Palapye.com News Blog

source: Mmegi
ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer

BLANTYRE: The New Partnership for Africa’s Development e-Africa commission has been mandated to oversee the structured development and implementation of the NEPAD ICT programme across the continent.

The commission aims to accelerate development of ICT broadband infrastructure and bridge the digital divide within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world.

ICT infrastructure project manager Brian Cheesman says the ICT broadband infrastructure will ensure that all African countries are connected to one another by a broadband fibre-optic cable network that is in turn linked to the rest of the world.

He added that the ICT infrastructure project will be implemented in two phases - these being the [continue reading]

source: BOPA
17 July, 2008

GABORONE - Botswana has the potential to produce biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel from sweet sorghum and jatropha trees respectively, the Minister for Minerals, Energy, and Water Resources, Mr Ponatshego Kedikilwe, said.

Speaking during a workshop on the local production and use of biofuels in Gaborone on Tuesday, Mr Kedikilwe said other biomass-derived fuels that could be exploited were production of bio-gels and bio-oils.

Bio-fuels can play an important role in displacing fuel wood for cooking, he said. Bio-oil can be used for lighting displacing fossil based fuels such as paraffin, which is now expensive.

Mr Kedikilwe said the challenge was to increase biofuel supply while ensuring they were developed in a clean, sustainable and competitive manner.

Another challenge, he said, was that biofuels competed for the same land that was used for food production, but biofuels were not a threat to food security.

Biofuels in the right place under the right circumstances could be answer for many [continue reading]

source: Mmegi
TANDENDA MOYO
Correspondent

Increasing oil prices on the global market have compelled governments to grapple with minimising the effects of soaring prices of petroleum products such as petrol and diesel.

As a result, the Botswana government has announced its commitment to explore bio-fuels, which have the potential to help reduce the country’s high imports of petroleum products.

Speaking at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) on Tuesday this week, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, said strides are being made towards initiating bio-fuel production.

“We are part of the global village and part of the global debate that is going on,” said Kedikilwe at the [continue reading]

source: BOPA
17 July, 2008

GABORONE - Botswana Institute of Accountants (BIA) has received compliments from the International Federation of Accounts (IFAC) as one of the best six affiliate members with clear and achievable action plan worldwide.

Botswana, the only country in Southern Africa to make it in the top six, has been rated among countries such as Argentina, China, Czech Republic, Kenya and Romania.

The top six countries represent four continents with Africa having two representatives in Botswana and Kenya.

These actions plans are reflective of the kinds of programmes and activities that all IFAC member organisations are developing in their own jurisdictions says a press release from the organisation.

The release quoted chairperson of the compliance advisory panel, Mr Robert Mednick, saying these actions plans demonstrate the leadership of [continue reading]

source: Zimbabwe Independent
Thursday, 17 July 2008 21:11

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has delayed the appointment of a new cabinet and the swearing in of parliament to leave room for power sharing with the opposition MDC if the ongoing talks for a government of national unity (GNU) succeed.

Sources told the Zimbabwe Independent that the inter-party negotiations mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, recently advised Mugabe to delay the appointment of a new cabinet because a breakthrough in the talks could require a reconfiguration of posts.

“If there is a breakthrough, Mugabe will appoint a cabinet made up of his Zanu PF members and those drawn from both factions of the MDC,” a government source said. “Mugabe will also select 10 provincial governors from Zanu PF and the opposition.”

The sources said leaders of the two MDC factions, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, were likely to be appointed as non-constituency senators first and later into cabinet.

Under the Constitution, the president is mandated to appoint five non-constituency senators and [continue reading]

source: IOL
July 18 2008 at 07:10PM

The Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) unity and cohesion is being “fragilised and threatened” by the ongoing electoral impasse in Zimbabwe, Angolan foreign minister João Bernardo de Miranda said on Friday.

Miranda, opening a meeting in Durban of SADC Ministers of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, said: “The situation of the republic of Zimbabwe is undoubtedly very complex.”

He said the fact that there were “many interpretations” of the outcome of Zimbabwe’s recent election meant that the “unity and cohesion of SADC is fragilised.

“It is our duty to defend and fight for the unity of our organisation.”

The SADC Ministers of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security are expected to meet and discuss several issues, including the “post electoral situation in the Republic of Zimbabwe”.

Miranda also said that the SADC had failed to [continue reading]

source: BOPA
17 July, 2008

SELEBI-PHIKWE - The government is considering to classify copper cable theft as a national security violation and to introduce stiffer penalties on culprits found in possession of them, says Mr Nonofo Molefhi.

Addressing residents of Selebi-Phikwe East this week, Mr Molefhi said the current penalties are not sufficient to stop the rising levels of cable theft, which is costing the economy millions annually.

Mr Molefhi, who is the MP for Selebi-Phikwe East and Minister of Lands and Housing, said those convicted would be given sentences of up to 15 years in jail.

Mr Molefhi said the theft of copper cables is crippling the economy and is a threat to national security. He urged [continue reading]

source: Mmegi
ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer

Malawi’s Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Ken Lipenga, has said that Africa is a net food importer importing approximately USD 20 billion worth of food annually so it is the hardest hit by rising oil and food prices.

“Transport, energy, water and telecommunication infrastructures in Africa also lag far behind the rest of the world,” Lipenga said. It is through these unimpressive prevailing socio-economic conditions of Africa that heads of state and government of the African Union, according to Lipenga, adopted NEPAD as a novel framework for shifting the goalposts of the continent from poverty to prosperity.

