Batswana who are stranded abroad may have to fend for themselves
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is working with other stakeholders such as Botswana Defence Force, and the University of Botswana to draft a codified foreign policy that will be referred to whenever the country has to respond to foreign events.
This was said by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Gaeimelwe Gomotsang. This brings an end to what academics and opposition politicians have referred to as rooftop diplomacy that has reigned for many years since independence.
“We don’t have a codified foreign policy at this moment, what we do have are the tenets or principles guiding us as we engage with the international community. But let me take this opportunity to update honourable members that in terms of coming up with a codified foreign policy, we are very advanced.” He said that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed the process of drafting the policy.
“As I speak now, I have my team, and I have drawn members from outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because this should not be seen as only the product of foreign affairs but it should be reflective of Batswana’s strategic and national aspirations”.
It is also a total U-turn by the ministry that has insisted that there was no need for a foreign policy document saying that every event has its peculiar circumstances and therefore should be responded to differently.
Meanwhile, the ministry has resolved to buy property for its offices and residential for its foreign missions since renting can be expensive. In Kenya, the construction of the property is at an advanced stage while in Geneva a plot had just been acquired and construction expected to take off.
The Permanent Secretary said that Batswana who are stranded abroad because of Covid-19 may have to fend for themselves because the ministry had not budgeted for this situation. He said that the ministry has in the past assisted those stranded abroad but many of them have not repaid the money.