Archive for January 26th, 2009
source: allAfrica
Business Day (Johannesburg)
Dumisani Muleya and Chantelle Benjamin
26 January 2009
Johannesburg — SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) leaders face their most critical meeting yet on Zimbabwe in Pretoria today.
Diplomats fear the extraordinary summit could be explosive.
The dispute on how to handle Zimbabwe could rupture the regional body, which has been battling to stay united amid widening divisions.
The worries arise mainly from the standoff between Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and Botswana’s President Ian Khama, the only SADC leader to publicly reject Mugabe’s disputed re-election last year.
Mugabe has been trying to defuse the powder-keg situation by reaching out to Khama before the summit.
The SADC secretariat has urged all SADC leaders to [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
GABORONE – Government media practitioners have been cautioned against using their positions to advance the cause of political parties.
Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Mrs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, said the practitioners have the right to vote and be members of parties but they should not use the government media to advance the interests of political parties.
The minister, who was addressing senior employees of departments and parastatals under her wing, said the main objective of government media is to serve the nation therefore employees cannot use it to further the interest of their political parties.
She also urged them to educate the public about the provisions of the Media Practitioners Act.
Though she commended the media practitioners for a job well done, she said there are some areas that need a lot of improvement. Mrs Venson-Moitoi who outlined some of the ministry’s achievements and challenges, also urged employees to guard against corruption. She said Botswana has country-wide fibre optic coverage and that the privatisation of Botswana Telecommunication Corporation is on course as the transition bill has been enacted by Parliament .
Mrs Venson-Moitoi said 95 per cent coverage would be realised once [continue reading]
source: Republic of Botswana (25/1/09): TAUTONA TIMES no 1 of 2009
The Weekly Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President “Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline”
C3) 17/1/09: Response to AP report on Media Practitioners Act, 2008
The Government of Botswana notes with disappointment a report published (15/1/09) by the Associated Press (AP) on the recently enacted Media Practitioners Act, which contains a number of false and misleading statements that could have been avoided had the said news organisation sought our comment.
In its opening, the AP report states that: “The Media Practitioners Act was passed last year, but lawmakers had asked for amendments and it had been expected to go to parliamentary committees for fine-tuning this year. Instead the government published it in the official gazette over the holidays, making it law.”
The Media Practitioners Bill was, in fact, adopted by a [continue reading]
source: Republic of Botswana (25/1/09): TAUTONA TIMES no 1 of 2009
The Weekly Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President “Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline”
B3) 10/12/08: Statement by the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology on the Second Reading in Parliament of Bill No 15 of 2008: MEDIA PRACTITIONERS’ BILL
1. Honourable Speaker, I presented the Media Practitioner’s Bill during the last meeting of this House. The debate that followed, both in the House and in the public media, bore testimony to the democratic culture and processes that exist in this country, as well as the tradition of consultation. I withdrew the Bill in order to assure myself that absolutely no stone was left unturned to engage with Batswana, and especially the main stakeholders of this Bill, the media fraternity, to give their input into the Bill.
2. Several months have elapsed since I stood in this House and in that time we have all had an opportunity to reflect on the Bill and to devise ways in [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
MQONDISI DUBE
Correspondent
SELEBI-PHIKWE: Analysts say the global economic downturn should spur the government to speed up diversification of the economy.
Thousands of jobs will be lost when Debswana scales down production or halts operations at its diamond mines as a result of poor diamond sales to leading markets in the US, Europe and Japan.
BCL has already announced plans to reduce its workforce by 7 percent and cut production to keep afloat.
Anthony Karydakis a former chief economist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management in the US and currently an adjunct professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business warns this may be the most severe recession “in decades”.
Botswana’s mining sector, which contributes 34 percent to [continue reading]
source: News24
26/01/2009 13:36 – (SA)
Cape Town – The Independent Electoral Commission’s regulations barring South Africans working abroad from voting are unconstitutional, the Democratic Alliance said on Monday.
Briefing the media in Cape Town, DA Federal chairperson James Selfe said the party last week filed papers in the Cape High Court to have section 33 (1) (e) of the Electoral Act that bars SA expatriates from voting, declared unconstitutional.
“The denial of the right to vote to the vast majority of South Africans was central to the struggle against apartheid. Because of the importance of the right to vote, this right is guaranteed to all adult citizens in the Bill of the Rights,” Selfe said.
