Construction Of 600 Mw Morupule B Power Station Begins

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business, Palapye

source: Mmegi By Brian Benza Staff Writer Palapye : Construction of the 600 mw Morupule B phase 1 power station has begun with the first output expected in January 2012. Speaking at the official ground breaking ceremony of the power plant on Friday, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe said the project, [...]

Africa: Air Safety Record Among World`s Worst

23 February, 2010 in Africa

source: allAfrica Business Daily (Nairobi) Wangui Maina 23 February 2010 Africa continued to record a high rate of aircraft accidents despite 2009 recording the second lowest level of crashes globally, the International Air Transport Association has said. Africa recorded the worst rate as accidents increased from 2.12 to 9.94 accidents per 1.4 million flights compared [...]

South Africa: Jobs and Housing, Not Sex Scandals, will Determine Jacob Zuma`s Future

23 February, 2010 in South Africa

source: allAfrica Africa Confidential (London) 22 February 2010 analysis Reports of President Jacob Zuma’s political demise are exaggerated. Yet what should have been a moment of triumph for him during the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison proved to be yet another tribulation in his worst week yet as President. The usually unflappable [...]

German Investors Visit SPEDU And BCL Mine

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi By Calistus Kolantsho Correspondent SELEBI-PHIKWE: A German delegation was in Selebi-Phikwe last week Thursday to explore opportunities that exists in this town and the region. The delegation visited the offices of Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU) before proceeding to the BCL Mine concentrator, smelter and Selebi North Shaft. The visit was organised by [...]

Zim gets IMF voting rights, but no new loans

23 February, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Alex Bell 22 February 2010 The global financial lending body, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has agreed to restore Zimbabwe’s voting rights, seven years after the country was suspended over its multi million dollar debt. But the Fund said the country was still ineligible for loans until it had paid [...]

`Heads Will Roll,` Saleshando Warns Domkrag

23 February, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi By Bame Piet Staff Writer The Member of Parliament for Selebi-Phikwe West, Gilson Saleshando has said the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) must explain its relationship with De Beers. Commenting on the budget speech last week, Saleshando said that the BDP had mortgaged the country to the mining company and was now serving its [...]

Agriculture is solution to transformation

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA 22 February, 2010 GABORONE – Botswana faces a mammoth task in its quest to transform the economy given its sole dependence on diamonds for revenue. Debating the 2010/11 budget on Thursday, Chobe MP, Mr Gibson Nshimwe, said apart from the shrinking diamond market, the fact that diamonds were a finite resource was another [...]

MP calls for relaxation of expatriate permits

23 February, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi BAME PIET Staff Writer Member of Parliament for Molepolole South Daniel Kwelagobe has requested government to relax some of the requirements expatriates need to meet before they can be given residence permits. He said there is too much scrutiny on the applicants and they give up and opt for other competing countries in [...]

SA economy jumps back

23 February, 2010 in South Africa

source: Fin24 Feb 23 2010 09:00 René Vollgraaff Johannesburg – The economy could grow far more quickly this year than initially expected. The Reserve Bank’s leading indicator climbed 120.9 points in December compared with November’s 120. Year on year the index was up 13.9%. The indicator is a pointer to what can be expected from [...]

Regional energy trade goes cyberspace

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi MBONGENI MGUNI Staff Writer The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) has launched an internet-based cross-border power trading system, enabling member states to buy, sell and bid for electricity among themselves on a real time basis. Prior to the web-based system’s launch, power trade within SAPP was done through bilateral agreements, such as the [...]

Road tender award on hold

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business

BOPA 22 February, 2010 GABORONE – Transport and communications minister, Mr Frank Ramsden, says he is aware that the Mmamashia /Mabalane primary road tender, which was floated and closed last year on September 16, has not yet been evaluated and awarded. This was due to the world economic crisis as government had to limit the [...]

VAT Increase A Blow To Pensioners – BFTU

23 February, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi By Ephraim Keoreng Staff Writer The Secretary General of the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU), Gadzani Mhotsha, said the two percent increase in VAT will deal a blow to the already dwindling purchasing power of Batswana workers, the unemployed and pensioners who depend on a stipend of P260 per month. “This will [...]

Zuma says sanctions hurting efforts for free and fair poll in Zimbabwe

23 February, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Tichaona Sibanda 22 February 2010 President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has said efforts to create a conducive environment for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe are being hampered by targeted sanctions against Robert Mugabe and his allies. Zuma told journalists over the weekend that sanctions were undermining his efforts [...]