Residents accuse companies of using dam water illegally

31 October, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Palapye

source: BOPA 30 October, 2009 PALAPYE – Chinese companies engaged in two government projects are accused of obtaining water from Bonwakatlhako Dam near Palapye without seeking permission from the committee overseeing the use of the dam. China Civil and China Jiangxi Corporation are involved in the construction of the Botswana International University of Science and [...]

Zimbabwe: Country Faces Diamond Market Ban

31 October, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: allAfrica The Nation (Nairobi) Kitsepile Nyathi 30 October 2009 Harare — Zimbabwe could be banned from the world diamond market if a report on human rights violations at one of the country’s notorious diamond fields is considered. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is scheduled to meet in Namibia from Monday to Thursday, where [...]

SA`s unemployment rate at 24.9%

31 October, 2009 in Africa

source: SouthAfrica.info 30 October 2009 South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 0.9% to 24.9% in the third quarter of 2009, compared to 23.6% in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Thursday. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan made it clear this week, while announcing his [...]

Botswana judicial export at Hague trial

30 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi GIDEON NKALA Staff Writer At a time when some have expressed doubts on decisions of the Botswana judiciary, one of the country’s judicial exports is raking in valuable experience at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands. Justice Sanji Monageng is one of the three ICC judges presiding over the high profile [...]

Zimbabwe: Deportation of top UN official sparks major diplomatic incident

30 October, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Tichaona Sibanda 29 October 2009 United Nations human rights expert, Manfred Nowak, was prevented from entering Zimbabwe on Wednesday and was deported, after spending the night at the airport, on the orders of ZANU PF. Nowak had originally been invited by the government, but at the last minute, while he [...]

Tourist`s SA airport nightmare

30 October, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL October 29 2009 at 12:54PM By Dasen Thathiah After being accused of being a drug mule, strip-searched and whisked off for X-rays only minutes after landing in South Africa for the first time, an Argentinian woman is dubious about the country’s ability to welcome tourists in 2010. And after the police unceremoniously dumped [...]

Microsoft launches Windows 7 in Botswana

30 October, 2009 in Botswana, Technology

source: Mmegi Microsoft this week officially launched Windows 7 for installation on new computers and for purchase in computer retailers across Botswana. Windows 7 is Microsoft’s newest version of its popular Windows desktop operating system, which promises to be the best yet to be distributed by the company. More than a billion people around the [...]

Africa: IMF Has Long Way to Go – Even After `Istanbul Decisions`

30 October, 2009 in Africa

source: allAfrica Marina Penderis 29 October 2009 Johannesburg — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) may be performing better during the current economic crisis than during the Asian crisis of the late 1990s, but it still has “a long way to go”. This is the opinion of economist Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic [...]

Officers swoop on `illegal` Gaborone lodges

30 October, 2009 in Botswana, Business, Tourism

source: Mmegi MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE Staff Writer A surprise early morning raid by Tourism department officers and the police yesterday revealed that 13 lodges in Gaborone, among them two popular lodges, have been operating illegally. Yarona Country Lodge, a fast growing catering, conference and accommodation facility was found to be operating two lodges in Gaborone Phase [...]

UK to deport Zimbabweans

30 October, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: News24 2009-10-29 22:23 London – Britain will look at resuming deportations of Zimbabweans who have been refused asylum and will offer more cash to those who choose to return voluntarily, the government said on Thursday. The move is a response to political developments in Zimbabwe, where veteran President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan [...]

Cholera alert in Francistown

30 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi ISAAC PINIELO Correspondent FRANCISTOWN: Health officials in Francistown have warned the public to be on guard following recent reports of a new cholera outbreak in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital public relations officer Caiphus Gabana said the hospital in conjunction with the district health team is closely monitoring the situation to avoid the [...]

Khama ends speculation over Phumaphi

30 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: The Botswana Gazette Written by EDITOR Friday, 30 October 2009 00:00 FRANCISTOWN: President Ian Khama has ended speculation regarding special nomination to Parliament of former health minister Joy Phumaphi by excluding her from his list of appointees. Speculations were rife before the October 16 general election that Khama was likely to appoint Phumaphi as [...]

Zambia: ZESCO MD Trashes Optic Fibre Talk

30 October, 2009 in Zambia

source: allAfrica The Times of Zambia (Ndola) 29 October 2009 ZESCO acting managing director, Cyprian Chitundu has said the company’s optic fibre network will not be sold together with Zamtel although the power utility firm is in talks with the telecommucations firm as the anchor customer. Mr Chitundu said in an interview in Lusaka that [...]

Bank rate stays unchanged

29 October, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi CHEPETE CHEPETE At the Monetary Policy Committee meeting held today, the Bank kept the bank rate unchanged at 11 percent. The last change in the bank rate was a 50 basis points reduction in August 2009. Inflation rose for the second consecutive month in September 2009, remaining above the upper end of the [...]

Batlokwa disapprove planned northern bypass

29 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: BOPA 29 October, 2009 RAMOTSWA – Batlokwa have called on the village leadership not to accede to a government proposal for a bypass on the northern side of their village. The road is aimed at easing traffic congestion along the Tlokweng/Zeerust Road. But Kgosi Puso has asked them to hold on as the matter [...]