Archive for September, 2007
source: Reuters Africa
Fri 28 Sep 2007, 14:52 GMT
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Botswana credit demand growth accelerated to 22.9 percent year-on-year in August from 20.1 percent in July, still above the target range for 2007, the central bank said on Friday.
The Bank of Botswana said the overall increase was driven by year-on-year growth in credit to the business sector of 23 percent in August compared to 17 percent the previous month.
“Growth in household credit also accelerated, but modestly, from 22.2 percent to 22.8 percent,” it said in a [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
Reporters sans Frontières (Paris)
PRESS RELEASE
28 September 2007
Posted to the web 28 September 2007
Reporters Without Borders today strongly condemned the action of the Zimbabwean intelligence services in compiling a blacklist of at least 15 journalists working for independent news media who are to be subjected to “strict surveillance” and other unspecified “measures” in the run-up to next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
“The Zimbabwean government’s paranoia is accompanied by systematic repression,” the press freedom organisation said. “This alarming blacklist is an outrage in the approach to what are crucial elections for Zimbabwe’s future. President Robert Mugabe will be held fully responsible if anything happens to these journalists.”
The existence of the blacklist was revealed in an apparently-leaked copy of [continue reading]
source: News24
28/09/2007 14:50 – (SA)
Johannesburg – After an absence of six months the National Lottery would make its comeback with a jackpot prize of R15m, newly appointed lotto operator Gidani announced on Friday.
Tickets for the first draw which would take place on October 13, would go on sale at 7 000 retailers across the country from next week Friday, October 5.
As in the past, punters would be able to buy tickets for the Lotto and Lotto Plus draw as well as the Wina Manje scratch card games and Sportstake games.
“Lotto is back,” said a smiling Gidani chairman and chief executive Bongani Khumalo in making the announcement on Friday.
Ticket prices will remain unchanged with a [continue reading]
source: ZimNews
author/source:Financial Times (UK)
published:Wed 26-Sep-2007
posted on this site:Thu 27-Sep-2007
By Alec Russell in Johannesburg
Zimbabwe’s parliament passed a law on Wednesday giving the state controlling stakes in foreign-owned businesses, including banks and mines. It happened in the face of warnings from the opposition and businesses that the law would have catastrophic consequences for Zimbabwe’s already crumbling economy. While the official rate of inflation is 6,500 per cent, the real figure is widely believed to be far higher. The business community has been clinging to the hope that the law would, if passed, never be implemented. But as they battle to stay in power, allies of Robert Mugabe, the president, have insisted it will be enforced and justified it as an attempt to lift up the masses. “We cannot continue to have a skewed economic environment where our people are not able to fully participate,” Paul Mangwana, the indigenisation and economic empowerment minister, told parliament. The government would work with business sectors to establish deadlines for the transfer of shares to local groups and individuals, he said.
MPs from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change walked out of parliament in protest as [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
NEW YORK: President Festus Mogae gave the keynote opening remarks at a Round-table Discussion on Democracy and Human Right, which was held at the United Nation’s Headquarters.
The Round-table was convened and chaired by the US President, George W. Bush. It was attended by an additional 25 Heads of State and Government from Asia, Europe and Latin America, as well as Africa. In addition to Botswana, SADC was represented by the leaders of Tanzania and Zambia.
Mogae had been invited by Bush to specifically share his insight into Botswana’s own progress as a democracy.
In his own welcoming remarks the US president stated that the forum brought together “people who love liberty and who understand that freedom is universal.” He further noted that [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
Inter Press Service (Johannesburg)
27 September 2007
Posted to the web 27 September 2007
David Cronin
Brussels
Senior World Bank staff have asked the European Union to consider extending the end-of-year deadline it has set for a series of free trade agreements with Africa.
Peter Mandelson, the European commissioner for trade, has repeatedly warned that African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will have steep tariffs imposed on their exports to the EU if they do not sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by Dec. 31.
Although economists at the 185-country World Bank say they favour moves to boost trade between Europe and Africa, they have suggested that more time is needed to thrash out the kind of comprehensive market liberalisation accord favoured by the European Commission.
This point has been raised during [continue reading]
source: SW radio Africa
By Lance Guma
27 September 2007
Robert Mugabe avoided tackling issues to do with his own country and instead launched a long tirade against western countries when he addressed the United Nations summit in New York on Wednesday. He sought to deflect attention from his poor human rights record by accusing US president George Bush of hypocrisy for lecturing him on human rights. Bush had described Mugabe’s regime as ‘tyrannical’ and accused it of launching an, ‘assault on its people.’ He put the country in the same bracket as Belarus, Syria, Iran and North Korea, branding them ‘brutal regimes.’
Mugabe who looked visibly irate, hit back saying the US president had the blood of many nationalities dripping from his hands and cited US military intervention in [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA
STAFF WRITER
The National Broadcasting Board (NBB) is embarking on a new licensing system that will give it greater powers to adjust to the new media environment.
The Botswana Telecommunications Authority (NBA), the body under which NBB falls, recently kicked off the process by opening a tender for the initial stages of the process.
The new framework is expected to adjust the range of mechanisms through which licensing of broadcasting entities will be done and allow more jurisdiction for the NBB.
