source: News24
09/09/2008 21:05 – (SA)
Durban – The ANC is expecting at least 5 000 supporters to converge on the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday night before Judge Nicholson rules on whether the decision to charge its president Jacob Zuma was lawful.
The ANC’s provincial secretary general Senzo Mchunu urged supporters to “continue displaying the good behaviour that they have shown in all past appearances irrespective of the outcome of judgment handed down on Friday”.
Mchunu, who was speaking at a news conference in Durban, said: “We, however, still maintain that this is a political case.
“We stand firm on our call that the NPA should withdraw the charges.”
Top officials at vigil
He said ANC top officials and members of the party’s national executive committee, its provincial executive committee and [continue reading]
source: Market Watch
Last update: 11:18 a.m. EDT Sept. 9, 2008
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Sep 09, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — Hana Mining Ltd. (CA:HMG: news, chart, profile) (FRANKFURT: 4LH) is pleased to report an update of corporate activities and exploration at its sediment-hosted Ghanzi Copper-Silver Project in Botswana. The property comprises 4,367 km2 in five contiguous licenses in northwest Botswana and covers an area over 150 km long and 40 km wide; this is slightly larger than the entire Zambian Copper Belt that hosts nearly 30% of the worlds copper resource.
In June 2007 a NI43-101 report was completed and filed with the TSX venture exchange in which Gencor /Billiton recognized the potential for a non-compliant mineral resource of 723 million tonnes grading 0.5% copper. Click link to see report – http://www.hanamining.com/i/pdf/TechnicalReport.pdf.
Hana has raised $5 million since May 2007 and began drilling activities at the Ghanzi project with one diamond drill rig in [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
By Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Staff Writer
The Vice President Mompati Merafhe on Friday night used the word, “lion” four times to describe the local media.
He was the guest of honour and keynote speaker at the MISA annual media wards held at the GICC.
Recently the vice president has been accused of abusing his powers by ordering that a road in his Mahalapye constituency be refurbished ahead of his party’s primary elections. His detractors read malice in the move seen as a ploy to woo voters. The VP went on to win the primaries by a landslide.
Merafhe likened receiving the media award invitation to walking into the lion’s den. “I have much more respect for you than that. If the pen be mightier than the sword, it must surely be more than a match for a mere feline’s claw,” he said.
“The experienced game-tracker does not fear the lion; she or he rather has [continue reading]
source: Republic of Botswana (7/9/08): TAUTONA TIMES no 26 of 2008
The Weekly Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President “Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline”
5/9/08: ADDRESS BY HIS HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA, Lt. GEN. MOMPATI S. MERAFHE, MP, TO THE ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER OF MISA – BOTSWANA CHAPTER, FRIDAY 5th SEPTEMBER 2008
[Salutations]…Ladies and Gentlemen:
1. It is a pleasure to be able to join you tonight at this Annual Gala Dinner and Media Awards, organised by the Botswana Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). I am aware that these awards have become an important annual event for recognizing and celebrating quality in local journalism.
2. Some may doubt my veracity when I say that being here is, indeed, a pleasure. This past week I received all sorts of comment, from all sorts of people who, in so many words, suggested that I would be walking into a proverbial lion’s den tonight.
3. Distinguished members of the Fourth Estate, I have much more respect for you than that. If the pen be mightier than the sword, it must surely be a more than a match for a mere feline’s claw.
4. And anyway, people fear most what they understand least. The experienced game-tracker does not fear the lion; she or he rather has a healthy respect for [continue reading]
source: miningmx.com
Brendan Ryan
Posted: Mon, 08 Sep 2008
[miningmx.com] — BOTSWANA has embarked on a far-sighted overhaul of its economy that will have sweeping implications for its mining industry in general and diamond giant De Beers in particular.
The reason is government concern that it must diversify from the country’s overwhelming dependence on diamond mining revenues. Those will drop as opencast mines are forced to go underground, resulting in lower production, higher costs, lower profits and lower tax payments.
