Chinese Burst Onto Botswana Mining Scene

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi Thato Moseki Correspondent Statistics from the Department of Geological Services (DGS) indicate that 111 Chinese private entities currently hold exploration licences in Botswana, up from nearly zero four years ago. In bursting onto the Botswana mining sector, Chinese companies are vying with traditional Oriental rival, Japan, whose companies have also increased their presence [...]

South Africa: All must defend media freedom – Zuma

30 June, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL June 30 2009 at 07:25AM By Jacob Zuma This has been an exciting period for South Africa. Among some of the exciting milestones have been our national elections, which have been a defining moment in the history of our country and our democracy. Our elections made a huge impact in our country and [...]

Khama declares his support for Tebelelo Seretse

30 June, 2009 in Botswana

source: Sunday Standard by Sunday Standard Reporter 28.06.2009 5:59:21 P President Ian Khama on Friday told a meeting of the ruling BDP (Botswana Democratic Party) Councilors in the Central District Council that he will have a serious difficulty working with Daniel Kwelagobe if he [Kwelagobe] was retained as the ruling party National Chairman at next [...]

Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai back home after three-week visit to Europe & USA

30 June, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Tichaona Sibanda 29 June 2009 Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai arrived home on Monday after a three week visit to Europe and the United States to ‘re-engage’ with the international community. Tsvangirai’s spokesman James Maridadi told us that during the tour, the Prime Minister managed to raise over $US200 million, which [...]

AK6 on schedule for production in two years

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Mining

source: Sunday Standard by Sunday Standard Reporter 28.06.2009 2:40:47 P African Diamonds has praised Botswana as “the best diamond address and the street name is Orapa area” as the company positions itself to start commercial mining of the hard rock diamonds in 2011. James Campbell, the company’s managing director, told Sunday Standard that “production at [...]

BCL IT Counted Among Top Finalists for Microsoft Awards

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Technology

source: Mmegi Staff Writer Kolari Private Limited trading as Independent Management Consultants (IMC) has announced that it has been selected as a 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards finalist in Networking Infrastructure Solutions. IMC is based on the BCL Mine Site in Selebi- Phikwe and BCL Limited is one of their major customers. The infrastructure [...]

South Africa: Union rejects petrol price hike

30 June, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL June 29 2009 at 05:13PM July’s petrol price hike that comes into effect on Wednesday is unacceptable, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) said on Monday. “We are therefore calling upon the Minister of Energy to convene an urgent stakeholder’s meeting which will include government, labour and civil [...]

BoB slashes interest rates to stimulate economy

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Sunday Standard by Sunday Standard Reporter 28.06.2009 2:35:04 P Economic commentators praised the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC)’s decision to slash bank rate by 150 basis points Tuesday in a move aimed at jerking up the jaded economy. The move brought down the bank rate—the rate at which the central bank lends to [...]

`The Witches Have Me,` Says Kopong Man

30 June, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi Ephraim Keoreng Staff Writer KOPONG: Residents of Kopong, in the Kweneng District, were shocked last week when a casket-like box was removed from the ceiling of Maoto Kgowe’s house. A terrified-looking Kgowe revealed that prophets from a Tswapong-based church called Rama Church told him that he was being bewitched and he went to [...]

Google starts Africa SMS service

30 June, 2009 in Africa

source: Fin24 2009/06/29 10:21:00 PM Washington – Google on Monday unveiled a new service designed to provide information via SMS text message to mobile phone users in Africa, where cellphones are prevalent but internet penetration is low. “At Google we seek to serve a broad base of people – not only those who can afford [...]

Magama Argues Against Privatisation

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi Bame Piet Staff Writer Members of Parliament of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party on Friday rejected a motion tabled by MP for Gaborone South, Akanyang Magama, requesting government to halt the privatisation of public enterprises. Magama argued that in light of the current global economic recession it would be suicidal for government to [...]

East Africa: Region Told to Review Airtime Tax

30 June, 2009 in Africa

source: allAfrica East African Business Week (Kampala) Bosco Hitimana 28 June 2009 Kigali — Mobile phone experts have advised East African countries to lower excise duty on airtime to 3%. Only Rwanda has been charging the 3% rate in the region, but increased it to 5 % in this year’s budget. A report commissioned by [...]

Media `ombudsman` defends his post

30 June, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi OLIVER MODISE Correspondent Former Metropolitan Insurance boss Nathan Kgabi says his appointment to chair the Media Complaints Committee was not influenced by his membership of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). A row has erupted between Sunday Standard deputy editor Spencer Mogapi and Kgabi. Mogapi contends that Kgabi is not competent to sit [...]

Farmers threaten to invade Zimbabwe to root out stock theft

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Zimbabwe

source: Sunday Standard by Reuben Pitse 28.06.2009 6:00:51 P Residents of Bobirwa are threatening to invade Zimbabwe to root out stock theft criminal syndicates that have paralyzed the lives of the farmers in the Bobirwa constituency if the government does not intervene immediately. The threats came following rampant stock theft cases that have reached a [...]

Uranium poised to trigger scramble

30 June, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi Australia-based A-Cap Resources is hoping to commission its uranium project in Letlhakane in 2011 at a time when a growing number of countries accept the use of the silver-grey mineral for power generation and are downscaling their proliferation policies, propelling its price up, writes THATO MOSEKI For decades, Botswana has been renowned for [...]