Justicia Shipena
Botswana has supplied Namibia with over 3.8 million doses of foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccines worth N$60.7 million to strengthen livestock protection and regional food security.
The vaccines were delivered through the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), which has long supported Namibia’s animal health programmes.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the vaccines are vital for safeguarding livestock and sustaining farming communities.
She noted that the first batch under a three-year agreement was delivered in February 2025, describing the partnership as a sign of trust and cooperation between the two countries.
“This partnership reflects our shared vision for a region that is self-reliant, healthy, and secure, protecting our livestock, securing our farmers’ livelihoods, and strengthening the foundation of food security and trade for generations to come,” she said.
The agreement was discussed during the second session of the Botswana–Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC), which concluded in Windhoek on Friday.
The meeting was co-chaired by Nandi-Ndaitwah and her Botswana counterpart, President Duma Gideon Boko.
In a joint communiqué, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in trade, transport, energy, and environmental conservation.
They welcomed the operationalisation of the one-stop border post at Trans-Kalahari/Mamuno, progress on the Trans-Kalahari Railway feasibility study, and joint wildlife protection efforts under the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area.
They also oversaw the signing of eight new memoranda of understanding covering energy, health, police cooperation, and labour.
The agreements are expected to deepen regional integration and support the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) goals of economic diversification and industrialisation.
Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that the second BNC session bolstered Namibia-Botswana ties and paved the way for collaboration in energy, labour and innovation.
She said the new agreements would help advance regional initiatives such as the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“I am encouraged by our discussions on natural resource beneficiation and the need to safeguard the competitiveness of our diamond sectors,” she said.
She urged ministers and senior officials to implement the agreements and follow up through sectoral committees, adding that clear timelines had been set to ensure measurable progress.
The BNC, established in January 2021, is the highest platform for cooperation between Namibia and Botswana.
It replaced the Joint Commission on Cooperation and the Joint Permanent Commission on Security and Defence.
The second session reviewed progress in diplomatic, legal, economic, social, and security matters and introduced new memoranda of understanding. Botswana will host the third BNC session in 2027.
Caption
Presidents Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Botswana’s President Duma Gideon Boko witness the signing of eight new memoranda of understanding between Namibia and Botswana during the Second Session of the Bi-National Commission in Windhoek.
- Photo: Namibia Presidency
