The Government of Botswana, yesterday denied media reports of offering a loan to its neighbor Zimbabwe. Rather, said it is holding discussions under the framework of the Bi-National Commission with its eastern borders.
A Zimbabwean local state-owned newspaper had reported that Botswana offered to lend the eastern neighbor, $600 million to support that country’s diamond industry and local private firms.
“The Office of President wishes to inform members of the public that the Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe are currently holding discussions under the framework of the Bi-National Commission which covers a wide range of issues which are mutually beneficial to the peoples of the two countries,” Botswana’s Permanent Secretary to the President and Secretary to the Cabinet, Carter N. Morupisi said in a press release.
“As such, media reports that are currently circulating about the line of credit worth Six Hundred Million United States Dollars that the Government of Botswana has committed itself to extend to the Republic of Zimbabwe are unfounded.”
Following the BNC, the Botswana President Mokgweesti Masisi flew into Zimbabwe yesterday for the inaugural of the Joint Permanent Commission upgrade.
The BNC would provide Botswana and Zimbabwe with a platform to share, exchange notes and concretize the neighbor relations in different facets of the economy according to the Botswana International Affairs and Cooperation Minister, Unity Dow.
President Masisi who was giving welcome remarks today said the BNC interaction between Zimbabwe and Botswana is at the highest level meant to improve people’s livelihoods.
Zimbabwe’s leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who also attended the inaugural, revealed that a number of agreements are ready for signing at the BNC.
Meanwhile, the two governments of Botswana and Zimbabwe are currently in a meeting which is closed for the media.
“We wish to advise members of the public that in accordance with international practice, a communique which summarises the outcomes of the meeting will be issued following the conclusion of the Bi-National Commission,” Morupisi said.
