Eastern Zambezi still uses Botswana pula as NDP’s Lukato blames past leadership for bridge delays 

Political leaders and National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato are blaming past failures and corruption for the continued, illegal use of the Botswana pula in Namibia’s eastern Zambezi region.

Impalila and Kasika islands are still trading with the Botswana pula, 36 years after Namibia’s independence.

Under the Currency and Exchanges Act of 1933, the Namibia dollar (NAD) and South African rand (ZAR) are the only legal currency in Namibia.

“I’ve been advocating for these communities for years, even outside parliament, and when you look at the past parliament since independence, you can see the current parliament and Cabinet are different,” Lukato says.

He says a new parliament and Cabinet would correct past mistakes.

This comes after deputy minister of defence and veterans affairs Charles Mubita at an Independence Day celebration at Bukalo in the Zambezi region over the weekend said it was unacceptable that Impalila Island still uses the Botswana pula 36 years on.

Lukato acknowledges growing public criticism about the issue not being addressed earlier, especially by leaders who have long been in government.

“We don’t want to talk any more, it’s now about action and implementation,” Lukato says.

He says the government should prioritise kick-starting the building of a long-delayed bridge between Impalila and Kasika islands and should include it in the national budget.

The infrastructure project must not only link the two islands, but also address broader transport challenges affecting flood-prone communities in the region, Lukato says.

“It must accommodate all affected areas. No community should be left behind,” he says.

Mubita over the weekend vowed that the government would address promises made.

“I cannot make promises that we cannot achieve, but it is totally unacceptable that 36 years after independence, our people in Impalila still have to use the pula if they want to buy anything.

That situation is unacceptable,” he said.

The deputy minister said the solution lies in building the bridge from Kasika to Impalila, which has been long delayed due to corruption and poor planning.

“Some of the billions we spent on this have gone into people’s pockets,” Mubita said.

He said the money should be recovered so the bridge can be built.

“It can be done; it has been done before,” he said.

Shadow minister of urban and rural development Armas Amukoto says the government has failed the people of the eastern Zambezi region.

“These people exchange money to buy goods in Botswana and are charged extra for their goods at the border when they come back to Namibia,” he says.

Amukoto says the government should at least make the necessary arrangements to accommodate communities in the affected area, especially pensioners who do shopping in Botswana.

Political analyst Ben Mulongeni says he does not think using the Botswana currency is a problem, but acknowledges that a bridge in the area is essential.

“We need to do a feasibility study in the area first to determine whether it is bad to use the currency before we make any comments.

If it’s a bridge issue, bridges are needed everywhere,” he says.

‘NO-STOP’ BORDER POSTS’

Meanwhile, presidents Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Duma Boko discussed implementing no-stop border posts to facilitate seamless trade and the smooth movement of people.

They said this at State House on Friday following Boko’s one-day work visit to Namibia.

“The direction we’re going into is no longer one-stop border posts.

The language now is ‘no-stop’ border posts. We will ensure goods move seamlessly and move our economy, because it is critical,” Boko said during the visit.

Boko said the aim is to increase the volume of quality intra-Africa trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement and in the context of the southern regional agreements that should be operationalised.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said progress updates must be regularly discussed to ensure implementation serves both countries.

The president said the two countries will collaborate on trade, tourism, infrastructure development and natural resource management, as well as logistics.

“We can no longer call our neighbouring countries ‘landlocked’ countries, but rather ‘sea-link’ countries.

This is why we’ve made Walvis Bay a strategic gateway in the region – open to all our neighbours,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

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