SA`s Mbeki says he will step down

20 September, 2008 in South Africa

source: BBC News

South African President Thabo Mbeki will accept a call to resign by the governing African National Congress (ANC), his spokesman has said.

Mukoni Ratshitanga said Mr Mbeki would leave his post once “all constitutional requirements have been met”.

It comes days after a High Court judge suggested that Mr Mbeki may have interfered in a corruption case against his rival, ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

Mr Zuma was expected to succeed Mr Mbeki in scheduled elections next year.

Parliament is expected to meet in the coming days to formalise the resignations, and is likely to appoint the parliamentary speaker as interim leader.

The decision to call for Mr Mbeki’s early resignation was taken at a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

The ANC’s Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said the [continue reading]

Khama calls farmers to look after stock

20 September, 2008 in Africa

source: BOPA
19 September, 2008

TOBANE – President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has urged farmers to look after their livestock and help curb the rising stock theft cases.

The President said during a kgotla meeting in Tobane on Wednesday, that some farmers neglected their livestock resulting in animals going astray and falling into the hands of rustlers.

He said government alone will not be able to tackle problems related to stock theft if Batswana did not play their part.

President Khama pleaded with them to look after livestock like they would their children.

However, he announced that Botswana Police Service will soon form a special Stock Theft Unit to fight the ever increasing livestock theft.

The unit was vital as a number of Batswana in rural areas depended on livestock for their livelihood.

President Khama said throughout the meetings he addressed countrywide, Batswana were complaining about stock theft and asking for solutions.

In response, he said he asked the Police Commissioner to [continue reading]

Breweries hand over kindergarten

20 September, 2008 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
STAFF WRITER

The P800,000 SOS Village kindergarten was handed over to the Serowe community by Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) and Botswana Breweries Limited (BBL) last week.

The facility has been built by the two brewing companies. At the handover ceremony, Serowe North West MP, Tshekedi Khama applauded KBL and BBL for helping government to tackle problems of interest.

It is a great pleasure that from the assistance of KBL and BBL, we are gathered here for the benefit of our country’s children. Most specifically, for an opportunity to protect the right of children to a decent education, adequate health care and stable family lives,” Khama said.

He said every child should have the right to grow up in a caring family environment. He added that the government, donors, NGOs and local communities, have [continue reading]

Hope in Zimbabwe, or will things fall apart?

20 September, 2008 in Zimbabwe

source: International Herald Tribune
By Alan Cowell
Published: September 19, 2008

PARIS: It is not too often that the world is made aware of even halfway good news out of Africa, so it is worth celebrating when hope appears to outpace despair, however briefly. But, this week, it seemed the world was looking the other way when a shaft of tremulous light broke through the gloom.

On Monday, in Harare, Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe signed an agreement in which, formally at least, he offered to share power with his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai, who became prime minister-designate.

In theory, this was an epochal moment – the end of 28 years of uninterrupted, increasingly autocratic power for Mugabe, the triumph of an excruciating effort of mediation by Thabo Mbeki, the South African president, and the culmination of years of perilous campaigning by Tsvangirai, who endured beatings and detentions to prevail.

“My belief in Zimbabwe and its peoples runs deeper than the scars I bear from the struggle,” Tsvangirai declared. In other times, his sound bite might [continue reading]

South Africa: Mboweni Warns Country of Credit Crunch Risk

20 September, 2008 in South Africa

source: allAfrica
Business Day (Johannesburg)
19 September 2008
Mariam Isa
Johannesburg

GLOBAL financial turmoil posed a clear threat to SA’s economy and markets although local banks were relatively insulated from the crisis, Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni said yesterday.

He told the Bank’s annual general meeting that so far the Bank had not needed to intervene to deal with the global credit crisis, which yesterday prompted a cash injection of $180bn from central banks around the world, taking the total made available to $250bn.

SA’s banks had little direct exposure to the US subprime mortgage market, although there were indirect effects, such as higher funding costs, he said.

Mboweni said local markets had not been spared the effect of a sharp repricing of global risk, and that the Bank would “closely monitor” the spillover effects.

These had spurred a [continue reading]

Farmers query stock theft law

20 September, 2008 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi
ISAAC PHEKO
Correspondent

FRANCISTOWN: Farmers in the Central District have complained about livestock thieves who often escape justice.

They are concerned that thieves exploit the loopholes in the country’s constitution and get away with stealing their animals.

This arose at a farmers’ meeting especially for stock theft in Mathangwane at the MP’s office yesterday.

The stock theft Act CAP.9:01, section3 (1) states that “a stock theft offender found guilty shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years or more than ten years without an option of a fine, for a second or subsequent offence, a term of imprisonment for not less than seven years or more than 14 years without the option of a fine”.

Masego Taolo, a member of [continue reading]

Eskom plans liquid fuel pipeline

20 September, 2008 in South Africa

source: IOL
September 19 2008 at 03:26PM

by Lindsay Dentlinger

Eskom’s plans for a liquid fuel pipeline to carry diesel between the Milnerton refinery and its turbines at the Ankerlig power station in Atlantis have entered the full environmental impact assessment (EIA) phase.

The pipeline would be about 36km long, depending on the route selected.

Marc Hardy, of Bohlweki Environmental Consultants, informed the Blaauwberg sub-council on Thursday that two of six alternative routes had been excluded from the EIA.

These were routes along the N7 which had, as a result of servitude restrictions and the crossing over the Diep River, been ruled out as possibilities in the scoping study which was recently concluded.

Eskom would have to [continue reading]