Mmegi/The Reporter (Botswana) - AAGM articles from November 2009

Mmegi/The Reporter (Botswana) - AAGM archives from November 2009

Alleged Property 'Grabber' Attacks Relative.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Frederick Kebadiretse A 52-year old Mochudi man is living in fear after he was repeatedly attacked by a violent relative who tried to grab a deceased couple's property. Kabelo Segobaetsho, who works for the Kgatleng District...

Maribe Sees Opportunities in Nigeria.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi The newly appointed Botswana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Clifford Maribe has said there are so many potential benefits in the two countries' bilateral relationship. Botswana recently opened a High Commission in...

Death Sentence Cheers Family of Mupane Mine Murder Victim.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Isaac Pinielo The family of a slain man who was murdered by his colleagues at Mupane Gold Mine in May 2006 says they are happy with the death penalty imposed on his killers by the High Court. They say although the sentence would...

Phikwe Rations As Water Crisis Bites.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Onalenna Modikwa Selebi-Phikwe and its surrounding areas have been experiencing erratic water supply since the beginning of September, prompting the introduction of rationing and other remedial measures to restore stability. As a...

Parliamentary Questions And Answers in the Past Week.
November 30, 2009... Air Botswana Privatisation is still going on Minister of Transport and Communication Frank Ramsden has announced. He said that after two attempts to privatise the airline, and the one to engage a management contractor failed, the government...

Venson-Moitoi Vows to Stamp Out Teacher-Student Love Affairs.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Patricia Maganu Education and Skills Development Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has condemned teacher-student love affairs, saying the issue is one of her ministry's major concerns that she is determined to tackle. She said that...

Should 18-Year-Olds Be Allocated Land?
November 30, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi Parliament has deferred a motion by Kweneng South East Member of Parliament (MP), Edward Raletobana, calling on the government to revise eligibility for land allocation from 21 to 18 years. The motion has been...

Banks Must Overhaul Their Act.
November 30, 2009... Service in some of the commercial banks in the country is really disgusting and something needs to be done urgently. Month-end is a time when everybody is supposed to be happy to lay their hands on their hard-earned cash. It is a time when...

Young Vocalist Moonga Steals the Show.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Gasebalwe Seretse The annual Infinite Word Festival has become one of those events that are highlighted in the calendars of lovers of the spoken word. At this year's show held on Saturday at Maitisong, young vocalist Moonga...

The Music Is Stuck, It Must Move.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Rampholo Molefe Botswana's music is not developing, the band master commented. The comment carries some credibility because the man is looking at Botswana from outside. He has been living in Botswana for quite a while and he has...

Afro Sunshine Music is Back.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi Former Afro Sunshine keyboard player Lekofi Sejeso and group manager Dennis Alexander have reprinted a CD of the defunct band's album, This is Afrika. The reprinted version is already available on the local market....

Maun Abattoir to Open Next Year.
November 30, 2009... The re-opening of the Maun abattoir is scheduled for the first quarter of 2010, Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has announced. However, the commission said it is going to be expensive to operate the facility due to the Foot and Mouth Disease...

Ripple Effect of Economic Recession Spreads.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi Parliament has been told that the country has started to feel the pinch of the global economic meltdown with reduced activity in mining, manufacturing and tourism sectors. Assistant Minister of Finance, Charles...

Cheap Communication Vital for Economic Prosperity.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Bame Piet Participants at a one-day workshop organised by Outsource Botswana said last week that the only way for the country to prosper is to open communication channels to everybody. They said that at the moment, tariffs for both...

BMC Fails to Exploit EU Market.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Wanetsha Mosinyi Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has failed to fully take advantage of exporting beef to the European Union (EU) duty-free and exploiting the opportunity created by the suspension of Brazil from the market as the global...

Sparkling Notwane Hold Chiefs.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Mqondisi Dube Notwane put up arguably their best display this season when they came from a goal down to share the spoils with former champions, Mochudi Centre Chiefs in a thrilling be MOBILE Premier League match at the UB Stadium on...

Mmesi Takes Over At Letlapeng.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Chippa Legodimo Enos Mmesi is the new coach of First Division side, Letlapeng. He succeeds the dismissed Botshelo 'Observer' Pelokgosi. Mmesi has been in the soccer wilderness ever since he was dumped by Killer Giants after he...

