Emulate Obama: Invest in young voters

22 January, 2009 in Botswana

source: BOPA
22 January, 2009

FRANCISTOWN – A Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) official, Mr Anthony Morima has urged politicians to emulate President Barack Obama by investing in young voters.

Speaking at a panel discussion at Tati River Lodge following the inauguration of the 44th President of America, Mr Morima said in his campaign President Obama made sure he reached out to the masses of the youth adding that as a result 66 per cent of the voters were from the youth below the age of 30 years.

Mr Morima noted that it was evident that if Botswana politicians could do the same in respect of empowering the youth, the low voter turnout could be a thing of the past.

He also implored the local politicians to use modern technology to boost their campaign strategies.

He noted that among the strategies that saw Mr Obama sail through to victory was the creation and extensive use of his Website.

He said the local politicians should not treat the youth with contempt and think that they would not access the Internet.

“Once you use modern technology you will be surprised to see that a [continue reading]

Zim parastatal could rescue Ramotswa Steel

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Zimbabwe

source: Mmegi
FRASER MPOFU
Correspondent

HARARE: Zimbabwean parastatal Zicosteel could rescue its Botswana subsidiary, Ramotswa Steel, which collapsed last September, rendering 270 employees jobless.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ziscosteel, Alois Gowo, says his company has its own problems and viability issues after one of its major blast furnaces broke down recently, but is serious about rescuing Ramotswa nonetheless.

“The main reason the company closed down is that Ziscosteel has not been producing any steel for supplying the Ramotswa operation,” Gowo says. “Without those raw materials and inputs, it was impossible for the Botswana company to continue in business.

“Management and the board therefore decided the company be closed down while we [continue reading]

LEA annual report out

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA
22 January, 2009

GABORONE – A number of business plans facilitated by the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) worth about P9 million were approved in the 2007/2008 financial year.

LEA annual report reveals that at the end of the financial year, 169 business plans facilitated by LEA worth P100 million, were submitted to a number of financial institutions.

Of these, 57 were approved, whilst 97 were still under consideration. Most of the rejected business plans were those with large upfront capital costs.

In addition, the authority received applications from 6017 entrepreneurs across all the 13 LEA branch offices, of which 4149 passed the screening process and were thus enrolled in the LEA end process for receipt of LEA services and [continue reading]

Axe looms over Moolman miners

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Mining

source: Mmegi
OARABILE MOSIKARE
Correspondent

FRANCISTOWN: As the international economic downturn continues to bite, Moolman Mining Botswana has resolved to retrench staff at Tati Nickel Mining Company (TNMC) plant.

The Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) secretary general, Jack Tlhagale, has confirmed this development saying yesterday that the management briefed them last week Thursday about the impending retrenchment. Apparently, the TNMC had asked Moolman Mining to downsize their workforce.

Tlhagale said the union was told that Moolman was still sorting out sections that will be affected. He said the employer has not disclosed the number of employees who will be affected.

“We are still in the dark about the numbers. The Moolman Mining management has [continue reading]

Tens of thousands have fled Zim for South Africa in past 5 months

22 January, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Lance Guma
21 January 2008

Zimbabwe’s worsening humanitarian, economic and political situation forced over 100 000 people to claim asylum in South Africa in 2008, according to pressure group Human Rights Watch. The group have released a report saying at least 30 000 claimed asylum in the last 5 months of 2008, a period that started after the violent June one man presidential run-off, and this figure was double the total number of Zimbabwean claims made in all 6 of South Africa’s refugee reception offices in 2007. The figure is also more than half of the total number of asylum claims made by all nationalities in South Africa in those offices the same year. It’s now believed there is a backlog of at least 200 000 Zimbabwean asylum cases in South Africa.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed the often-unlawful deportation of more than 250,000 Zimbabweans a year and says this means South Africa violates the most basic principle of refugee law, ‘the right not to be forcibly returned to persecution.’ Bill Frelick, the refugee policy director for HRW said they were [continue reading]

BSE looks to Budget Speech for uplift

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi
BRIAN BENZA
Staff writer

After taking a thorough battering in the second half of 2008, there seems to be no sign of change in the fortunes of investors on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

With confidence levels at an all-time low on the market, hopes are now shifting to the national budget to be unveiled next month as investors wait keenly to hear how the government plans to respond to the axis of the global recession – the US, Europe and Japan.

The government being the biggest driver of the Botswana economy, investors are hoping that the budget will restore confidence in the economy, which should filter down to the bourse.

