Inflation Quickens To 7% On Rental Increases

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
By Wanetsha Mosinyi
Staff Writer

Botswana’s consumer inflation quickened to 7.0 percent year-on-year in September from 6.1 percent in August, driven largely by an increase in rent paid by tenants (3.7 percent), which was reflected by the latest quarterly survey on private rentals, the Central Statistics Office said on Thursday.

This happens after inflation had reached the upper limit of the Bank of Botswana’s (BoB) medium-term inflation target of 6.0 percent in July 2009. The biggest increase was in the Housing, Water, and Electricity, Gas & other Fuels group, which moved up 1.6 percent. All other groups registered growth of less than 1.0 percent.

Botswana’s central bank has forecast consumer inflation to stabilise inside its 3 to 6 percent target range in the medium-term and cut its main lending rate by [continue reading]

Botswana: Date Set for Khama`s Swearing

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: allAfrica
The Nation (Nairobi)
Wene Owino
19 October 2009

Gaborone — Botswana President Ian Khama will be sworn in on Tuesday (20 October) after his party won the country’s 10th general elections over the weekend.

State radio announced on Monday that after the swearing in by Chief Justice Mr Julian Nganunu, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Patrick Balopi will convene the new National Assembly to endorse the four MPs specially elected (nominated) by the president. The Botswana parliament has 57 elected MPs and four nominated ones.

It is likely that President Khama will bring back the two cabinet ministers who lost in the elections – Neo Moroka and Jacob Nkate – through nominations. The duo became the first ministers to lose elections in the country since 1994. The genial Mr Moroka is a former senior executive at BP petroleum company while the [continue reading]

2009 Elections Results

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi

Chobe
BCP 3322
BDP 3057
BNF 131

Maun East
BAM 2693
BDP 6509
BNF 2548
Independent 192

Maun West
BAM 2369
BDP 4685
BNF 685

Ngami
[continue reading]

Transfers Shock DBS 5

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
By Chandapiwa Baputaki
Staff Writer

The Director of the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) has confirmed the transfer of five officers to various government ministries.

According to information reaching Monitor, the transfer letters, which did not state the reasons for the transfers, shocked the five staff members.

Speaking in an interview with Monitor in Gaborone over the weekend, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo said staff redeployments in the public service were not unusual. “The transfers in question were at the discretion of the employer; that is all I can tell you,” Kaboeamodimo said.

That five employees include news reader Lentswe Chibane, who is being transferred to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Doreen Moapare, a reporter based in Maun, who moves to the Ministry of Works and Transport, former commissioning editor and [continue reading]

`Dis-Grace` Mugabe hits the shops in Hong Kong

20 October, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Alex Bell
19 October 2009

The current political crisis in Zimbabwe has done little to douse Grace Mugabe’s penchant for extravagant shopping trips, with the First Lady jetting into Hong Kong last week to spend more of Zimbabwe’s money.

Mrs Mugabe arrived in the city last Friday with eight companions, and has since been spotted shopping and dining accompanied by bodyguards and her daughter Bona, who is controversially studying at a university there. Her holiday, which she will likely spend at her US$2 million home in the city, comes as the fragile unity accord in Zimbabwe has all but imploded, with the MDC last week announcing it was ‘disengaging’ from ZANU PF.

‘Dis-Grace’ Mugabe’s visit to Hong Kong is the first since she was granted diplomatic immunity by Chinese Foreign Ministry officials, allowing her to escape prosecution for the assault on a press photographer earlier this year. In January, UK Sunday Times photographer Richard Jones was attacked by [continue reading]

US Ambassador Congratulates Batswana On Polls

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
Baboki Kayawe
Staff Writer

The US Ambassador to Botswana, Stephen Nolan, has congratulated Botswana’s political parties and candidates for “a successful conclusion to the 2009 campaign”.

Speaking ahead of the results on Friday, Nolan said he was pleased that Botswana was holding its 10th general elections. At a press conference held as the elections were taking place, Nolan congratulated Batswana on choosing their local councillors, Members of Parliament and president, though the latter is an indirect – and increasingly controversial – exercise. The American president is [continue reading]

Zimbabwe: IMF to Review Debt as Payments Fall Behind

20 October, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: allAfrica
Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
Ndamu Sandu
3 October 2009

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will later this month review Zimbabwe’s overdue debt as it emerged that the country is failing to cooperate on payments to the global lender. Zimbabwe owes the IMF SDR 89 million (about US$139 million) from the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility — Exogenous Shock Facility (PRGF-ESF) Trust.

The country was recently allocated US$510 million by the IMF as part of a bail out package for all the institution’s members in response to the global financial crisis.

But Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Reserve Bank governor, Gideon Gono have [continue reading]

The Winners And Losers

20 October, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
Gideon Nkala
Staff Writer

The biggest winners in the 2009 general election are without doubt Lobatse MP Nehemiah Modubule and the coalition of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), while the biggest loser is the Botswana National Front (BNF).

Expelled from the BNF just months before the election Modubule decided to defend his seat as an independent candidate. He proceeded to make history by becoming the first independent candidate to win a parliamentary seat by getting 4,175 votes. His nearest rival, Moggie Mbaakanyi of the BDP was behind by a margin of 115 votes. The BNF’s Otlaadisa Koosaletse was third by a paltry 1,018.

On the national scene, although the BNF has lost ground to BCP-BAM alliance as Botswana’s second most [continue reading]