AG sleeps on the job

The tender was cancelled because the company, Guild Combination, was not duly registered in Botswana.The Gauteng firm which publishes newsletters and other corporate publications, was awarded its P1.5 million suit by Justice Lot Moroka after government attorneys failed to respond to the South Africans' founding affidavit. The case was to be decided by the judicial case management system before Moroka. When government lawyers failed to file their plea, the company filed for a default judgment which the court granted. On top of the P1.5 million, the South African company was also awarded costs of the case.

 The Attorney General's Chambers made a last ditch effort when it realised that the South African company had applied for judgement but Moroka would not entertain the last minute action, saying the Attorney General had failed to abide by the rules of the court as well as with the court order that directed them to file their plea by March 9. Moroka also said that the Attorney General's lawyers failed to explain their failure to comply with the court order.

Khumalo quits BRU for Zim job

Khumalo said the lack of union grounds posed the biggest challenge to conducting smooth coaching clinics during his tenure. When he arrived, there were only five schools playing rugby but the number has swelled to about 120.After attending the International Rugby Board (IRB), he trained a number of local coaches and referees. However, indications are that Khumalo leaves the Union with a heavy heart and was not entirely pleased with the treatment he received during his stint.

Morapedi: there is life after prison

"I then started writing letters to the then president Festus Mogae seeking to be considered for parole but I could not get any response. I did not give up until Khama became the president," he said. In response to his application, in March 2010, he was called to the President's office where he was told the good news that his parole application had become successful. He said he became successful because the president took into consideration the skills he acquired. The skills also demonstrated prospects of employment creation to other Batswana as well as the fact that he had been fully rehabilitated from his past life to that of an accountable member of the society."I told him about my intention to set up small businesses to make a living and he advised me to inform him whenever I encountered incidences of discrimination and sidelining from accessing financial services on account of my being an ex-convict," he added.  He said unfortunately he was discriminated against and could not get any financial assistance and now that he has already been released from prison it was very difficult for him to meet with Khama. He then resorted to joining the masses of unemployed in the job market.

Officers contradict Batshu on labour brokers

Officers contradict Batshu on labour brokers

BTU bankrolls Amos' grandmother

Mmegi: BTU president Simon Mapolelo said, as teachers, it is proper for them to support athletes like Amos whose talents were identified and cultivated at a tender age in formative schools. "We have decided to do this on the basis that Amos' talent was encouraged by teachers, and that by the time he was competing at primary school level, BTU was responsible for sporting activities," he said. Mapolelo said his union handed over that responsibility to the Botswana Brigades Sports Association (BOBSA) in 2006."Nijel belonged to the Francistown Bokalaka Area which was known as FRABOA," he said.

Mmegi Online :: BTU bankrolls Amos' grandmother

Mmegi: BTU president Simon Mapolelo said, as teachers, it is proper for them to support athletes like Amos whose talents were identified and cultivated at a tender age in formative schools. "We have decided to do this on the basis that Amos' talent was encouraged by teachers, and that by the time he was competing at primary school level, BTU was responsible for sporting activities," he said. Mapolelo said his union handed over that responsibility to the Botswana Brigades Sports Association (BOBSA) in 2006."Nijel belonged to the Francistown Bokalaka Area which was known as FRABOA," he said.

AFRICOM commander to visit

Mmegi: "According to a statement from the American Embassy in Gaborone, General Ham will meet with senior government officials and army officers before participating in the closing ceremony of Southern Accord 12. The joint training activities have reportedly enhanced the capabilities of military personnel of both Botswana and the US in various areas, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, anti-poaching, aero-medical, peacekeeping and convoy operations.

Speaking at the official opening of Southern Accord 12 recently, the American Ambassador to Botswana, Michelle Gavin, said the exercise had attracted such attention in the US that some senior government officials were interested in coming to Botswana."

Sub-district will continue Ipelegeng as a stopgap measure

Mmegi: The council chairman said out of the 144 projects, 83 labour intensive projects had started while 61 technical projects would start as soon as logistics were finalised. Motlokwa told his fellow councillors that despite delays in the release of funds by the Ministry of Local Government, the logistics were at an advanced stage. At least 60 percent of the funds had so far been released for use by the sub-district, he said. He said that they plan to start all technical projects by August 2012 and close them by December 2012. Furthermore, Motlokwa said the Ipelegeng Feeding Programme is underway after the village leadership identified suppliers as per council ward. He added that each supplier signed a three month contract. He said among the 56 suppliers across the sub-district, 12 are youths. He revealed that suppliers are paid at the same time as other Ipelegeng beneficiaries . He noted that the Ipelegeng office and the village leadership continuously monitor the supply process.

