what her ministry is doing to safeguard the territorial interest and integrity of Namibia following the shooting and killing of four fishermen along the Chobe River in the Zambezi region by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) last year.
The questions were posed by Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Utaara Mootu.
The BDF late last year shot and killed three Namibian brothers – Tommy (48), Martin (40) and Wamunyima Nchindo (36) – and their Zambian cousin Sinvula Muyeme (44), triggering an almost diplomatic row between the two neighbouring countries.
A joint investigation into the killings was launched by both governments and its findings are yet to be made public.
Nandi-Ndaitwah told lawmakers the report of the joint investigation is currently before the courts in Botswana and remains sub-judice.
“As true democrats and strong advocates of the principle of the separation of powers, we should allow the judicial process to run its course without interference,” she said.
She said having observed that the report is placed before the courts in Botswana, as a Namibian minister, she has no jurisdiction over another sovereign country to dictate the speed of their internal judicial processes.
Furthermore, Nandi-Ndaitwah also shot down claims that both governments are downplaying the event, saying the fact that for the first time the government of Botswana has taken the matter before court demonstrates how serious the matter is being taken by the respective government.
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