Chinese people in Botswana
Encyclopedia
There were estimated to be roughly five to six thousand Chinese people in Botswana .
, though Zimbabwean expatriates
were the largest group of foreign workers overall. Statistics for that year also showed 1,273 Chinese expatriates holding employee permits, 11.3% of the total number. This represented 36% growth over the previous year's number of 937. Many of the self-employed work as traders in the Oriental Plaza in Gaborone. There is also an increasing number of Chinese traders in Francistown, an influx noted by locals as early as 2005. In local slang, poor-quality Chinese goods are referred to as "Fong-kongs". Some locals accuse Chinese businesspeople of violating local labour laws by forcing employees to work long hours, while others praise them for the low prices they offer.
In July 2008, new trade laws repealed the earlier Specialised Dealer licence system under which had been primarily used by Chinese and other foreigners. It was speculated that this could lead to self-employed Chinese traders being forced to leave the country; the Gaborone City Council indicated that it would be willing to licence the Chinese under the "Miscellaneous Trade" category for an adjustment period of two years. The Chinese ambassador also speculated that local traders might eventually be able to out-compete the Chinese. In early 2009, Chinese were also banned from dealing in clothes; local traders had complained that the Chinese were using the Specialised Dealer system to engage in general retail sales. New trade laws reserved 13 types of retail businesses for locals only: general clothing shops, general dealers, car washes, auctioneers, fresh produce shops, funeral parlours, hairdressers, laundromats, petrol filling station, take-away restaurants, cleaning services, and curio shops.
Lawmakers have also expressed concern about the rising number of unskilled Chinese labourers coming to Botswana to work in jobs such as ditch-digging, even in deep rural areas. According to government records in 2006, there were 1,094 Chinese citizens legally registered to work in the construction industry in Botswana, slightly more than a third of the total number of legal Chinese residents at the time. A number of construction projects managed by Chinese companies, such as the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport
expansion project, primary schools in Serowe
, Oriental Plaza, and Dikgathong Dam, illegally employed Chinese workers whose had no work permits or whose permits had not yet been approved. However, in response to these accusations, the Chinese embassy claimed that the work permit process was already very cumbersome and that it was difficult to find locals willing to work on construction projects.
and the Mid-Autumn Festival
. They have also cooperated with the Botswana authorities to translate local laws into Chinese for the benefit of those who do not speak English.
In 2009, a number of other Chinese organisations were founded. One was the Botswana-China Friendship Association (博茨瓦纳-中国友好协会), in which Miles Nan was also tapped to be the executive chairman, and Botswana's former ambassador in Beijing was chosen as an honorary chairman. Another was the Botswana Huaren Golf Association (博茨瓦纳华人高尔夫球协会), which organised its inaugural tournament among locals as well as Chinese, Kenyan, Korean, South African, and Zimbabwean expatriates in July 2009.
Employment
, Chinese formed the largest group of self-employment permit holders in BotswanaBotswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, though Zimbabwean expatriates
Zimbabweans in Botswana
-Numbers and distribution:Economic and political problems in Zimbabwe have led to significant increases in migration to Botswana since the early 2000s. By 2003, it was estimated that there were 40,000 Zimbabwean migrants in the country, of whom only one-third were resident legally. Many reside in...
were the largest group of foreign workers overall. Statistics for that year also showed 1,273 Chinese expatriates holding employee permits, 11.3% of the total number. This represented 36% growth over the previous year's number of 937. Many of the self-employed work as traders in the Oriental Plaza in Gaborone. There is also an increasing number of Chinese traders in Francistown, an influx noted by locals as early as 2005. In local slang, poor-quality Chinese goods are referred to as "Fong-kongs". Some locals accuse Chinese businesspeople of violating local labour laws by forcing employees to work long hours, while others praise them for the low prices they offer.
In July 2008, new trade laws repealed the earlier Specialised Dealer licence system under which had been primarily used by Chinese and other foreigners. It was speculated that this could lead to self-employed Chinese traders being forced to leave the country; the Gaborone City Council indicated that it would be willing to licence the Chinese under the "Miscellaneous Trade" category for an adjustment period of two years. The Chinese ambassador also speculated that local traders might eventually be able to out-compete the Chinese. In early 2009, Chinese were also banned from dealing in clothes; local traders had complained that the Chinese were using the Specialised Dealer system to engage in general retail sales. New trade laws reserved 13 types of retail businesses for locals only: general clothing shops, general dealers, car washes, auctioneers, fresh produce shops, funeral parlours, hairdressers, laundromats, petrol filling station, take-away restaurants, cleaning services, and curio shops.
Lawmakers have also expressed concern about the rising number of unskilled Chinese labourers coming to Botswana to work in jobs such as ditch-digging, even in deep rural areas. According to government records in 2006, there were 1,094 Chinese citizens legally registered to work in the construction industry in Botswana, slightly more than a third of the total number of legal Chinese residents at the time. A number of construction projects managed by Chinese companies, such as the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport located north of Gaborone is the main international airport of the capital city of Botswana. The airport is named for Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana...
expansion project, primary schools in Serowe
Serowe
Serowe was famed as Botswana's largest village after Molepolole. Serowe has a rich history in Botswana'; it being the capital for the Bamangwato people in the early part of the 20th century and for being the birth place of many of Botswana's Presidents...
, Oriental Plaza, and Dikgathong Dam, illegally employed Chinese workers whose had no work permits or whose permits had not yet been approved. However, in response to these accusations, the Chinese embassy claimed that the work permit process was already very cumbersome and that it was difficult to find locals willing to work on construction projects.
Media
The Oriental Post (华侨周报), a Chinese-language weekly newspaper, was launched in May 2009. It is believed to be the first newspaper of Botswana to be printed in an international language other than English. Its president is Miles Nan (南庚戌), who also runs a construction company in Botswana. Its editor-in-chief is Tian Wentai (田文泰).Organisations
The Botswana Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (博茨瓦纳华人华侨总商会) was established in 1998. As late as 2007 it was the only non-profit Chinese organisation in the country. It organises a variety of activities including ping pong tournaments and celebrations of Chinese holidays such as the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
and the Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
. They have also cooperated with the Botswana authorities to translate local laws into Chinese for the benefit of those who do not speak English.
In 2009, a number of other Chinese organisations were founded. One was the Botswana-China Friendship Association (博茨瓦纳-中国友好协会), in which Miles Nan was also tapped to be the executive chairman, and Botswana's former ambassador in Beijing was chosen as an honorary chairman. Another was the Botswana Huaren Golf Association (博茨瓦纳华人高尔夫球协会), which organised its inaugural tournament among locals as well as Chinese, Kenyan, Korean, South African, and Zimbabwean expatriates in July 2009.
External links
- Botswana Chinese Online
- Article from Xinhua News AgencyXinhua News AgencyThe Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
with photos of preparatory celebrations for the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
among the Chinese in Botswana