Motlakase Goalkeeper Declares Himself the Best.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Mqondisi Dube He is young and ambitious. He speaks his mind and oozes confidence about his ability. Rightly or wrongly, 23-year-old Olebile Elias, of Premier League debutants, Motlakase Power Dynamos says that currently he is the best...

GU Gunned.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Mqondisi Dube Extension Gunners continued with their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 victory over defending champions, Gaborone United in a dull be MOBILE Premier League encounter in Lobatse on Saturday. Goals either side...

GU Part Ways With Sithole.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Mqondisi Dube Defending be MOBILE Premier League champions, Gaborone United (GU) have parted ways with coach Mike 'Dubula Dubula' Sithole. The Zambian who guided the Reds to their first national title in nearly 20 years was...

Govt Solar Panels Not Functioning Nationwide.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Ponatshego Kedikilwe, says that a detailed assessment of the condition of solar panels across Botswana is under way. He was responding to Shoshong Member of...

Sparks Fly At Boxing Tourney.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Frederick Kebadiretse Sparks flew high at this year's Keone Mooka Mageu Boxing championships held at the University of Botswana (UB) on Saturday with the 54kg bantamweight bout between Seoko Tirafalo and Taolo Boitumelo being the...

Kgati - From Faithful Servant to Master.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Frederick Kebadiretse Born 79 years ago in Bobonong in the Bobirwa district, Kgati has been a loyal Red Cross servant since its maiden years. As one of the founding members, Kgati said they were barely recognisable in the community...

Poor Standard of Debates.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Bame Piet Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Pono Moatlhodi has expressed disappointment at the emerging trend in Parliament where Members of Parliament (MPs) refuse to yield for their colleagues seeking clarification. In an...

Meat Workers Union Splits?
November 30, 2009... Byline: Patricia Maganu Botswana Meat Workers Industry Union (BMIWU) has ultimately split over unresolved issues that have dogged union leaders for some time. The union that has been struggling with factions for years has now split, with...

Poor Management Hampers Project Developments.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Isaac Pinielo Poor project management is said to be a stumbling block in the implementation of project developments in the city of Francistown. According to Francistown City Council (FCC) economic planner Lingani Tjiyapo, these...

Female Pioneer Falls in Love With the Army.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi One of Botswana's first female soldiers, Second Lieutenant Atamelang Koboyankwe says she would not swap her army uniform for anything else. The 25-year-old officer has every reason to be proud of her new job...

Couples Test for HIV in Mogoditshane.
November 30, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho It is commonly known that men are reluctant to go for HIV/AIDS tests. But the situation was different last Saturday when couples, married and unmarried gathered for the first time to receive counseling and...

FCB Announces New Grant for Forest Conservation.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Ephraim Keoreng Forest Conservation Botswana (FCB) has announced a grant to help NGOs seeking to help protect the environment. FCB chief executive officer Gagoitsiwe Moremedi said the NGOs must submit proposals to qualify for a...

Survey Reveals Sharp Decline in Fertility Rate.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Chandapiwa Baputaki About 13 percent of children under the age of five in Botswana are underweight or too thin for their age, the Central Statistics Office has revealed. Presenting the results of the 2007/08 Botswana Family Health...

Alleged Wife Killer in Court Again.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Ndingililo Gaoswediwe Scores of sympathisers and family members of a murdered woman of Matshelagabedi village yesterday flocked to the magistrate's court as the accused, her husband Youngman Dube made his second appearance before...

Country's Democracy Alive and Well - Seretse.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi Specially elected Member of Parliament (MP), Vincent Seretse does not believe that the country's democracy is under threat. Responding to President Ian Khama's State of Nation address yesterdy, Seretse said the...

Policeman Faces Bribery Charge.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Isaiah Morewagae A police officer in Francistown has been dragged to court for allegedly soliciting and receiving a bribe from a taxi driver. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) on Monday dragged 27-year-old...

Three Arrested for Stealing Ipelegeng Funds.
November 27, 2009... Three people were arrested this week for stealing government funds meant for Ipelegeng (Self-Reliance) programme for the poor. The two women and a man were reportedly assigned to recruit labourers for the programme in various wards in a populous...

