Archive for January 27th, 2009
source: Africa Press Agency
APA-Nairobi (Kenya) Kenya Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula has signed three memorandums of understanding in Nairobi with his Botswana counterpart in the areas of diplomatic training, human resource management and development policy formulation.
In the agreement on diplomatic training, the two countries undertook to mutually co-operate in the field of training in diplomacy and international relations.
The scope of co-operation between the two countries shall include the promotion of closer understanding between the parties by maintaining exchange of information about the respective training programmes in the area of diplomacy.
The two countries also undertook to facilitate the exchange of professors, lecturers, experts and students between them in the field of training in diplomacy and international relations.
Phandu T.C. Skelemani, minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of Botswana, signed on behalf of [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Staff Writer
Sino Hydro Corporation official Zheng Xiyu speaks with a broad smile that lights up his face as he discusses the huge project he is overseeing – Botswana’s first world class international airport.
Indeed, the look on the face of the site manager at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport expansion project betrays his difficult experiences in Gaborone over the last few months.
Zheng went through hell not long ago at the hands of immigration officials because he did not possess the requisite work permit. He has actually been to prison for one day and one night. His construction site has been frequently visited by the Immigration Department as they sniff around for illegal Chinese workers at the over P400 million project in the nation’s capital city. The immigration officials’ visit often results in workers downing tools, as the host country wants to ensure that there are no illegal immigrants at the site which has employed up to 300 people.
Despite its size, the airport project has been given just 23 months to [continue reading]
source: International Herald Tribune
Reuters
Published: January 27, 2009
PRETORIA: Regional leaders decided at a summit meeting Tuesday that Zimbabwe should form a unity government next month, but the opposition said it was disappointed with the outcome, raising doubts over chances for ending the crisis.
Officials of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community, or SADC, said after the meeting in South Africa – its fifth attempt to secure a deal on forming a unity government – that the grouping had agreed the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, should be sworn in as prime minister by Feb. 11.
All parties agreed that control of the hotly disputed Home Affairs Ministry, an issue that has been a major obstacle to a final agreement, should be divided between President Robert Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, and Tsvangirai’s, the Movement for Democratic Change, for six months, said President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa.
“All the parties expressed confidence in the process and committed to [continue reading]
source: Business Day
Siseko Njobeni
Energy Affairs Editor
THE retail price of petrol is set to be increased next week, bringing to an end several months of back-to-back decreases, according to economists.The minerals and energy department last increased the petrol price in July last year. The department earlier this month decreased petrol, diesel and paraffin by large margins because of relatively low international oil prices.
But daily figures from the Central Energy Fund showed there had been an underrecovery in the price of petrol since earlier this month, raising the prospects of a price hike. From January 2 to Friday last week, petrol had [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
Martin Nyirenda
Correspondent
In a move to further spread its wings, First National Bank of Botswana Limited (FNBB) successfully opened a new branch in Letlhakane last Wednesday bringing the total number of its branches countrywide to 17.
The new branch will enable the bank to tap into the mining area’s substantial customer base, especially small and medium-sized businesses, which represent a significant business opportunity.
According to FNBB head of marketing and communications, Bomolemo Selaledi, the opening of the Letlhakane branch is in line with the strategy of increasing the FNBB branch network countrywide and in the interest of serving a wider customer base.
According to Selaledi, Letlhakane branch carries a new FNBB look and feel with refreshed standard merchandising and state-of-the art finishing. “FNBB is indeed proud of this new image as it shall assist in maintaining a uniform ‘look and feel’ in all the bank’s new and refurbished branches resulting in consistency”.
Most importantly, as FNBB believes, the initiative to [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
BuaNews (Tshwane)
Michael Appel
27 January 2009
Pretoria — Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders have given Zimbabwe political leaders until 5 February 2009 to pass Constitutional Amendment 19.
Constitutional Amendment 19 makes provision for the creation of the post of prime minister and deputy prime minister for Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) faction leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, respectively.
Addressing local and international media early Tuesday morning after over 12 hours around the negotiation table, SADC Executive Secretary Dr Tomaz Salomao said the people of Zimbabwe are faced with very difficult challenges that require an inclusive government.
“The extraordinary summit decided … the parties shall endeavour to cause Parliament to pass the Constitutional Amendment 19 by 5 February 2009.
“The prime minister and deputy ministers shall be [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
Movement for Democratic Change (Harare)
27 January 2009
press release
Tswane — We came to this summit with five {5} outstanding issues which are:
1. The Enactment of Constitutional Amendment Number 19
2. The definition of National Security Council legislation
3. Equitable allocation of portfolio ministries
4. The appointment of Provincial Governors and other senior positions.
5. The Breaches of the MOU and the GPA
It was our expectation that the SADC processes would be above board and be beyond reproach. Regrettably once again we note that Mr. Mugabe was allowed to sit in during the closed session of the plenary meetings. Thus once again Mr. Mugabe has been unfairly allowed to be a judge in his own cause. As far as the merits are concerned, our expectations were again that SADC would come up with a just resolution to the outstanding issues in the interest of Zimbabwe and all
source: IOL
Staff Writer
January 27 2009 at 02:18PM
Cosatu has joined the call by Pick n Pay for South African food suppliers to drop prices in line with the dramatic drop in the local fuel price.
But Pick n Pay’s fellow market leader, Shoprite, has warned consumers that cheaper fuel may affect prices only minimally.
Speaking to the Cape Argus yesterday, a Shoprite spokeswoman said: “Earlier this month the country’s largest food manufacturers responded to Shoprite’s enquiry (saying) that the lowering of their prices is unlikely due to the under-recovery of their input prices over the past year.
