Botswana hit by power crisis

11 November, 2010 in Botswana

source: Mmegi

Much of Botswana was plunged into darkness and businesses forced to close due to massive power cuts that covered a significant part of the country.

*The power failure affects much of the country

* BPC does not know when power will be restored

* Morupule and South African transmission have been lost

According to Botswana Power Corporation the power cut was occasioned by the main transmission line that was lost in Matimba in South Africa to Phokoje in Botswana. This is the transmission which is used to import power from South Africa.

The situation was further compounded by the power failure at the Morupule Power Station.

“The loss of the Matimba/Phokoje Transmission Line is due to a fault on [continue reading]

Power cuts and high costs causing major deforestation

11 November, 2010 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 November, 2010

The failure of the government to develop a stable and reliable electricity infrastructure has continued to wreak havoc on Zimbabwe’s landscape, causing massive environmental destruction.

Years of corruption and mismanagement at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) have created daily power cuts and regular load shedding that negatively affects businesses and homes. This has left many with no choice but to cut down trees, as a business itself.

Lionel Saungweme reports that deforestation is a national problem that has significant consequences, not least the loss of soil, washed away when it rains.

According to Saungweme vast tracts of land without any vegetation can be seen all over the country, and the problem has intensified as the [continue reading]

BTC notches its highest profits in 10 years

11 November, 2010 in Botswana, Business, Telekoms & Providers

source: Mmegi
MBONGENI MGUNI
Staff Writer

With a 52.2 percent increase on the previous year, the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) has posted year-end net profits of P181 million, the highest in 10 years.

The financials were released yesterday for the year ended March 31, 2010. BTC’s year-end results indicate that the utility’s net profits of P138.8 million in 2006 were the closest BTC came to this record-breaking performance.

The results also indicate that BTC’s operating revenues nearly touched the P1 billion mark at P958.4 million, up 14.7 percent from 2009.The parastatal was also able to shave P60 million off its debts for the year and halved the cost of its loans to [continue reading]

Botswana: Government Minister says Bushmen are `Living in the Dark Ages`

11 November, 2010 in Botswana

source: allAfrica
Survival International (London)
10 November 2010
press release

Botswana’s minister of environment, wildlife and tourism is the most recent government official to make disparaging remarks about the Kalahari Bushmen.

In an interview with the BBC, Kitso Mokaila said, ‘I don’t believe you would want to see your own kind living in the dark ages in the middle of nowhere as a choice, when you know that the world has moved forward and has become so technological’.

Mokaila’s remarks are the latest in a long line of insults by government officials, and are an indication of the deep-rooted racism towards the Bushmen.

The president of Botswana, Ian Khama, made similar comments in 2008, describing the Bushmen’s hunting lifestyle as ‘an archaic fantasy’. Last year, a South African woman was arrested for remarking that Khama ‘looked like a Bushman’.

Khama, a board member of Conservation International, has banned the Bushmen from accessing a well which they rely on [continue reading]