Bopssa Holds Elections.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Mosah Mokganedi The Botswana Primary School Sports Association (BOPPSA) will elect new office bearers at its third Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Village in Gaborone tomorrow. At the AGM, the current executive committee will...

Mixed Fortunes for Local Players in South Africa.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Boitumelo Khutsafalo Botswana's football exports to South Africa had mixed fortunes in the midweek ABSA Premier Soccer League (PSL) games. Former Township Rollers speedy winger, Phenyo Mongala was once again in Orlando Pirates'...

Ramogotsi Primary Continues Cricket Dominance.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Nelson Direng Ramogotsi Primary School beat Rasesa Primary School by seven runs in an exciting final of the one-day girls Under-13 tournament hosted by the Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) on Wednesday. Ramogotsi has been the...

Upsets Expected in Boxing Finals.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Frederick Kebadiretse Boxing lovers are in for a treat tomorrow when top fighters trade punches in the finals of the annual Keone Mooka Mageu tournament at the University of Botswana (UB). Major upsets are expected in various...

BMC Players Clash With Caretaker Couch.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Chippa Legodimo BMC spokesman Themba Stimela has confirmed reports that defender Thapelo Ohilwe and goalkeeper Cosmos Lombala have clashed with caretaker coach Rapelang 'Razor' Tsatsilebe. However, he denied that the two were...

A Final Before the Final.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Mosah Mokganedi The Top Eight Motor Centre netball tournament enters the semis tomorrow with defending champions BDF Cats facing Notwane in what has been billed a final before the final. In the other game, TASC take on UB Crystals....

Comets Could Lose Transferred Bolofete.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Chippa Legodimo Jwaneng Comets could soon lose the services of veteran striker, Barulaganye 'Jomo' Bolofete who has been transferred from Tsabong to Mahalapye by his employer. Comets' chairman, Njabulo Gilika said they are keen to...

Karate Body Selects Team to U.S. Open.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Nelson Direng The Botswana Hayashi-Ha Karate Association will host a tournament for juniors tomorrow at the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) to select a team to represent the country in next year's US Karate Open in Las Vegas....

Nico Coach,Players Threaten to Quit.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Calistus Kolantsho Despite a brilliant start to the be MOBILE Premier League season, all is not well at Nico United. The coach, Paul Gundani, and a couple of players are threatening to quit amid reports that Nico chairman,...

Campaign Costs Catch Up With Politicos.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Ephraim Keoreng As the credit crunch keeps biting into economies, some political leaders have also felt the crunch. Kanye North legislator, who is also Assistant Minister for Local Government, Kentse Rammidi's car is under the...

Rejuvenated Gunners Confront Troubled GU.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Mqondisi Dube Extension Gunners' good start to the season will be put to the test tomorrow when they host troubled Gaborone United (GU) in the be MOBILE Premier League game of the weekend. The match in Lobatse will pit two sides...

'Collapse' of Sacu Could Sink Country - Study.
November 27, 2009... Although the world economy is slowly but surely showing signs of recovery, Botswana faces imminent economic jeopardy with the shaky Southern African Customs Union (SACU) threatening to break up. If that happened, it could result in the...

Local Guards Against Illicit Diamond Trade.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Wanetsha Mosinyi Botswana is currently doing an audit to make sure that illicit diamonds do not enter the country when its independent diamond market starts operations. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and...

Cautious Optimism Reigns At Diamond Rally.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Wanetsha Mosinyi The Managing Director of De Beers has pointed to rising unemployment, low expectations of holiday sales and the static price of polished goods in the US as compelling reasons for being cautious about the recovery of...

Country's Growth Forecast Revised.
November 27, 2009... London-based Business Monitor International (BMI) has revised upwards its full year growth forecast for Botswana from -9.9 percent to -6.5 percent for 2009 because of significant recovery in diamond exports in the second quarter of the year. The...

BPC Announces Power Shortages As Eskom Cuts Supplies.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Brian Benza The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has warned of more load-shedding when South Africa's Eskom cuts down supplies by 100mw next month. "Eskom is going to cut 100mw at the end of December and we have already put in...

