- Molao reiterates that Botswana has not imposed a citrus fruit import ban
- Says Botswana is open to dialogue but has not received communication from SA
BONGANI MALUNGA
Botswana is yet to receive formal communication from South Africa about a supposed citrus fruit import ban, the Minister of Agriculture, Fidelis Molao, has said.
In July, Molao’s counterpart in South Africa, John Steenhuisen, said he was planning to approach Botswana and Namibia for talks about the two countries’ temporary bans on importing citrus fruit from his country.
Steenhuisen told delegates to the Agri Limpopo Congress that Botswana had placed a three-month citrus fruit ban while a similar ban placed by Namibia would end in 2025.
Backlash
He expressed a desire to hold extensive talks with the two countries in the midst of a backlash from his country’s citrus farmers and other stakeholders. “We believe we can find an amicable solution,” Steenhuis said.
“I don’t think we need to end up with a situation where you block our products and we block yours. I hope we will really be able to sit down with Botswana and Namibia and find a compromise,”
However, Molao recently told Parliament that reports of Botswana placing a citrus fruit ban were false and just repeated that in an interview with The Botswana Gazette, saying no formal talks on the alleged ban have been proposed.
“They have not approached us”
“They have not approached us,” Minister Molao told The Gazette. “We do not know where reports of a citrus fruit import ban are coming from. There is no such ban, and we cannot answer to reports that are not substantiated.
“We have communication channels. If there is an issue, we believe they will communicate in the usual manner. Because they have not engaged us yet, we will treat the reports as they are until formal communication is made.”
He added that they have cordial relations with South Africa and are open to a dialogue. “We have an open-door policy in terms of our communication.
Open engagements
“Even South Africa’s previous agric minister, Thoko Didiza, had good relations with us and we had numerous telephonic engagements.
“We have always had open engagements with South Africa. The new minister is yet to reach out to us. But from where I am sitting, there is no major issue.”
Meanwhile, Minister Molao took advantage of the interview to urge the public to refrain from smuggling vegetables into Botswana because there is an active vegetable ban.
The wrath of the law
Police in Ramotswa seized P40 000 worth of smuggled tomatoes, onions and green peppers smuggled into the country last week. The suspects are four Zimbabweans and two Batswana.
The minister said smuggling is not a new phenomenon but emphasised that culprits will always face the wrath of the law.