Keith Jefferis, MD of Econsult and a former deputy governor of the Bank of Botswana, says the country’s diamond revenues will peak in 2018 and then drop off sharply. Thanks to diamonds, Botswana was the best performing economy in Africa between 1970 and 2000, reporting average growth rates of [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
During a ceremony thronged by all the stalls occupants and exhibitors at the Consumer fair 2008 dubbed, “Your spring shopping oasis.”
Orange Botswana won the best stall in the category of mobile service providers in the country.
This achievement has been a reminder that Orange Botswana has brought about innovation and a dynamic approach to the presentation of their products and services.
“We are a mass market service provider therefore the various tools that we use to inform our publics has to be refreshing and aimed at pleasing the greater society, with low priced handsets and daily draws as well as pioneering in the sports arena and presenting extreme sports,” said the Orange Botswana Public Relations Manager, Karabo Tlhabiwe.
Orange Botswana brought about a new concept which is [continue reading]
source: International Herald Tribune
The Associated Press
Published: September 8, 2008
HARARE, Zimbabwe: South African President Thabo Mbeki was holding new talks aimed at resolving Zimbabwe’s political crisis Monday, a day after the opposition leader questioned whether Mbeki was the right mediator for the job.
The South African leader arrived Monday in Harare and went almost immediately into a meeting with President Robert Mugabe at a Harare hotel.
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, did not attend the initial meeting. But the South African government said in a statement earlier that Mbeki would meet both Mugabe and opposition leaders.
Mbeki has led power-sharing negotiations since July, but talks have stalled over whether Mugabe or Tsvangirai should have the top position in a unity government.
Tsvangirai on Sunday questioned whether Mbeki was the right mediator, and declared he would not be pushed into [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
By Business Reporter
In a pronouncement that could anger the banking sector in Botswana even more, the Chief Executive Officer of Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) Dr Thapelo Matsheka says his is not a profit making entity as the organisation launches new group structure.
Addressing a media briefing on the newly revised group structure on Thursday, Matsheka said it was understandable for the market to complain about CEDA soft loans, but it ‘must be understood that it is a government empowerment scheme’.
Set up in 2001, the agency offers soft loans to anyone carrying Botswana Identity Card under its Citizen Empowerment Scheme with capital priced below the market rate, which critics dismiss as a political gimmick.
While local commercial banks are governed by the Banking Act and charge interest rates above the 15.5 percent set up by [continue reading]
source: Standay Standard
by Sunday Standard Reporter
07.09.2008 3:01:03 P
The Bank of Botswana and CEDA (Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency) could be headed for a fresh collision course after government took a decision to increase the CEDA upper ceiling loans from P2 million to P4m.
As with the loan amounts, CEDA has also increased the generosity of the terms under which the money is disbursed.
While in the past the money was to be repaid in 7 years, that time frame has now been increased to 15 years.
The interest remains the same, at 7.5%, with a grace period hiked from 2 years to 4 years.
This will certainly not go down well with the Central Bank which has in the past complained that CEDA was crowding out commercial banks.
In its 2006 Annual Report, the Central Bank spelt out the deficiencies of such schemes as CEDA.
Together with others like it, CEDA was created by government as part of [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
By Bame Piet
Staff Writer
Japan has written-off the P125 million debt it was owed by Botswana. In an agreement signed last Thursday in Gaborone between the two countries, Botswana will channel the money supposed to service the debt to poverty alleviation.
The agreement was signed between the Botswana Minister of Finance, Baledzi Gaolathe and Japanese Ambassador to Botswana Ryoichi Matsuyama.
Speaking at the event Gaolathe said that the agreement was not the first to be signed between the two countries. He said with the good relations the two countries have, it was not difficult to agree on how Botswana will utilise the money.
The agreement means that Japan has released Botswana from paying all principal debt amounts outstanding as of April 1, 2008 and all interest that have accrued on or before March 31, 2008 and have not yet been paid.
