Botswana: Morupule Tender Awarded
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

Two Chinese companies have been awarded tenders for the expansion of Morupule Power Station, while Government will tap into the massive Caborra Bassa power station in Mozambique, the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, said at a briefing of business representatives in Gaborone on Monday. Kedikilwe told the BOCCIM prompted session that government intended to fast-track and incentivise the contractors to speed up the first phase of the 300MW project ... The Botswana Power Corporation has also entered into a bartering arrangement with a power station in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in terms of which the BPC will supply it with coal in return for power supply. The BPC is also engaged in negotiations with a bigger power station at Hwange near Bulawayo, also in Zimbabwe. Botswana's sole power utility is looking at investing in the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Organisation (ZESCO), which operates the Hwange Power Station. The Namibian power utility NamPower has invested US$40 million - approximately P256.8 million - in the same power station. Kedikilwe disclosed that the BPC had successfully negotiated a contract for the supply of 35MW from Mozambique's massive Caborra Bassa power station and that plans were afoot to increase the supply to 50MW by the end of the year, escalating to 200MW in due course  ...

Botswana: No Peace At Moeding College
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The visibly emotional headmaster of Moeding College, Marcos Maedza, yesterday told parents amid reports of ill-treatment of students by their peers, that the school had no peace in 2008. Devastated parents, many of whom got information that their children had been forced to sleep in nearby bushes that provided overnight refuge from marauding Form Five colleagues who tortured male and female 'new

Botswana: Excuses Abound As Tlou Accepts Defeat
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
After emphatically losing the second round of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primary elections in Palapye last Saturday, Health Minister, Professor Sheila Tlou now knows how she lost the plot. Tlou went into the primaries a complete novice in so far as canvassing for support in a political environment is concerned. She relied upon her

Botswana Achieves MDG-6 On HIV
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Botswana, together with their counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania has been granted an award of P12 million for five years to develop research capacity for the investigation of HIV/AIDS issues pertaining to adolescents.At a launch held at UB last week, the Minister of Health, Professor Sheila Tlou, said the objective

Botswana: Goodbye Bbc News,
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

I'm very thrilled that BTV has temporarily cut or suspended the broadcasting of BBC news on our national channel. And my wish is for BTV to get rid of this world news service forever since the time slot which has been occupied by this monstrous programme can appropriately be channeled to accommodate more local content. Being the only national television station locally, Botswana Television (BTV), was established by an Act of Parliament in 1997. It was not until 31 July, 2000 that the station was launched as a public-funded station under the then Department of Information and Broadcasting Services.The prime reason for establishing BTV was the need to reinforce Botswana's identity and to provide the country with its own news and current affairs coverage ... Is that happening? Nope! Instead, we are bombarded with too much foreign content by the time our kids reach the ages of 40, they would have forgotten there used to be a country called Botswana ... Television should contribute to national development by showing achievements made by Batswana in economics, agriculture, culture and other socio-economic aspects, and not to broadcast programmes and content that influence and changes our thinking as Batswana ... The absence of a vibrant Botswana television station needs to be addressed as soon as possible, and what a better way to start than minimizing or totally scrapping off international programming ...

Botswana: Re Dumela Mang Jaanong?
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
In our issue two weeks ago, we carried an article that announced the resignation of the Botswana National Front (BNF) elections board. The party's publicity secretary, Moeti Mohwasa, at the time confirmed that the party leadership had received a resignation letter from all the four board members, Lebohang Letsie, Lopang Maphale, Justice Moilwa and Joba Nnoi. However, the then board chairperson, Lebohang Letsie flatly told this

Botswana growth up, to diversify bonds - finance minister
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Botswana's economy expanded by 6.2 percent in the fiscal year to June 2007, while average inflation slowed to 7.1 percent last year , although price pressures were building, Finance Minister Baledzi Gaolathe said on Monday. He also said in a budget speech a 19 percent jump in diamond

Botswana: Khama's Visit Riles Opposition
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
While some might view Vice President Ian Khama's surprise visit to some families in the mining town as an act of benevolence, the move has been met with derision from the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF). Khama made an unexpected visit to families in Selebi-Phikwe, going from house to house at random. In Pimville location, Khama's entourage came