By Celani Sikhakhane
- Botswana President Duma Boko told Cyril Ramaphosa at a formal summit on 21 May that South Africa’s deportation of Botswana truck drivers to Lindela was inhumane.
- Ramaphosa announced on 7 June dedicated deportation courts, jail time for repeat offending employers and a biometric register for every person in South Africa.
Botswana’s president walked into a formal diplomatic summit in Gaborone on 21 May 2026 and did something nobody expected. He switched from English mid-speech and addressed three South African ministers directly in isiXhosa, asking them to slaughter a goat and prepare samp for him when he visits the Eastern Cape.
The room loved it. A video spread widely across social media, with many South Africans sharing it and noting that the two countries share deep cultural roots.
But Duma Boko had not come to Gaborone just to charm the room. He was speaking at the official opening of the 6th Botswana–South Africa Bi-National Commission, with President Cyril Ramaphosa sitting across the table. What came next was on the record.
Then Boko made his real point.
He told Ramaphosa that Botswana truck drivers caught in South Africa with expired permits due to unforeseen circumstances were not offered extensions. They were sent to Lindela. He called it inhumane. He said Botswana treats South African citizens with respect when they face the same situation.
Seventeen days later, Ramaphosa answered. Not with extensions or diplomatic softening. On 7 June 2026, the president announced a national crackdown on illegal immigration. Dedicated courts will be set up to fast-track deportations. Employers who repeatedly hire undocumented workers face jail time, not just fines. A biometric register will be built for every person in South Africa.
The announcement came as anti-immigration protests continued across the country, with at least two people killed in unrest in Mossel Bay.
Boko had asked for a more humane approach. South Africa went the other way.
Pictured above: Botswana President Duma Boko addresses the 6th Botswana–South Africa Bi-National Commission in Gaborone on 21 May 2026.
Image source: Supplied