Hope for Mmamabula As SA Commits to IPPs.
November 27, 2009... In what could be a boost for the Mmamabula Energy Project (MEP), South Africa's Minster of Public Enterprises says Eskom is keen to close agreements with independent power producers (IPPs). According to a report in Miningmx, Minister Barbara...

Diamond Aggregation Shift Falls Down Priority List.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Wanetsha Mosinyi The government and De Beers said on Tuesday that moving diamond aggregation from London to Gaborone is no longer a top priority. However, both parties have said they have not abandoned plans for the shift to Gaborone....

Kwelagobe No-Quit Move Raises Eyebrows.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi The chairman of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Daniel Kwelagobe has declined to discuss his fate in the A-team dominated central committee. Kwelagobe is the only influential Barata-Phathi member remaining...

Spedu Face Problems in Recruitment of Key Staff.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Calistus Kolantsho The Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU) is faced with challenges in the recruitment of key staff. SPEDU marketing and communications director, Wazha Tema told Mmegi that the unit is still in its...

MoE Plans National Qualifications Framework.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho The Ministry of Education (MoE) has decided to implement a national framework that will bring all academic qualifications under one credit point system. Assistant Minister of Education, Keletso Rakhudu said...

AG Commended for On-Line Launch.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Isaiah Morewagae Legal experts commended the Attorney General on the launch of Botswana Laws On-line last week as a way of ensuring accessibility of the laws by the general public. The Executive Secretary of the Law Society of...

Phikwe Makes Headway in War Against HIV/Aids.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Onalenna Modikwa December 1 - a day officially reserved to commemorate the World AIDS Day - is a day in which the globe will be taking stock of what it has achieved in its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and to celebrate its achievements....

Introduce Another "D" for Dismissal - Council Worker.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Gale Ngakane The Francistown City Council(FCC) is working flat out to meet the deadline set by permanent secretary, Thato Raphaka when he addressed Ministry of Local Government workers last Friday. Raphaka had given the council...

School of Industry to Be Built in Ngamiland.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Calistus Kolantsho The Kalayakgosi Foundation Trust (KFT) is working on a massive project that will culminate in the building of a School of Industry in Ngamiland next year. Speaking in an interview, KFT Chief Executive Officer...

Police Helicopter Helps Combat Crime in Francistown.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Ryder Gabathuse And Karabo Sename "My wife and her cousin had just arrived home after visiting some of our relatives and friends on the other side of the town," recalls Ricardo Mbakile, tears welling up in his eyes. "Three thugs,"...

Merafhe Move Undemocratic, Says Bonela.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Isaiah Morewagae Vice president Mompati Merafhe has come under fire for 'imposing' his will by approving the logo for the national prevention campaign at the last National AIDS Council (NAC) meeting despite solid and sound arguments...

Tawana Walks Out of Parliament.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Bame Piet The MP for Maun West, Kgosi Tawana Moremi walked out of Parliament yesterday after the deputy Speaker Pono Moatlhodi warned him that he was out of order. Tawana had questioned why Moatlhodi granted vice-president Mompati...

African Veteran Goes Back Home.
November 27, 2009... After spending half of his life Africa, British High Commissioner to Botswana, Francis James Martin says he is retiring. He tells Staff Writer TSHIRELETSO MOTLOGELWA that after getting so used to the sun and the skies, going back home will be a...

Call for Caution in Use of Football Technology.
November 27, 2009... As FIFA holds an extraordinary general meeting next Thursday in Cape Town, South Africa with the introduction of technology to assist referees in decision-making likely to be high on the agenda, two Botswana soccer figures have warned that the...

Drug-Pushers Dig in for 2010 World Cup, and Africa Cup.
November 27, 2009... Byline: Arthur Simuchoba While governments in the Southern African Community (SADC) region and elsewhere are mobilising resources in order to reap maximum benefits from both the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, and African Cup of...

Time to Start Planting Ripe - Modise.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho Farmers have been told to take advantage of early rains to start planting. Director of Crop Production, Molatlhegi Modise said in Gaborone yesterday that in some areas the recent rains were enough for farmers to...

Villagers Up in Arms Over Blocked Bridges.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Gale Ngakane The company that was contracted to build bridges across a river in Senyawe and Butale is defiantly blocking the bridges pending payment for their job from government. The councillor for Senyawe-Butale who reported the...