Rights of an employee under the Employment Act

Mmegi: An employee is entitled to receive the agreed wage for the work done. As is standard practice in the labour market, an employee is paid in arrears, that is after the completion of his duties. The wages are paid out within a prescribed period (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and only casual labourers are entitled to be paid on a daily basis. The agreed wage is to be paid out without any deduction save for those prescribed in law such as tax. Other deductions require the consent of the employee such as contribution to pension fund, medical aid scheme (of your choice), social clubs loan deductions etc. The Act further provides other logistics for paying wages, the manner, form, time frame and place.

You have what it takes, PHK

They are, as you well know, men who have played major roles in the history of this country. Even in retirement, some of them are still contributing constructively in various ways to the furtherance of the livelihoods of Batswana. It speaks volumes that your office is located within the Presidency because you are virtually a president in Waiting.  By this note, dear PHK, we declare ourselves as having confidence in you.

FAKE TRADITIONAL DOCTORS EXPOSED

“It works this way. They put a cellphone inside the mound and connect it to a small speaker for amplification. The mound is then covered with thatch. During consultation one of the ‘prophets’ pretends to be consulting with the ancestors while he’s actually communicating with a colleague hiding in another room. The colleague then responds through the hidden phone and in the process the client gets convinced that they are being healed through a higher force and they easily part with their hard earned cash,” Marapo explained.

US, Botswana special forces train together

"The exercise was a fantastic opportunity to share tactics, techniques, and procedures with one of the finest Special Operations Forces in Africa, and the professionalism and proficiency of the BDFSF made the exercise extremely rewarding. While working, training, eating and billeting with our BDFSF partners, we discovered that our organizations and our hardships are quite similar," Swindler said.

Botswana Anti-Poaching

Botswana has plans to scale up war on poaching to protect the country’s endangered species, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Kitso Mokaila, the minister of environment tourism and wildlife told stakeholders attending the 7^th annual Tourism Pitso that government intend to address the country’s plummeting wildlife population.

“Over the next six months you will see a major shift, we are working on means to control poaching,” said Mokaila.

“We know hunting is a culling tool but they are indications that our wildlife numbers are going down,” he added.

Mokaila said government will invest in buying anti-poaching equipment which includes helicopters to patrol areas prone to poaching.

The minister also revealed that government was already conducting a census on the country’s wildlife population before taking a decision to ban hunting, despite refuting working on the decision before.

Govt prepares for SKA

"This means that Botswana will develop in areas that were not popular in the past like research," said Matoma. She also said the Botswana Innovation Hub is preparing to take charge of the site and conducting research which will benefit the nation once it starts operating. She said Botswana will also be able to invite other countries to come and do research here. Besides the scientific benefits, Motoma said the project is going to create jobs as there will be construction of roads and electricity lines. She said that at the moment, four sites could be used for the project. The four possible areas are in Ngamiland, Kweneng, Tsabong and Ghanzi.

Open learning is cheaper

Mmegi: Tau said recent developments at the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) which saw 3, 000 teachers going for further studies this year is expensive. "Four years down the line this should be relegated to history, MoESD should really explore other options," he said. He said that the education sector has been neglected in Botswana, saying the lack of early childhood education has killed talent as children's academic abilities are not identified and nurtured at an early age.

The end of BMC's monopoly will be the end of BDP

Mmegi: Cattle are central to a great many Batswana. So central that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party even had one of its membership drives titled 'Kgomo ya Motswana'. This is not a mere slogan; it is an equation of the centrality of BDP to Batswana to that of cattle.Liberalising the beef industry might kill the industry as we know it, bring hardship on subsistence farmers and in the process claim the scalp of the BDP in the process as it ever so heavily relies for its electoral fortunes on the rural vote.

Animal road patrols cost govt P20m

"Soon we will be paying contractors based on output rather than input. There will be inspectors to see to it that indeed there is no livestock on roads, gates are closed and potholes are attended to well in time. "Should we notice animals on roads and potholes taking long to be attended to, contractors will not be paid for the work they did not do," he said. However, he applauded animal patrol contractors, saying they have been doing extremely well under very challenging circumstances.

Gaborone is what you make of it

Mmegi: However, I share a different story; I was born in Tonota but I grew up mostly in yet another town Lobatse. I also spent some of my childhood in Gaborone. However, contrary to the general storyline provided to those coming in from the village, as a child I saw my parents finding it hard to make ends meet in the towns. We moved to Gaborone when my father was transferred from Lobatse in 1999, thus the city was introduced to me at the ripe age of 10.Firstly my father often made me fear Gaborone. Yes of course a parent would exaggerate to create fear in their childrenÕs minds to make them more circumspect about a new place, especially a place as big and potentially dangerous as a city. My father achieved this of coarse.I was not even allowed to play outside without parental supervision, as it was feared that there were many crooks that could "steal" me.

