source: BOPA
16 May, 2008

GABORONE - The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has started registering citizen owned small businesses to operate in government premises says Youth Project Officer in the Department of Culture Ms Therisanyo Mahutsana.

This is in response to a recent directive issued by the Office of the President instructing government offices, parastatals and government owned companies to reserve space for small-scale caterers and vendors to sell their goods.

Ms Mahutsana said in an interview that her department was registering youth catering businesses and those that trade in decorations, landscaping, arts and crafts.

Ms Mahutsana said the exercise was also extended to the youth residing in rural areas.

The main reason behind that, she said was to compile names of small businesses owned by the youth and [continue reading]

source: BBC News

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has postponed a return to Zimbabwe because of concerns about a plot to kill him.

“We have received information from a credible source concerning a planned assassination attempt,” his spokesman George Sibotshiwe said.

Mr Tsvangirai was set to return to campaign for a run-off presidential election against Robert Mugabe.

On Friday, the US ambassador warned post-election violence had made a fair second round run-off vote impossible.

James McGee told the BBC he had evidence that the police and military had been involved in [continue reading]

source: BOPA
16 May, 2008

LOBATSE - A special park consisting of a rock and water garden, an amphitheatre, a natural botanical garden, thatched shelters, refreshment and snack shops, a picnic area, a childrens playground and running tracks will be built in Lobatse.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting addressed by Lobatse MP Mr Nehemiah Modubule, Woodhall councillor Mr Molaodi Mantle said the town park will be located on the western side of the Lobatse/Gaborone road as one approaches the town.

He said the tender for the park will be awarded as soon as possible while the construction will start once funds are available.

Cllr Mantle said the town park will be an addition to the existing recreational facilities in Lobatse.

He also promised residents that the Lobatse Town Council will ensure that the state of other existing parks are of acceptable standards.

On other issues, Mr Mantle urged residents to [continue reading]

source: The Times (SA)

Published:May 17, 2008

The weapons destined for Zimbabwe have arrived in Harare, The Weekender reported today.

# Arms ship heads for Congo

# Nowhere to hide for Mugabe’s arms ship

The report said the Zimbabwean government confirmed that 3-million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3000 mortar rounds and 1500 rocket-propelled grenades - ordered from the Chinese government - had arrived in Harare.

The South African government denied media reports that it assisted in the delivery of the arms by fuelling the Chinese vessel, An Yue Jiang, that was transporting the arsenal.

There were fears that Robert Mugabe was planning to use force to storm back to power in [continue reading]

source: Reuters Africa
Thu 15 May 2008, 8:44 GMT

MAPUTO (Reuters) - Shanghai-based Touchroad International plans to invest $250 million to help build five industrial parks across Africa, with the first planned in Botswana this month, the group’s chairman said on Thursday.

“This is the biggest project we are doing in Africa and this kind of industrial park, we want to set up five in Africa for the coming years,” He Liehui told Reuters at the African Development Bank’s annual meeting in Maputo, Mozambique.

He estimated the group’s projected future investment to be in the region of $250 million, with the company providing direct funding of $51 million for the project in Gabarone, Botswana.

He said construction on the [continue reading]

source: BOPA
16 May, 2008

RAMOTSWA - The Ministry of Health is doing all it can to address the issue of shortage of medication in local clinics and hospitals says South East South MP Ms Lesego Motsumi Responding to complaints raised during kgotla meetings she addressed in Ramotswa, Otse and Mogobane Ms Motsumi who is also health minister said shortage of medication was a countrywide problem.

She said her ministry was in the process to address the issue, adding that the ministry had already requested some funds for hospitals to buy unavailable medicines as a way of addressing the issue.

In addition, she said the president had asked her to look for people who could manufacture medication locally, saying the ministry had found two.

She told the meetings that shortage of medication in the country was caused by suppliers that did not deliver orders on time.

The ministry informed them that Botswana ordered medicine in [continue reading]

source: Mining Weekly
By: Chanel Pringle
Published on 16th May 2008

Base-metals exploration company African Copper on Friday said its Mowana mine, in Botswana, would start production in the second quarter of this year, which would change the junior explorer into a copper producer.

Cold commissioning of the mine was now ongoing, with the ramp-up to production to start in June or July, and the first shipment due in July.

The company, which is trilisted on the Aim, TSX and BSX, reported that the Mowana mine’s total openpit proven and probable reserves had been estimated at 14,8-million tons grading at 1,11% copper.

Production at Mowana, which had an expected seven years life-of-mine for the openpit with potential future expansion, was expected to [continue reading]

source: BOPA
16 May, 2008

GABORONE - Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC)s Be Mobile free calls are over. The test period ended yesterday.

Speaking in an interview, BTC Public Relations Officer, Mr James Molosankwe, said customers who were participating in the test would now start paying for their calls.

He said there has been network congestion caused by free calls.

We have been having about 30 000 people with free sim cards and we hope the situation will normalise once the Be Mobile test is over, he said.

Mr Molosankwe said the problem of the network was due to the fact that most people were taking longer than the expected time on calls.

He said the company was currently notifying their customers about the expiry date of the testing period through voice and text messages.

However, some customers who participated in the testing of the service said they were not [continue reading]

source: SW Radio Africa
By Tichaona Sibanda
16 May 2008

MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai is set to fly back to Harare on Saturday, and is due to address his parliamentary caucus in the capital to map the way forward for the impending second round of the presidential poll.

His spokesman George Sibotshiwe told us from Belfast, Northern Ireland that the MDC leader has several engagements lined up in the country this weekend. Tsvangirai was in Belfast as a keynote speaker to about 100 liberal parties attending the Liberal International conference. He met the Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and other African Heads of States on the sidelines of the conference.

‘Our business is finished here, so we are flying back to Southern Africa and then to Zimbabwe tomorrow (Saturday),’ Sibotshiwe said.

Asked about the security concerns that [continue reading]

source: BOPA
16 May, 2008

Kasane - Chinga, the only black rhino that was relocated from the Chobe National Park to Khama Rhino Sanctuary in 2002 has finally given birth.

Black rhinos had been extinct in Botswana until 2002 when Chinga was FOUND by wildlife officials in the Chobe National Park. It is believed that the animal crossed into Botswana from Zimbabwe.

Since black rhinos are mostly targeted by poachers for their valuable horn, the animal was relocated to Khama Rhino Sanctuary in the central district for protection.

The sanctuary is a community based project for Serowe, Paje and Mabeleapodi villages.

Chinga gave birth in the last week of March but we are unable to tell the offsprings sex as the animal is still hiding the offspring, said Khama Rhino Sanctuary assistant manager, Ompatile Galaletsang adding that they wish the calf could be a female for purposes of multiplying.

It is reported that Chingas male mate Noodi was sourced from Zimbabwe.

According to Mr Galaletsang Noodi was donated by a Zimbabwean army commander after [continue reading]