Zim, Botswana officials to meet over stand-off

Zimbabwe and Botswana

Zimbabwe and Botswana security officials will meet next week to resolve the impasse caused by the arrest of three armed Tswana rangers who illegally crossed the border.

Co-Home Affairs Minister Mr Giles Mutsekwa said last week that the meeting would present a platform to resolve the stand-off.

“Our security ministries will be meeting in Victoria Falls for the Joint Permanent Commission with the Tswana security officials,” he said.

“The meeting between the two countries’ security representatives will present a platform to discuss this temporary stand-off and other related matters that encompass our security structures and levels.”

The Botswana Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation last week threatened to cut security diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe by recalling security attaches. They expected Zimbabwe to do the same.

On January 19, Hwange police arrested three game rangers employed by the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks, who had entered the country without clearance from authorities.

The trio — Kiabetswe Mhiko (35), Gaetsho Simane (32) and Phetego Gaosengwe (27) — were freed after being fined US$100 or 20 days in prison for using the undesignated entry point.

According to court records, the rangers stated that they were pursuing a pride of lions that had killed six cattle in the Lesoma Village of Botswana the previous night.

They claimed that in the process, they strayed into Zimbabwean territory as they were driving along a cut line road. They further claimed that they had no intention of entering Zimbabwean territory illegally and only realised that they had strayed into the country when they saw the local flag flying at half-mast.
It was the rangers’ claim that they then decided to present themselves to Zimbabwean immigration officials manning the boom gate for assistance. They were arrested and detained.

The rangers were found in possession of a .375 Winchester rifle with 17 live rounds of ammunition and a shotgun with seven live rounds of ammunition.
Mr Mutsekwa said that the matter was handled by the courts and there was no way the executive could interfere with the judiciary process.

“The temporary stand-off between the two countries should not affect our nationals in Botswana as we also have Tswanas living here safely and freely,” he said.

“We hope that there will not be any cases of victimisation amongst Zimbabweans residing in Botswana as this stand-off is being dealt with at government level.”

The high-level meeting will be attended by officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs.