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Botswana’s newly elected president, Duma Boko, has announced plans to grant temporary work and residence permits to undocumented Zimbabweans in the country, acknowledging their contribution to Botswana’s labor force. “They do jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko said ahead of his historic inauguration on Friday.
Botswana is home to the world’s second-largest community of Zimbabweans fleeing economic instability, often facing daily deportations. Boko, 54, who just unseated Botswana’s ruling party after 58 years in power, believes that legalizing Zimbabwean migrants is crucial to his economic revitalization plans, despite potential backlash.
With Zimbabweans accounting for 98% of irregular migrants in Botswana, Boko aims to address their undocumented status to reduce crime and improve access to amenities. “When thousands of Zimbabweans come in undocumented, it limits their access to resources and creates resentment,” he said, adding, “We need a proper arrangement that recognizes they are here.”
The migration of Zimbabweans to Botswana began two decades ago due to Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation crisis. Many have taken up low-wage work in agriculture and domestic service. Boko acknowledged that Botswana’s citizens often avoid these jobs, explaining, “A lot of Zimbabwean workers perform tasks that our citizens find unattractive, so there is no real conflict.”
Last year, a proposal to use identity cards instead of passports between the two countries sparked public concern over increased Zimbabwean migration. Yet, Boko emphasized that his initiative is also about skills development. “In every construction site here, skilled workers are often Zimbabwean. We should use their skills while also learning from them through skills-transfer programs,” he said, adding that the legal framework would enable Zimbabweans to share expertise in areas like welding and plumbing while being “appropriately rewarded.”
Boko, a human rights lawyer and founder of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) party, is positioning himself as a “man of the people,” advocating for accessibility and openness within his administration. His economic strategy, which was central to his electoral success, includes signing a new deal with diamond giant De Beers to stabilize diamond revenues, thereby attracting investor confidence and creating job opportunities.
With a national unemployment rate nearing 30% in a population of 2.4 million, Boko’s ambitious goal is to create 100,000 jobs per year over the next five years. This will be supported by initiatives to empower young people to pursue entrepreneurship, offering access to affordable finance and government-facilitated markets.
Boko’s inauguration will be held at the national stadium in Gaborone, which has been declared a public holiday, with international dignitaries expected to attend.