“With distribution costs being but a small component of suppliers’ input costs, a lower fuel price would, at best, result in [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
Bame Piet
Staff Writer
About 65 vehicles arrived recently as part of the 871 the Central Transport Organisation (CTO) is scheduled to buy for government.
Among them were 10 BMW S40s worth P5.5million for ministers; 10 BMW 530s worth P3.6 million; and over 45 station wagons (Toyota Prado) also for ministers and executive officers. Ministry of Works and Transport public relations office spokesperson said that a total of 621 new vehicles have already beenprocured.
The officer said that contrary to recent reports, the major road projects of Mogoditshane-Metsimotlhabe, Gaborone-Tlokweng, and Francistown-Ramokgwebana will go ahead as planned because they were budgeted for in the current financial year.
The deadly Gaborone-Boatle road is in the pipeline but not under the current financial year. The roads will be built into dual carriageways because of [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”
C10) 17/12/08: Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs – REGISTRATION OF CHURCHES
The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs would like to inform members of the public that all churches registered under Deed of Trust are called upon to normalise their registration with the Department of Civil and National Registration. All affected churches are expected to have registered with the Registrar of Societies on or before the 9th January 2009.
Members of the public are further informed that, all churches that were registered using constitutions of mother-churches outside Botswana are expected to develop local constitutions to be submitted for approval by the Registrar of Societies on or before 31st January 2009.
The Societies Act directs that a society is any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons, whatever its nature or objects. Since churches are associations in terms of the Societies Act they must be regulated under the same Act.
For more information contact: Department of Civil and National Registration: Director – Tel: 3611444; Assistant Director (Societies) – Tel: 3611403 Chief Registration Clerk – Tel: 3611454
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
MASUNGA – Members of Parliament are entrusted with a mandate to preserve, protect and defend Botswana’s Constitution with a view to maintaining the peace and stability that this country has always enjoyed since independence, says the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Patrick Balopi.
Addressing a kgotla meeting in Masunga, Mr Balopi said the country’s Constitution is the fundamental basis for democracy and the maintenance of the Republic of Botswana.
“This therefore means that Members of Parliament should always work towards safe guarding the foundations that have brought this country so far by protecting and preserving the Constitution”, he said.
He said this is evident when all Members of Parliament take their oaths of office when they swear that they would be faithful, bear true allegiance to the Republic of Botswana and preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
Mr Balopi said it was vital that Members of Parliament do not act against the laws as it is [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
Lekopanye Mooketsi
Correspondent
Over the past few years there has been a hue and cry about the spiralling fuel prices. At some stage, a litre of petrol cost close to P9. The increase in fuel prices also raised the costs of other products like food.
However, since last years there has been some good news for motorists and commuters alike as the price of fuel has decreased drastically.
Last week, the government announced another decrease in fuel prices. According to the latest adjustment, the price of petrol, diesel and paraffin went down by 50 thebe. A litre of petrol is going to cost P4.44 in and around Gaborone.
On Friday there was congestion at filling stations following the announcement of the good news. At one busy filling station at Gaborone West mall, the pumps had run dry by Friday evening. The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources attributes the [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
MOSHUPA – Residents of Moshupa have been advised to form trusts and benefit from abundant sand from rivers surrounding the village.
Speaking during a Kgotla meeting addressed by area MP, Mr Maitlhoko Mooka recently, Kgosi Oscar Mosielele wondered why people of Moshupa are waiting on the sidelines while individuals are making a killing mining and selling sand.
According to Mr Mosielele, the Village Development Committee should be particularly in the forefront and apply for mining permit so that the entire populace could benefit from proceeds accrued from the sale.
“Instead an influx of individuals are enriching themselves with the resource at the expense of Moshupa and surrounding areas,” said Mosielele adding that some of the people who mine the sand are doing so without proper consultation with the people residing in the vicinity.
He said however that some people have been nabbed collecting sand illegally and would soon face the music. Mr Mosielele’s comments followed a [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
Inter Press Service (Johannesburg)
Stanley Kwenda
26 January 2009
Pretoria — Few hold much hope that a seventh summit of Southern African leaders on Zimbabwe will find a solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
The emergency summit comes a week after a meeting between Zimbabwe’s main political rivals failed to resolve a paralysing dispute over implementation of a power-sharing deal reached in September 2008.
The September agreement, signed by Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as well as Arthur Mutambara, leader of a smaller breakaway faction of the MDC, ran into immediate difficulties due to differences over how government posts should be distributed.
This was after President Mugabe had unilaterally gazetted ministries, convened parliament and appointed key government officials without consulting the two MDC leaders. At the core of the disagreement is the allocation of security ministries, particularly Home Affairs which SADC has proposed should be shared by Zanu-PF and MDC-Tsvangirai.
The MDC has turned down this proposal saying it [continue reading]
source: BOPA
26 January, 2009
KACHIKAU – Tempers flared and harsh words exchanged at a recent kgotla meeting addressed by MP for Chobe, Mr Duncan Mlazie in Kachikau.
The drama unfolded after an elder demanded to know who between Chobe Land Board, the MP and the Village Development Committee (VDC) was refusing to allocate the headman a plot.
The elder said for sometime now they have been approaching the land board asking to be allocated a plot where they can build their sub-chief a house but they are always turned down.
Chobe Land Board chairman, Mr Nelson Masule explained to the fully packed kgotla that their sub-chief cannot be given land because his wife has already been allocated a residential plot. This, he said, is in accordance with the Tribal Land Act.
The youthful land board chairman further explained that the tribe can form a society registered by the registrar of societies for them to be allocated land for the sub-chief’s residence.
The answer did not go well with the village’s sub-chief Mr Mmualefhe Mmualefhe who seized the opportunity to take a swipe at [continue reading]
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