Ombudsman urges action on Khama

17 April, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer

The Ombudsman has raised concern over the legislature’s silence on issues he reported in his previous reports. These include his recommendation against the piloting of military aircraft by the then Vice President Ian Khama

The Ombudsman says that Parliament has never debated any of his reports since his office was established. In his current annual report, the Ombudsman, Ofentse Lepodisi says that it is important that Parliament acts on his recommendations to help allay fears that his office is a toothless bulldog. He suggests that perhaps a Parliamentary Select Committee for the Ombudsman should be created to deal specifically with reports and recommendations from his office. He says such a committee will provide a watchdog role on the performance of the Ombudsman. “Such performance would be reviewed from time to time as it may be necessary to ensure that the citizenry gets good value for the money spent to fund the institution,” he says.

In a past report, the Ombudsman faulted Khama for piloting military aircraft after [continue reading]

Zimbabwe: Ministerial team set up to probe land attacks

17 April, 2009 in Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Alex Bell
16 April 2009

A Chegutu farmer, who has come under recent attack by land invaders, says he is encouraged by the government’s decision to set up a team of ministers to probe the recent wave of farm attacks.

The ministerial team, which is being led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, was announced by Mutambara on Thursday. He told journalists that as of Friday, the team of top officials would be visiting farms, saying: “We are trying to quickly address this political hygiene matter. It’s a matter of life and death.” The team includes Home Affairs Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Lands and Resettlement Minister Herbert Murerwa and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office, Gorden Moyo.

Chegutu farmer Ben Freeth, on Thursday said he was pleased that some action by the government is being taken with regards to the land attacks; “These politicians need to see what is actually happening on the ground to believe our reports.” Freeth has previously urged Prime Minister Tsvangirai to take action against [continue reading]

Police shooting: Father of shot son demands justice

17 April, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent

MAUN: In January this year, 28-year-old Mothusinyana Sephiri of Sanyedi Ward was shot dead by police officers as he walked out of his home.

He was shot in full view of his father Sephiri Sephiri. Mothusinyana died on the spot.
Since then the Sephiri family has been awaiting justice but to no avail.

Mothusinyana’s shooting remains unexplained. The only offence he committed, the family is left to reason, was that he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On that day the police, who were investigating a street robbery, confronted Sephiri, who had just emerged from his family yard.

A distraught Mothusinyana, who was sitting in the same yard where his son was shot, said they have not heard anything from the police since January. He said the last time they communicated with [continue reading]

FNBB expands

17 April, 2009 in Botswana, Business

source: BOPA
16 April, 2009

FRANCISTOWN – The First National Bank of Botswana continues to expand and increase its footprints throughout the country by opening new branches and self-service channels. The FNBB northern regional office is being built in Francistown as part of the bank’s expansion programme.

In an interview with BOPA, FNBB Public Relations Officer, Ms Bomolemo Selaledi said a regional office in Francistown serves to re-affirm FNBB’s commitment to bringing banking facilities closer to the people.

Ms Selaledi explained that with the FNBB head office based in the capital city, it was ideal for the regional office to be based in the second largest city.

Although the credit crunch has affected the mining industry, Ms Selaledi said the plan was initiated as a result of [continue reading]

Ombudsman faults govt administrators

17 April, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer

The Ombudsman has faulted some government administrators for imposing their personal views on those working under them. In his annual report for 2006-2007, the Ombudsman expresses concern that some senior officers fail to act in accordance with appropriate recommendations, which is a disservice.

His concern comes in the wake of a report he received concerning a security officer working at the Office of the President. The officer had a medical condition and his doctor recommended that he works day shifts only.

“His superiors took exception to the shift recommendation and for that matter not with the doctor, but rather with the patient.

To be more precise, the officer was told to make a choice between his continued employment or to leave. If he left his employment, him and [continue reading]

Africa: IMF Reforms, Dumps `Conditionalities`

17 April, 2009 in Africa

source: allAfrica
Constance Ikokwu

Washington, DC — In a dramatic turn of events, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scrapping some of the stringent harmful conditionalities that has caused lingering mistrust and stigmatised the Fund’s operations in developing countries, particularly in Africa.

