Tshisekedi’s visit a positive for Botswana
Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are this week expected to bolster their bilateral relationship as President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi hosts his counterpart, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo who is on a four-day state visit.
Tshisekedi arrived in Botswana on Tuesday morning with a good number of his cabinet ministers and leading businessmen. The two leaders will set the tone of the packed programme with a tete-a-tete before engaging with other government officials in a meeting that is highly believed would bring many positives.
The meeting which took place late yesterday was expected to explore potential areas for broadening the scope of cooperation in the areas of mining, trade, agriculture and food production, as well as energy.
Both Masisi and Tshisekedi are reported to have seen the need to take a step towards formalising their bilateral relations as Botswana and DRC have over the decades worked closely together.
The two have also strengthened their friendship through common membership of regional and international organisations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU).
The friendship through SADC blossomed when Botswana in her capacity as chair on the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation worked closely with Zimbabwe to bring up an amicable solution over the
long-standing dispute of a border line between DRC and Zambia.
The peace processes started after Tshisekedi on May 11, 2020 dispatched his Foreign Affairs Minister, Marie Nzeza, to Harare with a request for the SADC Organ chair to mediate in the dispute. The matter was later handed to Botswana as the incumbent chair.
The joint team chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Gladys Mokhawa brought the two countries together and ensured that there is maintenance of peace, security and rule of law not just between the two countries but the entire region.
In support of Botswana, DRC acceded to President Masisi’s plea to withdraw her candidate Dr Faustin Luanga Mukela for the SADC Executive Secretary position and paved way for Botswana, a country that at the time had never held the position. By then both Mukela and Elias Magosi were interviewed for the job by the panel of experts.
The DRC was one of the leading countries that openly supported Botswana to take over the Secretariat of the Kimberly Process. DRC has a big and diversified economy that is regarded as one of the largest in Africa and the entire world.
The country has deposits of diamonds, cobalt and copper, as well as largest forest reserves in Africa, and about half of the hydroelectric potential of the world.
Economists recommend formalising trade between Botswana and the DRC as it has potential to open up employment creation. Botswana also boasts of the Diamond Trade Centre, a diamond valuing company and the world’s largest and most sophisticated rough diamond sorting and valuing operation with a capacity to sort 45 million carats per annum.
This Wednesday President Tshisekedi is expected to seize the moment to make his maiden visit at the SADC headquarters in his capacity as the incumbent chairman.
He will open his country’s Chancery thereby making his long appointed ambassador designate, Emilie Ayanza Mushobekwa, a former SADC Deputy Executive Secretary, a full ambassador. Tshisekedi will also have a meeting with the Congolese Diaspora in Botswana. The previous DRC Ambassador to Botswana was based in South Africa whilst for Botswana, DRC is covered by Ambassador Alpheus Matlhaku from his Lusaka, Zambia office.
Tshisekedi will end his stay with a visit to one of the world’s largest diamond producing mines - Jwaneng on Thursday before jointly addressing and participating in the Botswana-DRC Business Forum.