source: Mmegi
Toronto-listed energy company CIC Energy on Wednesday reiterated that it could not proceed with the Botswana-based Mmamabula project without regulatory approvals from the South African government.
CIC Energy president Greg Kinross said at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town that the regulatory uncertainties were the biggest challenge confronting the advancement of the project.
The company deferred certain financial, legal and engineering activities related to the Mmamabula energy project in December.
The decision was driven by the South African government’s development timeline for its energy sector integrated resource plan.
Kinross noted that the Mmamabula project could not be covered by the first integrated resource plan, which would only cover requirements for new generation capacity for the three-year period stretching from [continue reading]
source: Republic of Botswana (8/2/10) Tautona Times special edition – 2010 Budget Speech (Full Text)
[START] – 2010 BUDGET SPEECH – “TRANSFORMING OUR ECONOMY AFTER THE CRISIS: 2010 AND BEYOND”
By Honourable O.K. Matambo
Minister of Finance and Development Planning
Delivered to the National Assembly on 8th February 2010
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Madam Speaker, I have the honour this afternoon to present to the National Assembly budget proposals for the 2010/11 financial year.
2. Madam Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to [continue reading]
source: BOPA
08 February, 2010
GHANZI – President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has assured residents of New Xade in Ghanzi District that Ipelegeng wages would be increased once the countrys economy improves.
Responding to residents plea during his visit to the area last week, President Khama said the countrys economic situation was getting better, but stated that improvement will begin to show from 2011.
Therefore, he said once the situation has improved, Ipelegeng workers would be the first to be considered.
New Xade resident, Ms Phaephae Raseme, had asked government to consider reviewing Ipelegeng and [continue reading]
source: BOPA
08 February, 2010
GABORONE – Strategic partnerships in science and technology will be key instruments in transforming Botswana into a knowledge society.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Mr Carter Morupisi said this on Thursday when welcoming delegates from South Africa during a two-day science and technology bilateral meeting in Gaborone.
He mentioned that research and development in Botswana is still at its rudimentary stage and the science and technology landscape remains small with a few research institutions.
Mr Morupisi mentioned that the 1998 Science and Technology Policy is being revised to align it with the national and global trends and developments, and make it responsive to [continue
source: Fin24
Feb 08 2010 21:56
Harare – Controversy deepened on Monday over the Zimbabwean government’s handling of the Chiadzwa diamond field in the eastern Zimbabwe, with revelations of serious irregularities by the mines minister and the South African companies involved.
A parliamentary committee heard on Monday of the attempted illegal sale of 300 000 carats of diamonds by officials of a South African-based company that was supposed to be in partnership with a Zimbabwe state mining company.
Also revealed were allegedly unprocedural appointments by Mines Minister Obert Mpofu to the board of the joint venture company, and the theft of 27 high-quality diamonds by top executives of a second company also working the diamond fields in partnership with [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
By Nelson Direng
Correspondent
Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) in collaboration with the International Labour Office (ILO) stated that a slow response to the current problems facing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) could have a negative impact on the country’s economy.
This came out of a two-day conference held in Gaborone last week themed: Effective Crisis Responses Targeting SMEs. The conference was aimed at recognising the importance of crisis response policies specifically addressing the needs of SMEs, assessing the effectiveness of measures that governments around the world are introducing in support of SMEs. This includes increasing the flow of credit and [continue reading]
source: BOPA
08 February, 2010
GABORONE – Finance and development planning minister, Mr Kenneth Matambo, and the European Union (EU) Head of Delegation, Mr Paul Malin has signed two financing agreements for 65 million euros (P650 million) to be provided as grant for the countrys human resource development (HRD).Speaking at the signing ceremony, on Thursday, Mr Matambo said the first agreement of 60 million euros (P600 million) would assist in producing an adequate supply of qualified, productive, healthy and competitive human resource.
It will further strengthen education and training, which is the focal area of our bilateral cooperation, he added. Furthermore, he said the second agreement of five million euros (P50 million ), which is Botswana-EU cooperation support project, would support the HRD sector policy support programme with technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, the proposed HRD Advisory Council and the [continue reading]
source: SW Radio Africa
By Violet Gonda
8 February 2010
The inter-party negotiations between the political partners in government over the implementation of outstanding issues re-started on Monday evening, after being adjourned on January 21st.
One of the negotiators Welshman Ncube from the MDC-M said they had also received an invitation to a meeting with the South African facilitation team at 3pm on the same day, before the scheduled inter-party meeting which was expected to start at 6pm. Speaking before the meeting with the South Africans, Ncube told SW Radio Africa: “We don’t know what they are going to discuss or what’s going to be on the agenda because we didn’t request it. They requested it. So we presume they will control what’s on the agenda.”