The Fund sad lending will no longer be tied to its mandatory structural performance criteria starting May 1. Instead, borrowing countries would be able to receive money based on their domestic reform programmes.

The IMF has been battling funding shortfall because many developing countries paid off their debt and borrowed less. The Fund was forced to lay off some 400 workers last year to enable it stay in business even as it was plagued by calls for reform.

It however received a life-line recently when its line of credit was tripled to $750 billion by the G20 group of nations.

As part of a wide-ranging reform aimed at revamping its operations, the IMF is re-defining the [continue reading]

Government purges Btv of `enemy` staff

17 April, 2009 in Botswana

source: Mmegi
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer

Members of Botswana Television staff who are not prepared to toe the line are facing an open purge by the Government, according to inside sources.

Assignment editor, Buyani Zongwani, has been transferred to the newly formed department of e-commerce, seemingly at a lower salary scale than his previous position.
Sources at the Mass Media Complex say Zongwani’s demotion comes as a result of failure by the Btv to cover a presidential event late last year.

Zongwani is not the first senior officer at Btv to lose his job as a result of the alleged failure to cover President Ian Khama’s activities.

Last year, Btv head of news, Montlenyane Baaitse, was also shown the door after Btv failed to cover Khama’s visit to the Botswana Football Association (BFA) headquarters.

Sources say Baaitse, now with the Ministry of Trade, reasons that [continue reading]

Govt compensates 33 in Francistown

17 April, 2009 in Botswana

source: BOPA
16 April, 2009

FRANCISTOWN – Of the 74 people who were supposed to be compensated for their houses, which were affected during the installation of the Francistown Sewage Infrastructure Phase 1 development by Kalcon (Pty) Ltd, only 33 have received their compensation money.

In an interview, the Francistown City Council Public Relations Officer, Ms Pricilla Gulubane said 34 names have been returned to the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MWET) for correction as it turned out that they were in fact underpaid. Three were overpaid and four names omitted from the final list altogether.

Miss Gulubane said the four appear in the original list, but were mistakenly omitted in the final list. She said once the errors have been rectified and the correct list forwarded to her office, those people would be paid accordingly. Miss Gulubane said those whose particulars were above board have already received their payments. In March, the Minister for Environment, Wildlife and Tourism issued a cheque for more than [continue reading]

South Africa: NPA ruling on Zuma was unlawful, says expert

17 April, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL
Christelle Terreblanche
April 16 2009

The decision to stay charges against Jacob Zuma was unlawful and a tipping point on a slippery slope for the rule of law in South Africa, says a prominent constitutional law expert, advocate Wim Trengove.

In a scathing criticism of acting national prosecutions chief Mokotedi Mpshe’s decision to let the ANC president off the hook, Trengove said Mpshe had not sufficiently weighed up the public interest in seeing justice done, particularly regarding those alleged to have abused public office.

Trengove said Mpshe’s decision was based largely on peripheral considerations, such as “11th-hour shenanigans relating to the timing of the prosecution”.

Addressing a public seminar at the University of Cape Town on Wednesday, Trengove warned that the saga which had unfolded around Zuma had sent ominous signals that [continue reading]

Zimbabwe: Botswana pledges credit line as SADC funding deadline expires

17 April, 2009 in Botswana, Zimbabwe

source: SW Radio Africa
By Alex Bell
16 April 2009

Botswana’s government has pledged a US$70 million credit line to Zimbabwe, days after a deadline set by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for members to pledge financial aid to Zimbabwe ran out on Tuesday.

A Botswana delegation, led by the secretary for Economic and Financial Policy Taufila Nyamadzabo, made the pledge on Thursday during a visit to Zimbabwe. Nyamadzabo said the global financial crisis, which has seen the purse strings of most government’s tighten, was keeping Botswana from doing more. The credit line pledge has been welcomed, but it is not the cash boost Zimbabwe’s government has been hoping and working for. SADC leaders have urged African nations to pledge financial aid to Zimbabwe’s government and two weeks ago set the deadline for the country’s to add their pledges to an economic rescue package.

But that deadline passed on Tuesday night and it is still not clear what African governments have pledged to the package – if anything. SADC members have been just as unwilling as [continue reading]