“It has always been a concern of the Board that the prevailing legal framework for the regulation of broadcasting in Botswana was inadequate with regard to emerging broadcasting technologies and the convergence of services such as [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
27 September 2007
Posted to the web 27 September 2007
Emmerson Muchangwe
New York
Portugal says it will not discriminate on delegates to the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon at the end of the year. And President Mwanawasa yesterday held closed-door talks with Portuguese Prime Minister, Louis Amado at the United Nations headquarters in New York which mainly centred on the Lisbon EU-Africa summit.
The Portuguese secretary of state for foreign affairs told ZANIS in New York that it was unfortunate that the agenda of Zimbabwe’s invitation to the summit was being given more prominence at the expense of other issues relating to the forthcoming summit. Mr Joao Gomes Cravinuo said Portugal, as the current chair of the European Union, would not discriminate when inviting delegates to the summit.
“The issue of Zimbabwe’s participation at the EU-Africa summit will not hinder the holding of a succesful summit,” said Mr Gravinuo. He said the European Union and Portugal in particular were interested in seeing more cooperation between [continue reading]
source: IOL
Andisiwe Makinana
September 27 2007 at 03:26PM
With three years to go before the 2010 World Cup people are already making an illegal profit out of the event.
Head of the communications for the 2010 Local Organising Committee Tim Modise said people who are not licensed to sell 2010 merchandise were abusing the logo for commercial gain and that police had made several arrests in Johannesburg.
Modise said anyone making any financial gain from the 2010 logo “be it pushing advertising or selling merchandise” was committing a crime and would face prosecution.
“The logo is not to advance interests for any financial gain,” said Modise.
He also said people needed to familiarise themselves with guidelines and issues around trademarks and logos.
Fifa released a statement on Wednesday “to [continue reading]
source: SW Radio Africa
By Henry Makiwa
27 September 2007
Zimbabwe’s two teachers unions on Wednesday finally found common ground when the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) called for its membership to join in the national strike.
Most teachers in Zimbabwe went on a go-slow early September in protest at poor salaries, while some went on a full strike a fortnight ago, following calls by the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ).
According to sources, leaders of ZIMTA – largely seen as docile and compliant to the government – told its members to join the strike Thursday after discussions with government for a salary review fell through.
The PTUZ’s general secretary, Raymond Majongwe, welcomed ZIMTA’s “late entry into the fray” describing the teachers crisis as “needing the support of all”.
Majongwe said: “We feel sad for [continue reading]
source: Hotel Travel News
Thursday, September 27 2007 @ 09:55 AM GMT
Botswana’s Travel & Tourism industry is expected to generate US$1,620 million of economic activity according to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) report produced by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and commissioned by the Government of Botswana and the Botswana Tourism Board.
Over the next ten years Botswana’s Travel & Tourism industry is expected to achieve an annualized real growth of 5 per cent, exceeding the world average at 4.3 per cent and the Sub- Saharan African average at 4.5 per cent. According to the forecasts detailed in the report, Travel & Tourism already contributes over 10 per cent of total employment and some 16 per cent of non-mining GDP.
At the official launch delivered to the Botswana Cabinet, WTTC President Jean-Claude Baumgarten cautioned, “Although this growth is [continue reading]
source: IOL
September 27 2007 at 12:42PM
South Africa being the third least safe place out of 48 countries on the African continent, indicates that SA is critically unsafe, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.
The party’s spokesperson on Safety and Security MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said that the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which ranked SA as third most dangerous after “war zone” countries Sudan and Burundi indicated that what citizens of this country had been crying out for years, was the truth.
“South Africa’s safety and security performance is utterly abysmal. The fact that we are just 30 points above the most dangerous country in Africa, and right now, probably the world, must act as a loud wake-up call to the Minister of Safety and Security.”
She added that countries including [continue reading]
source: SW Radio Africa
By Lance Guma
26 September 2007
As Zimbabweans digest the implications of current talks between Zanu PF and the MDC, army Brigadier General David Sigauke sparked a reality check after threatening a military coup if Mugabe loses the coming election. According to news site Zimonline Brigadier General Sigauke told soldiers at a graduation ceremony over the weekend that Zimbabweans should vote wisely to defend their ‘sovereignty’ failing which the army would intervene. Zimonline quotes him saying, ‘as soldiers, we have the privilege to be able to defend this task on two fronts, the first being through the ballot box and second being the use of the barrel of the gun should the worse comes to the worst.’
He went on to say, ‘I may therefore urge you as citizens of Zimbabwe to exercise your electoral right wisely in the forthcoming election in 2008, remembering that [continue reading]
source: IOL
September 26 2007 at 11:33PM
Work on Cape Town’s 2010 soccer stadium in Green Point looks set to start again on Thursday, says project director Andrew Fanton.
“We are still dealing with the union… I believe we are in a position of agreement,” he told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.
All work stopped at the site last Wednesday when about 1 200 workers employed by contractors Murray & Roberts and WBHO went on strike over a travel allowance.
The dispute centred on the contractors providing a [continue reading]
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- H.E. the President, Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama at the Botswana Democratic Party Leadership Forum/Pitso, Gaborone
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