Botswana has received financial assistance from [continue reading]
source: Standay Standard
by Godfrey Ganetsang
07.09.2008 3:02:23 P
Francistown will be buzzing this weekend as she plays host to one of the major milestones on Botswana’s business calendar, the National Business Conference.
The NBC is a gathering of the private sector elite, government representatives and other stakeholders, like the non-governmental organizations.
It has, in the past, been hailed as Botswana’s economic think tank where government and private sector gurus brainstorm to chart Botswana’s economic future. Major milestones geared at enhancing economic development and public-private partnerships have seen the light of day at previous NBC gatherings. These include, among others, the High Level Consultative Council, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency, Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board and the Local Enterprise Authority.
What makes the 10th edition of the NBC even more special is that it will be hosted in Botswana’s second city, Francistown. These, together with [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
By Business Reporter
In a bid to make it easier to measure the success of Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), it has been revealed that a One-Stop Service Centre needs to be created.
“In recognition of some of the challenges, it became necessary to integrate all structures into one and focus on the founding principles,” explained CEO Dr Thapelo Matsheka at a press conference.
The agency has four windows, namely the CEDA Soft Loan Scheme, Young Farmers Fund, Credit Guarantee Scheme and CEDA Venture Capital Fund with two of the funds having been outsourced to private companies.
Under the proposed structure, Matsheka says they want to see those seeking the agency’s services entering through one door and not “these several windows”.
This means that the CEDA Venture Capital Fund, which was [continue reading]
source: allAfrica
SouthScan (London)
ANALYSIS
8 September 2008
Posted to the web 8 September 2008
The balance of power in the region is shifting as a result of the long drawn out Zimbabwe negotiations. Angola is now taking a leading role alongside South Africa in the “mediation effort”. This coincides with the burgeoning fortunes of Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and the weakening influence of SA’s President Thabo Mbeki.
The extent of Luanda’s new influence has been steadily revealed through its activities as chairman of the Southern African Development Community’s security committee, the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS), which it has now handed over to Swaziland while South Africa has taken over the SADC presidency from Zambia.
The organ’s suddenly high profile as a political instrument came after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change had pressed at the SADC Sharm el Shaik summit for [continue reading]
source: Standay Standard
by Sunday Standard Reporter
07.09.2008 3:13:56 P
Fearing a possible backlash ahead of next year’s General Elections, President Ian Khama’s close advisors are said to be on the verge of convincing him to abandon his plans to introduce a 70% alcohol levy.
A source close to government and the ruling Botswana Democratic Party this week confirmed that it is unlikely that the President will be going ahead with the 70 % alcohol levy.
“Even if a levy is put it will not be as large as that announced by the president,” he said.
He said from discussions with the President there is now a lot of room for flexibility.
The source said government was still studying proposal by Kgalagadi Breweries, submitted to the Office of the President under the auspices of BOCCIM (Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower) which is the biggest private sector grouping in the country.
Government sources say while initially government and in particular President Ian Khama was [continue reading]
source: Mmegi
TUMELO SETSHOGO
Correspondent
Through Kgalagadi Beverages Trust (KBT), Sechaba Brewery Holdings has refocused its corporate social responsibility efforts to deliver more meaningful and sustainable projects with a long-term view over the past two years.
Sechaba is an investment company with interests in Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) and Botswana Breweries Limited (BBL). According to the 2008 annual report, which was released to shareholders last week, KBL has continued to intervene positively in the social arena.
To-date, millions of pula have been injected into several projects, among them Somarelang Tikologo’s Eco Park in Gaborone, Kickstart, Road Safety campaigns, the Business Place, SOS Children’s Village in Serowe, responsible drinking campaigns and Chibuku Shebeens Upgrade programme. Kickstart entered its third year “during the year under review with another P1 million sponsorship, which brought the [continue reading]
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