Ubezonde egan’unwabu uMongameli Mokgweetsi Masisi weleBotswana ngemva kokuba amalunga edale lephalamende awelizwe lakhe echothoze imizamo yokuthi abeZimbabwe bangene kulelo lizwe besebenzisa izithupha hatshi ingwalo zama phasiphothi.
Ekhuluma edale lephalamende ngoLwesibili uMasisi uthe kuyayangisa okwenziwa ngamalunga edale leli, ngoba ekhangelela phansi ilizwe kanye labantu beZimbabwe.
Lokhu kuza ngesikhathi uMasisi ebhekane lamalunga edale lephalamende okwakuqala lokhe kwakhulunywa ngemizamo yokuthi kubekwe eceleni ukusetshenziswa kwengwalo zamaphasiphothi ezizalwane zakwele Zimbabwe leleBotswana nyakenye.
“Silohlelo olufanayo leNamibia kodwa alizange litsho lutho. Lingabi lenzondo lobandlululo ngenxa yokuthi ngabantu beZimbabwe. Siyakwazi ukuthi inengi lenu khonapha liqhatshe abeZimbabwe okungekho emthethweni.”
UMasisi ugcizelele ukuthi inhloso yokumiswa kokusetshenziswa kwamaphasiphothi yikukhuthaza ukuthi abeZimbabwe bangene eBotswana okusemthethweni ngoba kusaziwa ukuthi kibo ukuthola ugwalo lwephasiphothi kunzima njalo kuyadula.
“Sizama ukuthi sikwazi ukuthi ngubani onginileyo elizweni, sibe lolwazi olugcweleyo ngabo. Okwakhathesi abangena okungekho emthethweni asazi lutho ngabo. Lokhu esizama ukukwenza kuqondileyo njalo kuthuthukisa ubuhlobo bethu njengabo makhelwane.”
UMasisi, okhulume kabanzi phezu kwaloludaba etshengisela ukufuthelana, uthi abantu beBotswana kumele belahle umkhuba wabo wokukhangelela phansi abantu beZimbabwe.
“Uma lingabafuni, lizabaxotsha lina uma lingangena embusweni. Abanye benu khonapha bafundiswa ngabantu beZimbabwe njalo balezihlobo eZimbabwe kodwa khathesi selibambuluzela lizenza abangcono.”
Omele idolobho leFrancistown edale lephalamende, uMnunzana Wynter Mmolotsi nguye othinte isilugu sabonyolovo ngokuthi kungani uMasisi egijimisa ukuthi abeZimbabwe bengene ngobunengi ngokususa ukusetshenziswa kwengwalo zamaphasiphothi.
UMmolotsi uthe uma uhlelo lolu lungaphumelela kutsho ukuba uhulumende wakwele Botswana usezanakekela kakhulu izizalwane zamazwe amabili, esitsho egoqela leleZimbabwe.
“Ngikhathazekile ngoba imali ephuma esikhwameni sikahulumende ayingeke yasenela thina labantu beZimbabwe ngoba bezagcwala lapha.”
Kodwa ocubungula ngezombusazwe uMnunzana Zenzo Moyo uncoma uMasisi ngokuma ngakufisayo esithi noma nje kuzabalobunzima ekusunguleni lolu hlelo, uma lufunwa yinkokheli, luzaphumelela.
“Ukungena ngesithupha kuyindlela eqondileyo, yikho lomongameli Masisi ekhuluma ukuthi ukusebenzisa izithupha kunganceda ukuthi siphathise ukuthi abantu bangene elizweni okungekho emthethweni.”
Udaba lweZimbabwe yilo olusegudwini, lufike edale lephalamende yeBotswana ngesikhathi indlu le iphakathi kokuhlaziya ukwabiwa kwemali yesizwe eyenational budget yomnyaka ka2024-2025.
Noma nje kulabanye abaphikisa loluhlelo lokusebenzisa izithupha, konke kukhomba ukuthi luzaphumelela ngoba lufuqwa kumahofisi amazwe womabili aphezulu, okugoqela uMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa kanye loMasisi.
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