{{Botswana has reportedly intensified the deportation of Zimbabweans this year in what is being seen as an escalation of hostilities between the two neighbours.}}
Botswana has sent back more than 135,000 Zimbabweans between January 2009 and July this year, mainly for lack of proper travel documents.
A Zimbabwean immigration official said the deportations by Botswana had intensified this year.
“Over the past four years the figures were gradually dropping but they are on the increase again,” Mr Nqobile Ncube, the assistant immigration officer-in-charge of the western region, said.
“Our figures for this year are quite alarming as we have handled 15,392 deportees between January and July for the three border posts.
“This is about 2,000 less than last year’s annual figure of 17, 402.
“We have realised this increase because Botswana seems reluctant to renew work permits for Zimbabweans.”
The release of the figures came a week after Botswana controversially deported a 96-year-old Zimbabwean man who has lived in that country for 70 years. (Read: Outrage as Botswana deports frail Zim man)
Mr Alfred Khumalo who was removed from a hospital bed in Bostwana after suffering a stroke has been admitted at a hospital in the border town of Plumtree as Zimbabwean authorities are still trying to establish if he has any relatives in the country.
Zimbabwe’s state media claimed the deportation was politically motivated.
Botswana is the only Southern African country that initially refused to endorse President Robert Mugabe’s re-election and called for an audit of the results of the July 31 elections.
President Mugabe and his Botswana counterpart Ian Khama have in the past clashed over Harare’s alleged poor human rights record.
Zanu-PF also accused Botswana of sponsoring former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) during the previous elections.
Millions of Zimbabweans have sought refugee in neighbouring countries such as Botswana and South Africa since the southern African country started experiencing economic problems in 1997.
The two countries regularly deport undocumented immigrants from Zimbabwe who immediately find their way back through illegal entry points.
wirestory
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