The Electoral Act only allowed citizens who are abroad on holiday, business, study and international sports, to cast their ballots from outside the country.
“Except for South Africans serving in diplomatic missions, these are the only permissible grounds for [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer
On Wednesday PPADB executive chairman was convicted of failing to declare his interest in a company that was owned by his nephew who was also known to the then PPADB director, Ndelu Seretse.
Lionjanga’s conviction has raised questions about whether the investigators and prosecutors engaged in selective prosecution. As the case unfolded, it emerged that both Lionjanga and Seretse had at one PPADB meeting declared a social interest but subsequently failed to repeat the obligatory requirement.
The Director of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, Tymon Katlholo, has cleared the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Ramadeluka Seretse, from any culpable action. Katlholo says Seretse’s circumstances and those of Lionjanga are different.
In an interview, Katlholo said Seretse had no statutory obligation to [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
GABORONE – Kgosi Seepapitso 1V has urged the government to instill the spirit of Botho on employees more especially the youth because many are lacking in moral attribute.
Kgosi Seepapitso said lack of morals, which is a clear departure from the spirit of Botho, might generally portray Batswana negatively .
He made the contribution at the on going meeting of Ntlo ya Dikgosi.
Kgosi Seepapitso said Batswana are well known for good orderly behavior and it is necessary to continue to uphold that principle.
Kgosi Seepapitso said it was high time that Batswana retrace their roots instead of mimicking foreign cultures, which do not clearly underscore the principle of respect for others especially the elders.
He expressed fear that lack of morals on the part of the youth might scare away potential foreign investors, a development which will be costly to our economy.
He advised Batswana to ensure they do not imitate foreign concepts, which are inimical to the core values of our society.
In his contribution, Kgosi Kea Lempadi from [continue reading]
source: IOL
January 26 2009 at 09:29AM
By Anel Powell
Despite the global economic downturn, there is “no sense of a crisis” in Cape Town where investors are still putting millions of rand into inner-city developments, Cape Town Partnership chief executive Andrew Boraine says.
“Developers may be more circumspect because of the recession, but they are not pulling back,” he said.
The Cape Town Partnership (CTP), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, last year helped facilitate more than R1-billion worth of new investment in the inner city.
Boraine said the initial momentum for this development came from the private sector. But the economic crunch had made the private sector more cautious and the public sector was picking up much of the investment opportunities. He said the private sector would once again [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
GABORONE – In an effort to promote justice, good governance and accountability, the Attorney General’s Chambers has engaged Molatlhegi and Associates Law firm to provide consultancy services for a study on the establishment of a law reform agency for Botswana.
A law reform is a process which aims to review research and update the existing law in a manner which allows broad community participation devoid of political interference.
A document from the Attorney General’s Chambers states that this process involves advocating and implementing positive changes to the law.
The paper also states that the consultancy would undertake a desk study and benchmarking exercise to the law reform structures in the SADC region and [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
BRIAN BENZA
Staff Writer
A top priority of the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) will be to run the country’s airports commercially and lure more air traffic once it commences full operations, says its Chief Executive Officer, Meshesha Belayneh.
More than four years after the passing of the CAAB Act in 2004 and an amendment in December, CAAB is finally set to take over the assets and operations of the Department of Civil Aviation this year.
With the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup coming to South Africa, air traffic is expected to increase significantly in the southern African region. Belayneh says as soon as they get the go-ahead from the Minister of Works and Transport, CAAB will start with the commercialisation of Botswana’s airports.
“CAAB, which is a parastatal, will be a regulatory arm of the government expected to run the airports efficiently and ensure safety and security,” he explains. “We have a plan to attract more carriers to the country, and that can only happen if we improve [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
MAUN – North West District councillors have called on the Ministry of Communications Science and Technology to consider installing a communications network system in the delta area though it is not in the NTELETSA II programme.
Commenting on a response from the ministry, regarding an earlier motion tabled by councilor for Makgobokgobo, Mr Kitso Ngande in which he had asked the ministry to install communication networks system in the villages and camps in the delta, councilors said it is important that the delta has network systems to ease communication problems.
Specially elected councilor, Mr Gopolang Mokotedi said though the area is not part of the Rural Telecommunications Development Programme, (NTELETSA II), the ministry should device means of alleviating communication problems in the area.