The G8 summit in 2002 accepted the NEPAD framework as an innovative framework, which provided a platform for renewed partnership between the West and Africa. NEPAD was also hailed as a timely intervention that is capable of helping the continent meet the global targets of the Millennium Development Goals.

The minister added that [continue reading]

source: SW Radio Africa
By Lance Guma
18 July 2008

There was a flurry of diplomatic activity in South Africa as President Thabo Mbeki met African Union Commission chairman Jean Ping in Pretoria Friday to discuss the Zimbabwean crisis. The MDC this week refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Zanu PF, citing ongoing state-sponsored violence and the need for an expanded mediation effort, which had been endorsed by the AU. Mbeki’s discussions with Ping were behind closed doors and it remained unclear whether any announcement would be made. Mbeki also met with the United Nations’ special representative to Zimbabwe, Haile Menkerios.

On the same day foreign ministers from Tanzania, Swaziland and Angola, who make up the SADC troika on politics, defence and security, met in Durban to consider, among other issues, the Zimbabwe crisis. A group of Zimbabwean activists demonstrated at the venue of the meeting. They held placards written, ‘A Brave Africa can Save Zimbabwe,’ and wore white t-shirts splattered with [continue reading]

source: BOPA
17 July, 2008

GABORONE - Cyber Foods, a South African company, is recalling its peanut butter manufactured and supplied in Botswana to government schools and other institutions.

An advertisement from Cyber Foods published in some local newspapers states that the peanut butter is packed in 20kg and 2.5kg buckets under the Cyber Foods and Ratan Foods brand names.

The advertisement requests consumers in possession of these products to contact the local authorities.

It says laboratory tests have revealed that samples of these peanut butter brands have high aflotoxin levels above the required limit.

Aflotoxin is a potent liver toxin that can cause cancer in both animals and human beings. It is caused by a fungus.

Some schools confirmed that they bought the product from Ratan Foods but had not been notified to [continue reading]

source: ZWNews
author/source:Namibian
published:Fri 18-Jul-2008

“Our clients nearly died from that brutal abduction and assault of June 29″
Brigitte Weidlich

The whole legal team of the Zimbabwean government yesterday walked out of the hearing of a regional tribunal, refusing to listen to an urgent application brought by the lawyers of three badly assaulted Zimbabwean farmers - part of a group of 78 farmers seeking relief to prevent their farms being expropriated by that government. Lawyer Jeffrey Gauntlett, who represents the farmers, asked the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal to declare the Zimbabwean government in breach - and in contempt - of its earlier order to allow all the farmers, their families and their farmworkers to carry on living on their properties unhindered and without interference until the tribunal gives a ruling on the original appeal.

He further asked the tribunal to forward this declaration to the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana, and refer it to the annual SADC summit next [continue reading]

Zimbabwe Independent: Zim Lawyers Walk Out Of Sadc Tribunal

source: SW Radio Africa
By Tichaona Sibanda
18 July 2008

Businesses that are helping to prop up Robert Mugabe’s regime will be included in a new sanctions list being drawn by the European Union, according to reports from Brussels.

The majority of business people who back Mugabe’s regime have control over high profile companies in the country. A number of them enjoy monopolies in industries like agriculture, construction, mining, textiles, manufacturing, retail and banking.

Hebson Makuvise, the MDC chief representative in the UK, said the same people denounce Western countries and their leaders during the day, ‘but hop onto a plane by night to visit the same countries.’
Makuvise said during his brief visit to the EU in Brussels recently, all talk was about the [continue reading]

source: BOPA
16 July, 2008

MAUN - The agriculture ministry plans to increase the national herd from 2.5 million to 3.5 million in the next five years. Officiating at a farmers field day at Moremogolo Ranch ,Minister Christian De Graaff said his ministry has already proposed several initiatives towards realising the dream.

He said proposals were being developed on the best use of Banyana Farm. One of the options being to subdivide it into smaller and economic farming units which could be made accessible to investors.

Mr De Graaff also said the ministry had advertised 15 state farms including Shorobe quarantine which has been divided into four farms. He also briefed the farmers about agricultural service centres which were to be established.

The government, he said, would fence some farms which would accommodate 219 farmers.

These farmers would be assisted with equipment including seeds and fertilisers. He told the audience that the ministry was [continue reading]

source: Mmegi
STAFF WRITER

Botswana’s 20-ton elephant ivory is heading for China, after the latter won the right at a UN wildlife meeting on Tuesday to import elephant ivory from Africa under strict conditions, a UN spokesman said.

Four countries, namely Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are permitted under a deal reached at The Hague last year to make one-off sales of registered ivory stocks.

“China was accepted as a trading partner to import ivory from the four authorised countries in southern Africa,” said Juan Carlos Vasquez of CITES, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

To gain permission, Beijing had to prove it had the capacity to fight illegal domestic trade in ivory, which is used mainly in jewellery and carvings.

The CITES committee agreed that [continue reading]

source: BOPA
17 July, 2008

PALAPYE - The Minister of Education and Skills Development Mr Jacob Nkate visited several Palapye schools last week.

He visited Lotsane Senior Secondary School, Mmaphula Junior Secondary School, Boipuso Primary School and Ratsie Setlhako Primary School.

The minister attended a few class and addressed students. He urged them to study and desist from disrespecting teachers and vandalizing school property.

The minister told students that his government is disturbed by indiscipline in schools. He also told the students that school authorities have his support in dealing with indiscipline, saying those who misbehave would be expelled.

All the school heads of the visited schools informed the [continue reading]