Merafhe: A self-made man

Mmegi: But as fate would have it, the security dictates of the times left Seretse with no choice but to succumb to the idea of an army formation. The honour and responsibility of creating the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in 1977 fell on Merafhe's shoulders.

Marumo's job at Bay United secure

Mmegi: After the Zebras' maiden appearance at the AFCON, he only played one game following a misunderstanding with his boss: "In my entire football career, I would rate the just-ended one as my worst ever season.  I struggled with an injury and then afterwards there were hiccups in my relationship with the club chairman," he told Mmegi Sport.Marumo's efforts to mend relations with his club's chairman are yet to bear fruit."I communicated with the chairman, but he has not responded yet.  I hope it will be resolved so we can move forward.  I need clarification from him regarding my contract," he said.  He is now looking looks forward to picking the pieces and returning to top form. "It's just to pick myself up and do what I normally do and be at the top of my game.

Exercises of the Prerogative of Mercy (Part 1)

I have chosen to write on the subject of the exercise by any President of the Republic of Botswana of his/her powers under the Prerogative of Mercy, in terms of Section 53 of the Constitution of the Republic of Botswana, which issue has been topical following the so-called "pardoning" of the killers of the late John Kalafatis. The writer's purpose in so doing is not to add heat to what is already an emotive issue; but rather to shed some light on the legal nature of such powers, and the conditions for the appropriate exercise of such prerogatives in future by the current and successive holders of the office of President of the Republic of Botswana.

Rebels With a Cause: Botswana's Heavy Metal Heads

A passionate retro scene proudly celebrating its African heritage

While Botswana is perhaps best known for its wildlife reserves, a burgeoning counter-culture is painting a very different image of the small south African country.

Clad in leather, adorned in spikes and topped off with cowboy hats, these are Botswana's heavy metal heads.

CNN's Errol Barnett got up close to the hardcore rockers and discovered a passionate retro scene proudly celebrating its African heritage.

While Western head bangers are most commonly associated with sneakers and band t-shirts, Botswana's fans have carved a unique image reminiscent of the 1970s New Wave British heavy metal scene.

Photographer Frank Marshall captured the rockers in all their Hell's Angels-style glory as part of his Renegades exhibition, on display at the Rooke Gallery in Johannesburg.

"Metal was ceded here by a classic rock band that started in the early 70s. Since then, it's evolved and grown," he said.

"In the last 10 to 20 years, it's come to be visually composed of what it looks like now -- the guys dressed in leather. It started off with classic rock and later on more extreme forms of metals were introduced."

Marshall described a macho scene with unique rituals, adding: "There's a strong sense of camaraderie amongst them. That's the first thing you'll notice about them as an outsider coming in. They've got a very strong bond and friendship with each other.

"They're very physical. At the shows, you don't just shake their hands. They'll grab your hand and shake you around.

"They embody the very aggressive elements of metal. It's an expression of power. Everything is an expression of power for them, from the clothes to the way they speak to the way they walk. They walk with very deliberate lurching strides.

"To them, it's perfectly normal. Maybe for an outside observer, from the west it might seem bizarre or comical but not here. They're respected and revered in some ways as well."

Watch: Gabon's hip-hop culture

With names like Demon and Gunsmoke it would be easy to dismiss the rockers as thugs. But in fact, the titles come with a strong awareness of social responsibility.

"We try to portray a good figure. We're trying to be role models. I know rock used to be a hardcore thing but actually it's something in our heart too," heavy metal head Gunsmoke said.

"It's all about brothers in arms. Brothers in metal -- we're there for each other. That's the way we identify ourselves."

The leather-clad rockers share a similar aesthetic to notorious motorcycle gang the Hell's Angels. But that's where the likeness ends. According to Gunsmoke, the African head bangers are seen as a type of guardian angel, rather than the Hell's variety.

"Kids follow us around. Parents approach us. We're there for a good cause actually. We help people on the streets at night," he said.

And for the hardcore fans, heavy metal is more than just a scene -- it's part of the national identity.

Even the Botswana president Ian Khama is a fan. Or at least that's according to Gunsmoke.

"We want to make him proud. He made us proud with one man like him leading the nation. Why should we be scared when our president is a rocker?" Gunsmoke argued.

"Bots is known as a small country. People used to think it was a province of south Africa.

"But if we can stand tall on this family then we can be known as much as the country was unknown."

