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Kudakwashe Mugari in GABORONE, Botswana

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday joined other Heads of State and Government to witness the inauguration of new Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

The President, who is the chairman of the Southern African Development Community, joined other regional leaders at the colourful ceremony that was witnessed by thousands of Batswana and other invited guests from all over the world.

He was accompanied by Acting Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu.

Mr Boko becomes Botswana’s sixth president and the first from the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change Party after he defeated President Mokgweetsi Masisi in elections that were held on October 30.

UDC replaces the Botswana Democratic Party, which has governed that country since Independence from Britain in 1966.

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Botswana Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane presided over the inauguration of President Boko.

Under Botswana’s electoral system, the party that wins 31 of 61 seats in the legislature is declared the winner and installs its candidate as president and forms the next Government.

President Mnangagwa yesterday sat next to the outgoing President Masisi, and the two could be seen in jovial exchanges.

President Mnangagwa, former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi (second from right) and his wife Neo Jane Masisi (centre), Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema (second from left) and Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba at the inauguration of Botswana President Duma Boko yesterday. – Pictures: Presidential Photographer Joseph Nyadzayo

The President said he was happy with the democratic processes and transfer of power witnessed in Botswana.

“As SADC, we are very happy the process went on well. We had three Heads of State in attendance. This is Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, but it went very smoothly.

“President Boko was very happy that I had come after he extended his invitation, and I then congratulated him, and we spoke,” President Mnangagwa said on arrival in Harare from Gaborone yesterday afternoon.

Following last week’s election, President Mnangagwa expressed his readiness to work with the new Botswana Government and it’s President.

“On behalf of the Government and People of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on your election as the President-Elect of the Republic of Botswana,” President Mnangagwa said.

He expressed his eagerness to continue implementing bilateral co-operation agreements with the new leadership in Botswana.

“As you assume your new role, I am confident that the excellent relations between our two countries will continue to grow from strength-to-strength in the years ahead, for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.

“I also affirm my commitment to working very closely with you at regional, continental, and multilateral fora, in pursuit of a just global political and economic order”.

Botswana President Duma Boko takes his oath of office in Gaborone yesterday

President Mnangagwa wished the Botswana President a peaceful and successful tenure.

“May I take this opportunity to wish you personal good health and success, as well as peace and prosperity for the people of Botswana.

“Please accept, Your Excellency President-Elect, the assurances of my highest consideration,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Boko  said he is ready to work with the people of Zimbabwe and regularise the work permits of Zimbabweans in his country.

President Boko told the BBC Africa Daily podcast before he was sworn in that he wanted to formalise the permits and other relevant paperwork for Zimbabweans in Botswana, citing their  unique skills, especially in the construction  sector.

“So what we need to do is to formalise, have a proper arrangement that recognises that people from Zimbabwe are already here,” he said.

President Boko acknowledged Zimbabweans’ unique skills, saying Botswana could benefit a lot from them.

“In any and every construction site in Botswana, the majority of people with those skills are from Zimbabwe, so we need to do a twin programme of allowing them to come in and we utilise the skills that they have and in the process of utilising these skills, we also engage in some sort of skills transfer,” he said.

“We can’t stop people with skills from coming in when we don’t have the skills ourselves – we need to develop these skills and it takes time, so in the interregnum we need to have them come in properly, come in legally and be rewarded appropriately for the skills that they bring.”

The President chats with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on his return from Botswana at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare yesterday

President Mnangagwa and former President Masisi last year agreed to forge ahead with eliminating passport requirements for citizens travelling between the two countries.

The new president, Mr Boko, has already indicated that he stands ready just to continue maintaining the already cordial bilateral relations between Harare and Gaborone.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home yesterday and was received at Robert Gabriel International Airport by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and other senior Government officials.