Monitor, August 28 - Septmeber 2, 2005
Ugandans worry Botswana HUSSEIN BOGERE & AGENCIES KAMPALA Ugandans flocking to Botswana have authorities there worried because of their involvement in crime.
What used to be the preserve of Zimbabweans has now been taken over by Ugandans who enter Botswana in large numbers everyday, according to the country's immigration officials.The officials say that an increasing numbers of Ugandans enter Botswana and later turn to crime as a means of survival after they fail to get jobs.
The Ugandans enter comparatively wealthy Botswana claiming to be visiting relatives. "We've had to send a good number of them back after they could not furnish us with verifiable details of the people they claim to be visiting," Ms Ontitile Marumo, an immigration officer, told local paper Ghetto Metro. "As the numbers of Ugandans coming into the country continues to rise, there are stories that the visitors end up being used in shady activities while in the country."
State Foreign Affairs Minister Oryem Okello said that the Ugandan government has not yet received an official complaint from Botswana. "But now that you have informed me, I will report it to my ministry on Monday so that we can get in contact with our embassy in South Africa," he said.
The embassy in South Africa also covers Botswana.
Sunday Monitor was unable to get in touch with Uganda's immigration office for a comment on the deportees.
Marumo said that when the so-called hosts are contacted, they often claimed not to know their visitors.Ironically, the Ugandans go through the necessary immigration formalities to enter Botswana, unlike some of the immigrants from southern Africa. But even that factor has not made life any easier for immigration officials who worry about the rising crime rate.
Lule's failed attempt
On August 19, a Ugandan man aboard a Zambia-Botswana Luxury coach was detained at the Kazungula Ferry border for almost an hour before he was sent back because the so-called relatives he had indicated on the immigration entry form had denied knowledge of his visit.
When contacted by an immigration officer, a Ugandan woman in Gaborone said she was not aware of her supposed visitor, known only as Lule, and his visit to Gaborone.Marumo told Lule that she could not let him in since he had no destination or people that he could say he was visiting.
The official, however, would not say how many Ugandans attempt or actually arrive into Botswana and how many have been returned save to say, "The numbers are a recognisable figure."Instead she directed Ghetto Metro to the Officer in Charge of the Francistown immigration office, Motho Mogolo, who when contacted declined to answer verbal questions
Botswana is the latest country to have trouble with Ugandan immigrants. Already hundreds of Ugandans have been deported from Britain for staying in the country illegally.
------
Sounds a bit like Kenya in the 1980s...
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