Watch: Building music schools in townships

It's a uniquely African movement, and one that celebrates a special spiritual connection to the land.

Gunsmoke pointed to the use of animal horns in fashion, as a representation of Africa.

"Most of us are in a tribe. The totems are animals. We've got the crocodile, lion, hare, rabbit. You name it. It's part of your culture," he added.

African mythology and folklore loom large in the lyrics of Botswana band Skinflint. CNN caught up with lead singer Giuseppe at a gig just outside the capital Gaborone.

"We have a lot of ancestral beliefs - back in the day they used to believe that if someone dies and you touch the dead person then Gauna will come and take your soul," he said.

"Gauna was created on a 7-inch vinyl and it was distributed by Legion of Death Records in France. We're the first ever African heavy metal band to release something on vinyl."

The white singer also pointed to the unifying powers of heavy metal, saying: "The metal nation knows no racial boundaries. We're all one. We all speak one common language and it's called heavy metal.

"Metal is a music about power, independence and freedom. That's what I believe in --fighting for what you believe in no matter the consequences. Standing up for what you believe in and showing individuality."

Ex-minister castigates government on CEE

"That company was growing the industry, employing people and paying taxes, but totally ignoring that, the BMC decided not to supply them with hides as it could get better prices outside the country," said Moroka.

"That's incoherence in policy and I have always said the first bite of the cake must go to Batswana." Other delegates questioned why citizen companies that were registered under the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) certificate were losing out to other companies in government tenders. The 437 enterprises registered under the EDD, an import substitution initiative, generally expect preference in the award as the certificate guarantees their existence in Botswana as well as their capacity and quality.

"Some of us have been losing out to briefcase companies (in government tenders)," said a delegate from an EDD certified company at the pitso. "These briefcase companies come from nowhere and because they get their supply from China or elsewhere, are able to out-price us in tenders. "They price better than us who have operations and employees here in Botswana as well as other costs. The tenders should distinguish between suppliers and manufacturers."

Diarrhoea outbreak claims seventeen lives

Gazette: Out of a total of 128 cases of diarrhoea eported in the Ngamiland District, 17 lives have been lost since the outbreak, the Daily News states.North West District Council (NWDC) chairperson Lathang Molonda reportedly said the outbreak has affected mostly children between six and 24 months since it was declared on June 15 .He revealed that out of the children that passed away, six died at home or while on their way to the hospital and 11 died in hospital care.Meanwhile Molonda said a support team had been sent by the Ministry of Health to work with the district staff in bringing the outbreak under control.

Morupule B environmental disaster

Mmegi: This week BPC inadvertently revealed the extent of the crisis at the power station when it published adverts in local newspapers calling for companies who can clear up the mess at the site. The strongly worded ad reveals that BPC is concerned with "the safety and environment record to-date". The advert says a risk manager had been sent to site. "Considering the large number of workers at the site (approximately 2,400), the working hours (seven days a week and in some plant locations there is a day and swing shift) and the safety and environmental record to-date, it is proposed to contract a safety and environmental firm to supplement the BPC Safety, Health and Environment Officer", the ad says in its preamble. BPC therefore seeks "to ensure that health, safety and environmental violations are quickly resolved to the satisfaction of BPC and the relevant authorities".

Palapye split Chinese tender for locals

The Monitor: He said tendering for the renovation of the old police station is yet to be done and priority will be given to local contractors.The new police station was scheduled for completion in May 2011 at P146.5 million.A District Development Committee report delivered to the council by district development officer, Oratile Dintwe says poor performance by the contractor delayed the project, which is now 96 percent complete. The report also attributes the delay in the completion of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, which is two years behind schedule, to poor performance by the contractor. The revised completion date has been moved to August and mobilisation of materials has been cited as a major impediment.

Readers' reaction on, " statistics indicate decline in poverty"

Onkabetse Moseki -Nkabi Edward Starvation has declined but malnutrition is going to rise because those destitudes ba ja merogo fela the govmnt could hve added a bit of poultry,and by the way poverty nd starvation differ so statistics lie AND our government is fighting hunger and starvation not poverty.

BIUST on a spending spree

Sekolo se a tura bagaetsho! BIUST is giving out much-needed money for free - gratis. Ba tsaya kae madi a a kalo? This in the face of world recession, introduction of fees in schools as cost recovery measures, and the frantic effort to recover more than P11 billion in outstanding scholarship bills from our young graduates?Please also note that the scholarships are a sheer windfall for the applicants as BIUST does not promise to employ these doctoral candidates, but merely educate them for the world. Again, where does BIUST get that money when they are a university that is yet to find its feet and are operating on borrowed time and space?