South Africa’s Transport Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga on Tuesday extended well wishes to Namibia and Botswana, ahead of their respective National elections set for later in the year.

Chikunga in a speech read on her behalf at the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between South Africa, Namibia and Botswana for the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) Secretariat said: ‘We are in an election year, as are our member states. Tell them that we as the Republic of South Africa will have free and fair elections. Tell our friends in Botswana and Namibia that we wish them well, in their pursuit for the advocacy and the advancement of development and democracy.’

Namibia is set to go to the polls in November 2024, for the National Presidential and National Assembly elections. Botswana will host its National elections in October 2024 while South Africans are expected to vote in May 2024.

The TKC is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the MoU between South Africa, Namibia and Botswana with
a cycle challenge from Rustenburg South Africa, through Lobatse, Botswana, to Walvis Bay in Namibia.

The Trans Kalahari Corridor Secretariat (TKCS) is a tripartite transboundary Corridor Management Institution which was established with a political and economic vision to pursue or contribute towards deeper regional integration programmes of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

This is to be achieved by linking the port of Walvis Bay on the west coast to the port of Maputo on the east coast of Africa.

The TKC connects highways of Namibia commencing at the port of Walvis Bay through Kanye and Lobatse in Botswana to South Africa, mainly to the industrial heartland of the greater Gauteng,’ Chikunga said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency