In a bid to protect local jobs, Botswana’s government has announced that it will no longer issue work permits to foreign teachers and truck drivers.
Minister of Labor and Home Affairs Pius Mokgware revealed that the government has already stopped issuing permits to foreign educators and truck drivers, with 140 applications rejected last month.
The move is seen as a response to protests by unemployed teachers in Gaborone, who are demanding that the government prioritize local hiring.
Thabang Kopelo, representing the unemployed teachers, emphasized that their actions are not xenophobic, but rather a plea to the government to put citizens first.
“We have thousands and thousands of local teachers,” Kopelo said. “We want the government to cancel and suspend work permits for foreign teachers.”
The situation is particularly sensitive in the region, where clashes between migrants and locals have turned deadly in neighboring South Africa.
However, Kopelo stressed that their approach is different, emphasizing unity and solidarity with foreign workers.
For foreign workers like Patrice Okomi, a Congolese teacher based in Gaborone, the decision means uncertainty about their future. “We are here at the mercy of the government,” Okomi said. “If the feeling is that we have overstayed our welcome, there’s not much we can do except prepare for our exit.”
Botswana’s stable economy has attracted many migrant workers, mostly from neighboring Zimbabwe.
According to Statistics Botswana, there are currently 4,581 holders of foreign work permits in the country, with teachers making up 18% of the total.