Numbers Boost BCP Confidence in Parliament.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Lekopanye Mooketsi The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has said that it has boosted its visibility after it increased its MPs from one to five in the last general elections. In the 1999 and 2004 general elections, the BCP only had...

Ministry Allocates 30,000 Plots.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Ephraim Keoreng In an effort to reduce the backlog of applications for plots, the Ministry of Lands and Housing has allocated 30, 155 plots across the country. A press statement from the ministry, says that the plots were allocated...

The Great Butchers of the Okavango.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Gasebalwe Seretse They have been known to strike terror in the hearts of their enemies. In fact these two animals seem to have no friends except their own kind - the crocodile and the hippopotamus. During our recent tour of the...

Volleyball League Called Off.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Mosah Mokganedi The Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) has conceded that it is too late to run this year's league. BVF president, Daniel Molaodi explained that protracted negotiations with the potential sponsor, Mascom, forced the...

Debswana to Close Damtshaa Until End of 2010.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Wanetsha Mosinyi Debswana plans to extend the closure of Damtshaa Mine until the end of 2010 due to uncertainty in the market, Managing Director Balckie Marole said yesterday. Speaking at Diamond Town Hall Meeting held at the GICC...

NACA Welcomes Homosexuals.
November 25, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho Head of National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA), Christopher Molomo has revealed that though in Botswana homosexuality is outlawed, NACA involves homosexuals in its work to fight HIV/AIDS. He said that they...

Bonela Repeats Calls for Sex Work.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Onalenna Modikwa Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) has reiterated its call for commercial sex work to be legalised in the country. BONELA official Annah Chalmas said the move will help sex workers as human...

Let's Preserve Land, Urges Moatlhodi.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Karabo Sename : Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tonota South Pono Moatlhodi has encouraged the people of the North East District and the nation at large to preserve land. He said this as...

Foreign Votes Cost P1.8 Million.
November 24, 2009... Parliament was told yesterday that government spent P1.8 million to enable citizens living outside the country to vote in last month's general elections. The money was used to register the external voters, to finance the polling exercise and...

Road Death Toll Down in 2008.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Kopano Olesitse The chief executive officer of the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA), Cross Kgosidiile has said that last year, the number of people who died in road accidents went down compared to 2007. Speaking at the launch of...

Mandunyane Drivers Threaten Strike As Fares Drop.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Isaac Pinielo People who commute on the Francistown-Mandunyane road may find themselves in the lurch as bus and combi drivers threaten to strike to protest the recent 'reduction' of fares by the Department of Road Transport and Safety...

Residents Worry Over Churches By the River.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Ndingililo Gaoswediwe Residents of Borolong are worried by the mushrooming of churches that have turned the Shashe and Tlhalogang riverbanks into places of worship. The villagers say there are no ablution facilities along the...

BNF Postmortem Set for Next Year.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Ephraim Keoreng The Botswana National Front (BNF) has said its leadership forum (meeting) has been pushed to next year. The event was supposed to take place mid-this month. At the forum, the BNF will do a postmortem of its...

DDT Benefits Outweigh Risks - Ntebela.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Maranyane Ngwanaamotho Human health is constantly under threat which is why governments leave no stone unturned in search of ways to eradicate diseases that have for decades remained a challenge to humankind. Among the many...

Troopers Retain Basketball Title.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Frederick Kebadiretse Troopers retained the national basketball title over the weekend after garnering an unassailable 30 to top the league standings ahead of Spartans and Police V. Spartans finished second 28 points, two better...

BDF Xi Compounds BMC Woes.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Chippa Legodimo BDF XI ensured that BMC remained rooted at the bottom of the be MOBILE Premier League table with a 3-2 victory in Lobatse on Sunday. After coming from behind twice to level the score, Ezinkomo conceded a late goal...

Boteti Leap Forward After Ecco Draw.
November 24, 2009... Byline: Karabo Sename Boteti Young Fighters leaped from 14th to 12th spot in the be MOBILE Premier League standings after a 2-2 draw away to ECCO City Greens in Francistown on Sunday. Boteti have had a poor run highlighted by the 6-2...