“There is no indication of an early sustainable rally, but underlying indicators and research point to stabilisation over [continue reading]

Butchers partner police

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA
22 January, 2009

SELEBI PHIKWE – Butchery owners, police and other stakeholders have joined hands to stop the buying and selling of stolen cattle.

Selebi Phikwe police station commander Superintendent Victor Nlebesi recently convened a meeting between butchery owners and other stakeholders to explore ways to stop the illegal trade.

At the end of the meeting a working committee was elected to foster good working relations in the industry.

Supt Nlebesi said the aim of the meeting was to improve working relations between butchery owners, members of [continue reading]

No plans to reinstate day passenger trains

22 January, 2009 in Botswana

source: BOPA
22 January, 2009

MAHALAPYE – Botswana Railways (BR) has “no immediate plans” to reinstate the day passenger train between Gaborone and Francistown due to shortage of coaches.

In an interview, Botswana Railways Public Relations Manager Ms Alina Masenya said day passenger trains were stopped as a result of shortage of coaches.

This followed a derailment that occurred in 2006 at Madiaela level crossing.

“As a result of the accident, six passenger coaches were severely damaged and it was going to be costly to repair them,” she said.

Asked if the day passenger train was running at a loss, Ms Masenya conceded that rail transportation was not a profitable business adding that this was the trend the world over.

According to her, BR’s revenue earned from passenger service has always been below operating costs.

Ms Masenya gave an example of the 2006/2007 financial year where the cost of [continue reading]

Illegal software peddlers convicted

22 January, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi
ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer

Two Indian men, Mkhael Malhotra (21) and Rajeev Kumar (31), and their company, Micro IT were yesterday convicted of criminal copyright infringement in a case involving the uploading of pirated Microsoft Office 2003 and Windows XP programmes without the consent or authority of the Microsoft Corporation.

Malhotra, also the director of Micro IT Company, and Kumar, entered a guilty plea to one count each of selling infringing copies contrary to Section 31 (1) of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, Cap 68:02 of the Laws of Botswana.

The Village Chief Magistrate, Lot Moroka, convicted the individuals and ordered that the accused persons be fingerprinted to check their previous convictions. The accused were ordered to forfeit copies of the infringed goods, which were used as [continue reading]

SA calls for SADC summit on Zim

22 January, 2009 in South Africa

source: SouthAfrica.info
21 January 2009

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe has called for a full summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in a bid to resolve the political impasse in Zimbabwe, after the latest talks between Zimbabwe’s main political parties failed to rescue a power-sharing deal made four months ago.

Motlanthe, who is also the current SADC chairman, was part of a group of SADC leaders who travelled to Harare on Monday to mediate talks between Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions.

The SADC team included former South African President Thabo Mbeki and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, who is acting chairman of the SADC’s organ on politics, defence and security.

However, the talks – which followed threats by Mugabe to form a new Cabinet unilaterally – failed to resolve the differences blocking the formation of an inclusive government.

Zanu-PF and the two MDC factions agreed to a [continue reading]

Zimbabwe: MDC say no point in talking to ZANU PF before SADC summit

22 January, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Tichaona Sibanda
21 January 2009

There are reports that negotiators from the MDC-T have declined an invitation from ZANU PF to continue with discussions in Harare, before next week’s extraordinary summit of the SADC Heads of State.
After Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai failed to reach a deal on forming a unity government on Monday, the ZANU PF leader told reporters ‘we will continue to discuss here at home and we shall continue exchanging ideas.’
Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said the MDC felt there was nothing to be discussed since ZANU PF have failed to show any signs that they are serious on finding a lasting solution to the crisis.

‘An invitation was extended yesterday (Tuesday) but the MDC have said no to it. The MDC insists they can’t be seen entertaining ZANU PF when 30 of their activists are still languishing in prison for no apparent reason, after they were abducted from [continue reading]

Sangomas disrupt schooling in North West

22 January, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL
January 21 2009 at 05:51PM

Learning in Sefikile near Mogwase has been suspended after sangomas allegedly planted muti at two schools, the North West education department said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Charles Raseala said irate parents withdrew their children from the schools after five sangomas allegedly planted muti at the Makuka Secondary School and Sefikile Primary School on Tuesday.

He said the principals of both schools were not aware that sangomas would “visit” their schools.

“One principal was shocked to see sangomas in the school yard.”

He said parents resolved at a meeting on Wednesday that their children would only return to school after a cleansing ceremony had been conducted, and that could take at least a week. It was not clear what the muti consisted of.

“The meeting is underway as we [continue reading]