Alleged ill-treatment of immigrants causes acrimony

The Botswana government has expressed concern at reports carried in the Zimbabwean media, alleging that Zimbabweans in Botswana were being ill-treated. "We have noted with growing concern the appearance in sections of the Zimbabwe media of unbalanced, distorted and, on occasion, even openly hostile reports directed against the government and the people of Botswana," Clifford Maribe, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, told IRIN. "The recent appearance of an editorial comment in the Bulawayo Chronicle newspaper, entitled, 'Time to act against Botswana', is but an extreme example of what can only be described as a pattern of misguided and xenophobic attacks on the good name of this country and its people," he added. This follows reports that Zimbabweans were subjected to beatings by Botswanan authorities. As well as suggestions that Botswana's cordial ties with Britain and the United States had jeopardised its relationship with Zimbabwe. "Botswana's relations with Zimbabwe are not guided by any extra-territorial power, nor is she in cahoots with any foreign government or power to cause the demise of the government of Zimbabwe," Maribe said. At the last meeting of the Botswana/Zimbabwe Permanent Commission on Defence and Security, held in Kasane, Botswana, in October/November 2003, the Zimbabwean delegation allegedly raised their concern about corporal punishment meted out to Zimbabweans in Botswana. "My response is that sentencing people to corporal punishment is legal in Botswana. It is not only given to Zimbabweans, but also Batswana, depending on sentences of magistrates and customary courts," said Norman Molebogo, the Botswana Police Commissioner. It was pointed out that in most cases, the offenders were given an option of either paying a fine or receiving corporal punishment. "Therefore [sentencing] anybody ... to corporal punishment is quite legal in this country. Any other alleged ill-treatment of Zimbabweans I can only comment on if I am given details of these cases," Molebogo said. Molebogo acknowledged that he had received similar complaints towards the end of 2002 from his Zimbabwean counterpart. "In the majority of cases they could not be substantiated. In certain cases we could not find the people complaining about ill-treatment in Botswana," he told IRIN. The government says it neither condones nor allows the torture of persons, both local and foreign, who may be in the custody of the law enforcement authorities of Botswana. Authorities say the news reports in Zimbabwe give the false impression that the Botswana government is engaged in acts of torture against legal and illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe. "Whilst Botswana has done her best to maintain good relations with Zimbabwe, she has a legitimate right to employ measures to curb the flow of illegal immigrants, in accordance with the principles of international law - every country has this right," Maribe said. Between 1 January and 25 March this year, Botswana repatriated 8,394 illegal Zimbabwean immigrants. "Zimbabwean nationals are welcome to visit and conduct business in Botswana, as long as they enter legally into the country, using gazetted points of entry. In actual fact, Botswana hosts a large number of Zimbabwean nationals, some of whom are in the public service in various government ministries and departments," Maribe noted. A Zimbabwean truck driver, who spoke to IRIN on condition of anonymity, said he was trying to earn a living in Botswana because of Zimbabwe's deteriorating economic and political situation. "We are facing economic problems at home and people therefore tend to cross the border any way they can. They are given a few days at the border and when those days expire, they continue to stay in Botswana," he said. Official sources showed that as of December 2002, the government of Botswana had issued 1,128 work permits to Zimbabwean nationals. The number of Zimbabweans issued with immigration exemption certificates - given to expatriates working for either the government or parastatals - was 4,573 at the end of December 2002. At the end of 2003, the number of Zimbabweans issued with exemption certificates had increased to 7,411. "If the government of Botswana was hostile to Zimbabwe, this development would not have been possible," Maribe said. Although Zimbabwean ambassador to Botswana, Phelekezela Mphoko, had reportedly complained of the alleged ill-treatment of Zimbabweans by Batswana, he told IRIN "the embassy does not conduct issues relating to Zimbabwe/Botswana relations through the media".