President Cyril Ramaphosa and Botswana President Duma Boko at the conclusion of the Sixth Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Gaborone on Thursday.
Image: GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Botswana President Duma Boko have pledged to accelerate economic integration, simplify border processes and deepen regional cooperation.
This follows the conclusion of the Sixth Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Gaborone on Thursday.
The two leaders committed to expanding bilateral trade, improving infrastructure connectivity and strengthening cooperation in agriculture, vaccines, transport logistics and regional industrialisation. The outcomes were captured in the joint communiqué issued at the close of the State Visit.
In his closing remarks, Ramaphosa said the agreements signed during the BNC gave “practical and legal expression” to the cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
“We have identified priority areas to scale up economic partnership between our countries. Levels of bilateral trade and investment must be substantially increased,” Ramaphosa said.
He added that South Africa and Botswana would deepen cooperation in vaccine production through collaboration between South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council and the Botswana Vaccine Institute to combat animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.
“We welcome the commitment by South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council and the Botswana Vaccine Institute to conclude a cooperation partnership in the production of vaccines to fight animal diseases, including foot and mouth disease,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa also thanked Botswana for assisting South Africa with vaccine supplies during recent outbreaks.
“We thank you and your government for facilitating the delivery of significant doses of vaccines to our country to combat the outbreak of foot and mouth disease,” he said.
The joint communiqué highlighted several strategic projects that both countries intend to prioritise, including the North-South Corridor Development, the Mmamabula-Lephalale Railway Line Project, implementation of One Stop Border Posts, 24-hour operations at key commercial border posts, refurbishment of the Martin’s Drift/Groblersbrug border infrastructure, and cross-border agricultural value chain initiatives.
Boko used his address to call for sweeping reforms to government systems and border administration, arguing that outdated institutions and cumbersome procedures were hindering regional trade and economic growth.
“We need to do something that I call a radical simplification. Some of these processes are so complicated, unnecessarily convoluted, a waste of time really,” Boko said.
He criticised what he described as “institutional idolatry”, where governments become trapped by outdated systems and procedures.
“We are called upon now, by the challenges that we face, to openly reject some of the practices and to dismantle some of the institutions that we’ve inherited,” he said.
Boko placed particular emphasis on border efficiency and trade facilitation, saying long queues of trucks at border posts were unacceptable for modern economies.
“These trucks shouldn’t be lining up. We are clear about what the ought is. It must be for goods, for the movement of goods. It must be a no-stop. Not even one stop, no stop,” Boko said.
He stressed that both countries needed to invest in digital and physical infrastructure to improve trade flows and reduce delays.
“The fact that we’ve settled the ought, we know the is, is not going to change anything. There’s work required. It’s a function of human agency now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said both countries were also committed to resolving immigration challenges affecting students and businesspeople.
“We are committed to address immigration difficulties affecting, among others, students from Botswana and business people from South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.
The two leaders further reiterated their commitment to regional integration through the Southern African Development Community (SADC), investment in infrastructure and manufacturing, and cooperation on peace and security.
The communiqué also noted concern about Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa and reaffirmed cooperation on public health responses.
At the close of the BNC, Ramaphosa invited Boko to South Africa for the seventh session of the commission in 2028.
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