According to the monitoring group Veritas, the South African facilitation team is in Harare to assess the position of the talks and report back to President Jacob Zuma ahead of a visit by him to Harare tentatively scheduled for 13th February.
Veritas quotes Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai saying: “I have said to our party representatives let’s finalise this, let’s not procrastinate ….let’s see what we have agreed and what we have not agreed….Therefore we are able to say to President Zuma and SADC that ZANU-PF is refusing to implement, and therefore as far as we are concerned the only solution is that let’s agree on a [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent
Young entrepreneurs have come together to form a youth in business representative organisation. Business Round Table International is a newly formed association of young citizen entrepreneurs, whose main aim is to address the challenges faced by young people in business.
The company is the brainchild of Base Sebonego, who is a director with Mosele Legal Services.
Sebonego says there is need for young people to have a business culture embedded in them from a young age.
One of the company’s mandates is to provide business-based social responsibility programmes which will [continue reading]
source: IOL
February 08 2010 at 06:58AM
By Carien du Plessis and Sapa
President Jacob Zuma’s sex life is likely to come under the spotlight again today as the ANC’s top brass meet in Cape Town, days before the State of the Nation speech on Thursday.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu confirmed the meeting would take place, but refused to divulge details of the agenda.
An ANC national executive committee member said, however, that the party’s top leadership was likely to demand answers after Zuma acknowledged fathering the infant of soccer boss Irvin Khoza’s daughter Sonono.
‘It is good that the president realises that he erred’
After initial attempts to defuse the row by insisting this was a private matter between the president and the child’s mother, the ANC and the Presidency did a U-turn and Zuma issued a formal apology to [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
KEITUMETSE SETLANG
The Okavango Delta has been selected as one of the top three finalists in the World Travel and Tourism Council WTTC) prestigious 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
The awards launched in 2003 under the stewardship of the WTTC, recognise and are meant to demonstrate best practise including helping to improve the livelihoods of communities and supporting the protection of natural and cultural heritage through sustainable tourism development. The awards are presented in four (4) categories namely; destination stewardship award, conservation awards, community benefit award and global tourism business award. Over 160 entries were received this year, from over 45 countries.
Applicants included governments, NGOs, businesses, or community organisations on behalf of destinations. Botswana Tourism Board entered the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site (ODRS) in the Destination Stewardship category. This entry is in recognition of the Delta’s contribution to the upliftment and advancement of tourism and [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
* MARIA MACHAILO-ELLIS
2009 was a challenging year for the private sector, as the global economy underwent a tough and slow economic recovery period from the financial crisis.
Recovery only occurred in the fourth quarter of 2009 but the growth levels are not projected to reach those of 2007 and 2008. As a result, the public sector too had its challenges and had to undergo adjustments, as there is still a strain in national revenues. There are still changes required to produce long-term supporting initiatives to drive the economy and continue with sustainable development. 2010/11 is not an assured year, there’s hope but no guarantees.
Poverty reduction, improved infrastructure and facilities in health, education, and various other sectors, creating a favourable economic environment and [continue reading]
source: News24
2010-02-07 23:22
London – Britain is tightening its rules on student visas to prevent people from flouting the rules and working illegally.
The changes – which are effective immediately – won’t stop genuine students from travelling to Britain to study but will close an avenue that has been exploited, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said on Sunday.
“There’s an awful lot more of adults, not young people, not coming to study degrees at universities but coming on short courses into this country,” Johnson told the BBC.
Asked if many of those students were “bogus” Johnson said, “Yes, yes”.
Under the new rules, those from outside the European Union who come to [continue reading]
source: IOL
Xolani Mbanjwa
February 07 2010 at 09:23AM
Did you know that President Jacob Zuma’s 20 children were entitled to six domestic flights a year at the taxpayers’ expense?
This is according to the ministerial handbook.
The presidency confirmed on Saturday that even though there was an attempt to develop guidelines specifically for the presidency, they “currently rely on the ministerial handbook”.
“Dependant children are each entitled to six single domestic economy class tickets per annum to reunite with their parents during the member’s regular travel between Cape Town and Pretoria,” the handbook said.
The dependant children “should make use of bus/shuttle services between airports and the place of residence if they are not accompanied by one or [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
BRAIN BENZA
Staff Writer
Zambia Copper Investments (ZCI) and Botswana Stock Exchange listed African Copper (ACU) has completed the refinancing of a bridging loan, which ZCI provided to ACU in May 2009, with a four-year secured credit facility.
The facility placed ACU’s borrowings from ZCI on a more permanent footing.
The four-year credit facility would be worth more than $31-million and replaces the $7-million bridging and the $25,4-million bridging loan that ZCI provided to ACU in May.
In May, ZCI increased its stake in the copper-miner to 82 percent after finalising a share subscription.
African Copper fell victim to the commodity price crash and went into [continue reading]
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