Applications for textile bailout roll in

31 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi MBONGENI MGUNI Staff Writer Applications from the troubled textile industry have started rolling into the Department of Industrial Affairs, the lead agency tasked with administering government’s P38 million-rescue package for the sector. The department, which is housed within the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has established a working committee with the Botswana Exporters [...]

Zimbabwe: No agreement in sight as talks deadline passes

31 March, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Alex Bell 30 March 2010 An agreement meant to be thrashed out by Zimbabwe’s feuding political parties has remained out of sight, with a deadline for an agreement to be reached passing on Monday. The deadline was set by South African President Jacob Zuma earlier this month, when he intervened [...]

Zim property seized in CT

31 March, 2010 in South Africa, Zimbabwe

source: News24 2010-03-30 16:04 Cape Town – Civil rights group AfriForum seized a Cape Town property belonging to the Zimbabwean state on Tuesday, saying the move was the start of a “civil sanctions” campaign against President Robert Mugabe’s government. “This is a process aimed at helping all the people of Zimbabwe in a way that [...]

Discovery studies Maun underground copper mine

31 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business, Mining

source: Mmegi BRAIN BENZA Staff Writer Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE)-listed Discovery Metals Limited (DML) has reported that a scoping study at its Boseto copper project, in Botswana, has confirmed the economic viability of underground operations at the Zeta mineral resource. “The positive results of this study are very encouraging. The study shows that a Zeta [...]

Death penalty sours relations between Botswana and South Africa

31 March, 2010 in Botswana, South Africa

source: Sunday Standard by Morula Morula 28.03.2010 8:50:15 P Fly Mokwadi on 24 of March became the 42nd person to be executed in Botswana since the country attained independence in 1966. Mokwadi was found guilty of having murdered his child. His execution comes amidst condemnations by civil society groups in the country who say that [...]

SA solar plant allocation low

31 March, 2010 in South Africa

source: News24 2010-03-30 22:27 Pretoria – It is a concern that the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) has allocated only 50 megawatts (MW) for Concentrated Solar Plants (CSPs) by 2013, the Southern Africa Solar Thermal and Electricity Association (Sastela) said on Tuesday. “The current project pipeline under development is between 500 and 1 000 [...]

Botswana seeks collaboration with Russia`s diamond industry

31 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi Botswana is looking to collaborate with Russia in diamond mining and cutting, Interfax reported. The news agency cited Nchidzi Mmolawa, director of mineral affairs in Botswana’s Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources saying that the two countries “need to work closely in diamond mining and to sign the necessary agreements.” “We’d like [...]

Zimbabwe: Villagers face eviction to make way for biofuel cultivation

31 March, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa By Tichaona Sibanda 30 March 2010 The construction of a US$600 million ethanol plant in Chisumbanje, Manicaland province has ignited a storm of protests and claims that it could result in thousands of families being evicted from the area. The plant, which government says will provide the country with 80 percent [...]

Botswana aware of China increasing role

30 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA 29 March, 2010 GABORONE – Botswana cannot ignore the huge business and other opportunities that China offers, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Phandu Skelemani, said in Parliament Thursday Besides being a super power, Botswana was also aware of Chinas increasing role in world affairs when she opened a mission in [...]

S.A Facing Increased Risk Of Power Failures

30 March, 2010 in South Africa

source: Mmegi South Africa faces increased risks of power cuts from 2011 to 2013 unless co-generation projects come on line and consumers try to conserve more electricity, a government minister said on Friday. Africa’s largest economy is battling a chronic power shortage that has curbed production at the world’s top platinum producer and a major [...]

Zim parties miss Zuma deadline

30 March, 2010 in South Africa, Zimbabwe

source: News24 2010-03-30 07:59 Special Report Harare – Zimbabwe’s political parties failed to meet a Monday deadline set by South African President Jacob Zuma to resolve a power-sharing dispute that threatens to tear apart the country’s coalition, a cabinet minister said. President Robert Mugabe formed a unity government last year with Movement for Democratic Change [...]

Entrepreneurs Accuse SPEDU Of Lack Of Focus

30 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi Calistus Kolantsho Correspondent SELEBI-PHIKWE: The Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU) came under heavy criticism from the business community here during a consultative meeting at the Selebi-Phikwe Town Hall last week. Andrew Mosweu of Smart Youth Dry Cleaners said nobody cares about Selebi-Phikwe and the agency was jumping to deal with problems in other [...]

Africa: Ministers, Central Bank Governors Meet On Global Crisis

30 March, 2010 in Africa

source: allAfrica Daily Independent (Lagos) Kingsley Ighomwenghian 29 March 2010 Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors from South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal and Ethiopia began a two-day meeting hosted by the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, on Monday in Lilongwe, capital of Malawi. According to a report by international [...]

Phikwe Hospital Runs Out Of High Blood Pressure Drugs

30 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi Calistus Kolantsho Correspondent SELEBI-PHIKWE: Selebi-Phikwe government hospital has a shortage of high blood pressure tablets. The hospital public relations officer, Obakeng Sukube said that two weeks ago, they ordered 1,000 packets of Nifedipine from Central Medical Stores (CMS) but they only got 50. “This is a referral hospital and we get referrals from [...]

Corruption in SA `endemic`

30 March, 2010 in South Africa

source: IOL March 30 2010 at 09:21AM By Carien Du Plessis South Africa is reaching the point of no return as corruption becomes so endemic and acceptable that it is almost impossible to fight. In 2004, about R40-billion changed hands during corrupt transactions and this was “growing all the time”, retired judge Willem Heath told [...]