Seretse wins P1.1 million tenders from Defence Ministry

25 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi STAFF WRITER In the past two years, tenders worth P1.1million have been awarded to RFT Botswana (Pty) Ltd, a company owned by the spouse of the Minister of Justice, Defence and Security, Ramadeluka Seretse. These revelations came to light yesterday in Parliament as Seretse responded to Dumelang Saleshando, MP for Gaborone Central who [...]

Property bill passes second reading with reservations

25 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA 25 March, 2010 GABORONE – Industrial Property Bill passed its second reading in Parliament Tuesday, although some MPs expressed reservations on international treaties Botswana was a party to. Kgatleng East MP, Mr Isaac Mabiletsa, said he found it difficult to support a bill which incorporated a number of international treaties he was not [...]

BDP declares war on Barata-Phathi

25 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA Staff Writer The central committee has now released a statement, after a marathon meeting which was said to have lasted both the weekend and the whole day yesterday. In the strongest sign yet of the no-nonsense attitude of the A-Team leader and party President Ian Khama, the statement has declared the [...]

Zimbabwe: Finance Minister Survives Car Crash

25 March, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: allAfrica The Nation (Nairobi) Kitsepile Nyathi 25 March 2010 Harare — Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Tendai Biti last night survived a horrific accident when his official vehicle collided with a haulage truck about 120 kilometres outside Harare. Although details of the accident were still sketchy, officials said Mr Biti who is also the secretary general [...]

Road Traffic Act revision underway

25 March, 2010 in Africa

source: BOPA 25 March, 2010 Plans are underway to review the current Road Traffic Act to consider including issues such first aid for combi drivers and bus conductors, Parliament heard Tuesday. Transport and communications minister, Mr Frank Ramsden, underscored the importance of a national training programme for drivers and combi/bus conductors on first aid. However, [...]

The day Khama told them `Voetsek!`

25 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi GREG KELEBONYE Staff Writer No word could be a better fit for the response that President Ian Khama and the BDP central committee gave to the party’s faction of Barata-Phathi, following their decision to bolt from the ruling party than the Afrikaans word ‘voetsek!’ Literally “tie your feet up!”, and “stop following me!” [...]

Companies not registered for tax rebates

25 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA 25 March, 2010 PARLIAMENT – Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) does not register companies for tax rebates, Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr Charles Tibone has said. However, Mr Tibone said Section 51 (2) of the Income Tax, Cap 52.01 of the Laws of Botswana provides that where a person makes [...]

Botswana plans a 50m-litre per year bio diesel plant

25 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE Staff Writer Coal-rich Botswana has announced its ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions by setting up a 50 million-litre per year bio-diesel processing plant to be fed from jatropha (oil seed) plantations by 2012. The project will be funded from the National Petroleum Fund as Botswana joins the fight against climate [...]

South Africa: State Plans Strict New Curbs On Land Rights

25 March, 2010 in South Africa

source: allAfrica Business Day (Johannesburg) Wyndham Hartley 25 March 2010 Johannesburg — Rural Development and Land Affairs Minister Gugile Nkwinti yesterday failed to put out the fires raging over suggestions that productive farmland could be nationalised, instead raising new fears with a proposal that appears to curb property rights. Recently, the department’s director-general, Tozi Gwanya, [...]

Botswana Ruling Party May Split, Triggering New Vote

24 March, 2010 in Botswana

March 23, 2010, 11:12 AM EDT source: Businessweek By Jerry Bungu March 23 (Bloomberg) — Botswana’s ruling party, which has governed the world’s biggest diamond-producing nation since 1966, may split, said a leader of a breakaway faction that wants to form a new opposition movement. Disgruntled members of the Botswana Democratic Party, who form a [...]

Botswana to get new party

24 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: News24 2010-03-23 21:09 Gaborone – Three top members of Botswana’s ruling party are set to form a rival faction, officials said on Tuesday, accusing President Ian Khama of undermining democracy with his heavy-handed leadership. The new grouping would be the first to split away from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has ruled this [...]

BDC to shed property investments

24 March, 2010 in Botswana, Business

source: Mmegi MBONGENI MGUNI Staff Writer In a move expected to unlock wealth for local investors, the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) is to embark on a major divestment from its multi-million pula property portfolio. The divestiture is part of BDC’s Strategic Plan for 2007 – 2011. Between 2007 and 2008, BDC reviewed its various wholly, [...]

Alcohol checks, speed traps dominate campaigns

24 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: BOPA 23 March, 2010 GABORONE – Marking officer with emergency assist 991 says this years roads safety campaigns will be characterised by random alcohol checks and speed trap along the high ways in roads leading to the capital city. Giving a key note address during the launch of mini traffic road safety campaign at [...]

Zimbabwe: Reluctantly to the Election

24 March, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: allAfrica Africa Confidential (London) 23 March 2010 President Jacob Zuma’s suggestion that fresh elections might offer a way out of the current impasse has sparked off a complex game of ‘call my bluff’ amongst the parties to the power-sharing government. It seems clear that Zuma and his advisors would prefer some form of power-sharing [...]

Govt to reduce age of maturity to 18 years

24 March, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi BAME PIET Staff Writer Most parliamentarians on Friday agreed to reduce the age of maturity from 21 years to 18 years of age. Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane Patrick Masimolole, who tabled the motion, argued that there was inconsistency in Botswana laws as some government ministries recognised somebody as mature at 21 years, [...]