CEDA Venture Capital Fund continues to perform as expected

23 September, 2007 in Botswana, Business

source: Sunday Standard
by Sunday Standard Reporter
23.09.2007 11:17:35 A

The managers of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) Venture Capital Fund Limited (CVCF), Venture Partners Botswana Limited (VPB), this week held a press briefing whose aim was to share with the media fraternity what VPB does and the progress it has made so far.
The VPB Managing Director, Anthony Siwawa, said that VPB continues to be the leading Private Equity fund manager in the region outside South Africa.

Ever since its inception in 2002, Siwawa said, this fund, which is capitalized at P200 million, is still performing well and making more profit to date.
In line with the stipulated objectives of the CVCF fund which are creating employment, facilitating citizen empowerment and contributing to the diversification of the economy, the money has been invested in a wide variety of industries. “The result has been the establishment of new industry sectors. We have 55 percent invested in the startup enterprises as is [continue reading]

update: Strong winds damage De Beers airship

23 September, 2007 in Botswana, Mining

source: The Times
Johannesburg, South Africa
21 September 2007 10:50
Strong winds damaged a high-tech zeppelin that diamond giant De Beers was using to explore for diamonds in Botswana, the firm said on Friday.

Gusting winds detached the airship from its moorings on Thursday near the huge Jwaneng mine and injured a South African crew member inside, a statement said.

Botswana state television had earlier reported that the zeppelin had crashed, but De Beers said the leased airship was not flying when the accident occured.

The injured ground crew member only had cuts and bruises, but operation of the damaged airship has been suspended, said De Beers, 45% owned by Anglo American.

Officials of Germany’s Zeppelin company, which own the airship, were [continue reading]

Mugabe leaves for UN meeting

23 September, 2007 in Zimbabwe

source: The Times
Published:Sep 22, 2007

HARARE – Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has left Harare for Cairo, Egypt, on his way to New York to attend the 62nd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, a state-run daily reported today.

“The President who was accompanied by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and senior government officials is expected to join about 80 other world leaders and several foreign ministers at the UN headquarters,” the Herald newspaper said.

Mugabe’s departures are never announced in advance.

The annual UN session opens Tuesday and runs until October 3. Topics to be discussed include climate change, development and counter-terrorism strategies.

The United States and European Union imposed a [continue reading]

Sa: Lotto is back at last

23 September, 2007 in South Africa

source: IOL
September 22 2007 at 10:41AM

By Wendy Jasson da Costa and Chiara Carter

The lotto drought is over. Lottery tickets are to go on sale within the next fortnight and the first draw will be “well before the end of October”.

Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa announced on Friday that Gidani would operate the lottery. This is the same consortium that was appointed previously, only to have its plans dashed at the 11th hour when the Pretoria High Court ordered the government to go back to the drawing board.

The balls have been still since April 1, when the licence of the previous operator, Uthingo, expired.

Although the National Lotteries Board delivered its fresh recommendations to the minister several months ago, deadlines came and went without a decision.

Mpahlwa acknowledged on Friday that it had been a “long time”.

He said the delay was because of the [continue reading]