Gaborone – Incoming Botswana President Duma Boko has pledged to legalise all undocumented Zimbabweans by granting them temporary work and residence permits.
“Many Zimbabweans are already here, doing jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko said on the BBC Africa Daily podcast.
Botswana hosts the world’s second-largest Zimbabwean community fleeing economic hardship, and daily deportations are common.
According to government data, 98% of “irregular migrants” in Botswana from 2021 to 2023 were Zimbabwean nationals.
Boko acknowledged that illegal migration strains resources and breeds resentment.
“They live outside the law, sometimes committing crimes, which adds to the resentment,” he noted. His plan seeks to formalise their stay, improve access to services, and reduce illegal activity.
Despite backlash over proposals for more accessible cross-border travel, Boko sees Zimbabwean migrants as a solution to Botswana’s skills gap.
“In construction, Zimbabweans have skills we lack, like welding and plumbing,” he explained. “We should utilise these skills while transferring knowledge to our citizens.”
A human rights lawyer and founder of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Boko’s campaign promises to focus on economic revival.
He aims to create 100,000 jobs annually, backed by a new diamond deal with De Beers.
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With a population of 2.4 million and 30% unemployment, we face a ticking time bomb,” Boko warned.
Boko’s inauguration, set for Friday in Gaborone, will include international dignitaries and has been declared a public holiday.