Mr Mokotedi said the area receives lots of tourists and lack of communication network works against the tourism industry.
According to Mr Mokotedi, no tourist would opt to stay in such area for a longer time without having to communicate with his or her family.
Councillor Mokotedi noted that some of the areas in the delta have [continue reading]
source: Republic of Botswana (25/1/09): TAUTONA TIMES no 1 of 2009
The Weekly Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President “Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline”
H.E. THE PRESIDENT’S KGOTLA VISIT: MAHALAPYE WEST CONSTITUENCY
Members of the public are informed that His Excellency the President Lt. Gen. S.K.I. Khama is scheduled to address a Kgotla meeting in the Mahalapye West Constituency on the 12th February 2009. The itinerary is as follows;
1500 – 1700 hrs - Mahalapye - Kgotla meeting
1800 – 1930 hrs – Mahalapye - Evening Event
source: allAfrica
Business Day (Johannesburg)
Siseko Njobeni
26 January 2009
Johannesburg — WHILE Eskom is yet to submit its tariff increase application to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa), the utility has warned that its R343bn capital expansion programme would be accompanied by a “significant” in crease in tariffs.
Following the furore that accompanied Eskom’s proposal for a 53% increase in electricity tariffs last year, South Africans eagerly await the utility’s application for the next increase.
Eskom CE Jacob Maroga said Eskom was still putting together an application for tariff increases to Nersa.
Ideally, the regulator should approve the new tariffs by April, when Eskom’s new financial year commences, he said.
Last year’s application drew Eskom sharp criticism from various quarters, including the African National Congress (ANC). Business, government and [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer
After many delays, government is finally forging ahead with construction at the site of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in Palapye without a private partner (PPP).
The Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board last week approved a decision by the Department of Building and Engineering Services to award a P429 million tender to a Chinese contractor for a period of 18 months.
The Vice Chancellor of what is to be Botswana’s second university, Professor Kweku Bentil, yesterday explained that the government is starting the first phase of the university without a PPP, while the second phase will be done with the participation of a PPP.
The government has previously explained its snail’s pace on the ambitious project in terms of its huge financial outlay, saying it preferred mobilising public private partners to develop the university.
But with time running out for the scheduled opening of the university in March 2011, the government finds itself without [continue reading]
-
Mma Ramotswe Blog- Mma Ramotswe movie buttresses South African dominance
- MmaRamotswe finally airs
- `The No. 1 Ladies` Detective Agency` Puts Spotlight on Botswana
- Mmaramotswe Airs On M-Net Today
- McCall Smith heroine writes cookbook
- It's a Boy for Jill Scott!
- Agency` In best drama series at the Emmys
- Mma Ramotswe markets Botswana in the US
- No.1 Ladies` Detective Agency kicks off with 5.2m viewers
- Back to Botswana on BBC1 this Sunday
- selected Press Preleases
- STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY Lt. GEN. SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA
- H.E. the President, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana on the Occasion of the Annual Diplomatic Reception
- H.E. the President, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama at the Botswana Democratic Party Leadership Forum/Pitso, Gaborone
- H.H, Lt. Gen. Mompati S. Merafhe, Mp, Vice President of the Republic of Botswana at a Fundraising Dinner for Mochudi Resource Centre for the Blind
- The Minister of Defence Justice and Security Hon.D.N.Seretse at the Farewell Party of three Senior Staff
- The Director General Directorate of Intelligence and Security during the Security Association of Botswana Annual General Meeting, Oasis Motel
- Response to the Report in Mmegi of Friday 06 August on rumoured Replacement of the Attorney General
- Botswana retains eighth place position in Mining Survey
- President's Housing Appeal for the Needy
- Yusuf Dada, Group MD of Motor Centre Botswana on the Occasion of the Commissioning and Hand Over of the Boswelakoko Clinic by the A.S.Dada Foundation
Palapye meets Google Maps
- BBC Africa News
- $1bn aid for DR Congo and neighbours
- Kenya leaders named in truth report
- Ethiopian awarded anti-FGM prize
- Egyptian hostages freed in Sinai
- Nigeria to free 'terror' women
- Deadly virus kills Tunisian man
- Oscar Pistorius' brother acquitted
- Algeria's Bouteflika 'improving'
- Rubber bullets fired at SA miners
- Obama plans Africa tour in June
-
-
