Vol 8 No 333 September 29 - October 6, 2006
A war zone or the Zimbabwe ruins? No,
these demolished houses are in Mabudutsa, where residents of the central Maun
ward are knocking down their houses and taking the materials to new sites
offered to them at Matshwane and other areas of the town. The demolition began
recently after residents had earlier in the year protested to government
ministers, Tawana Land Board and the North West District Council about what
they termed were “forced removals” from their homes to make way for new bus and
taxi ranks and commercial developments.
WEEKEND OF FUN
It will be an Independence holiday weekend of fun for thousands
starting from tonight (Friday). Maun – festooned with Independence anniversary flags and
bunting - is to host a Miss 40th Anniversary Independence beauty contest
tonight to kick off local celebrations.
Tomorrow, Independence Day, will also see the awarding of
gifts for the best school essays about Botswana’s independence, a march led by
members of the community who are also 40 years of age, as well as a display by
various government departments, parastatals and the private sector at the Maun
sports complex.
Many are expected to watch the final of the Independence Cup
soccer tournament at the sports complex as well as a match between an all-stars
schoolboy soccer team and the “Celebrated Pioneers” (kick off 3.30pm)
The Sedia Riverside Hotel in Maun will be the venue on Saturday for an
Independence anniversary after-party featuring by top South African group
Mafikizolo, backed by Vee, Givaman and Twingy Twanga with DJs Sly, HT, Mitchell
& Jake. Refreshments and a braai will be available.
Trekkers night club and the re-opened Power Station will
also be putting on special attractions while local restaurants French Connection, Bon Arrivee and Buck & Hunter
pub and grill will all be open for business at various times as will also be
Mummys, Super Bar, Bar 2000 (Mixers), Okavango River Lodge, The Bridge, Audi
Camp, Island Safari and Crocodile Camp. Dozens of other local pubs will also be
crowded this weekend.
In Ghanzi tonight (Friday) there will be a fireworks display
to celebrate the occasion as well as a parade. A full programme of events is being staged in Francistown
stadium from 7am on Independence Day.
Events include drill exhibitions by the uniformed forces as
well as drama, traditional dancing, choral music, a tug of war and a soccer
match. A Mayor’s Ball ends the festivities at the Civic Centre.
While bars and restaurants will be open, police and road
safety officials are pleading with motorists to take care on the roads. Not
only are they concerned about animals straying but also about the behaviour of
pedestrians, particularly those leaving pubs.
A huge road safety campaign swung into action in Maun over
the past few days with road blocks manned by police and road safety officials.
Pamphlets explaining road safety measures were handed out to motorists. Police have promised a get tough policy on motorists who do
not obey traffic rules.
Bus and taxi fares up from Sunday
The rising cost of living has caught up with bus and taxi
commuters. With effect from Sunday, the Department of Road Transport
and Safety has increased public road passenger transport fares. The increase is due to the escalating market prices of
petroleum products and other commodities in the last two years.
* The new fares will be P3 per passenger in a shared taxi,
P15 for a special taxi per trip while minibus (combi) fares will be P2.50 per
passenger.
* For long distance buses on tarred roads, the charge will
be calculated at 11.32 thebe per kilometre while on gravel or sandy road will
be 12.96 thebe per km. The rural subsidy fare on gravel roads is to be P2.05,
while on sandy roads it will be P2.85.
The department has not finalised the actual new amounts for
long distance buses. Passengers are also advised to get receipts from bus
conductors to ensure that they are charged the authorised fares. The department says the fares are intended to ensure the
financial viability and sustainability of the public transport industry in the
country.
First ‘portable bank’ opens in Kasane
KASANE – The country’s first “portable bank” has opened its
doors in Kasane. The bank, a branch of First National Bank (FNB), started
operations on Wednesday and provides
all banking services with four tellers, two customer service consultants and
two ATMs.
The bank is situated at the Waterfront Mall, next to
Choppies Supermarket, and operates from
9am to 3.30pm weekdays and 8 am
to 12noon on Saturdays. The bank’s chief executive officer Danny Zandamela said: “Our surveys and research have shown
that there was a need for our services in Kasane. This portable branch is the
fastest way of bringing our services to this community.”
Bank focuses on
SMEs and challenges
Cornelius Ramatlhakwane the brain behind SME
at Standard Chartered Bank
Subhash Mehta, president of the A to Z
Mica Build and Midas group
Standard Chartered Bank Botswana last weekend introduced
customers to the essentials for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and
leadership.
An overview and the history of the bank presented at the event showed that although the bank was
established with a grant from Queen
Victoria, it was no longer a British bank and in fact there is no longer a
Standard Chartered Bank in England.
Guest speaker Subhash Mehta, president of the A to Z Mica
Build and Midas group, talked about the current business environment and
challenges faced by the business community.
Mehta said his business is able to thrive even in a
competitive environment created by the invasion of “mighty chain stores from
Gaborone and South Africa” because of their proactive approach based on
research and continuous evolution.He said while all businesses, including his,
were involved in price war, during customer research it was found that what customers actually wanted was
faster delivery, better product knowledge, better after-sales support and
one-stop shopping.
“Price was the last thing on our customers’ minds” he said,
so he advised it would be better to focus on these things than getting into a
price war. Mehta also spoke about his company’s in-house 360 degrees
evaluation whereby staff give feed-back on various areas of their work, such as
hiring and promoting procedure, salary structure, incentive structure, and
management with out identifying themselves.
“The feedback is summarised by an independent third party,”
he said. He added that what “employees wanted was better training,
transferable skill, job rotation recognition and opportunity to grow and not
only salary increase like most employers think” Mehta emphasised keeping balance between work, pleasure,
family and religion, saying “philanthropy has to be the way of life. We make a
living by what we get, we give life by what we give. Philanthropy has to be the
way of life.”
Another speaker was Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, whose focus was
on leadership for the business community. Ramatlhakwane introduced SME to
Standard Chartered Bank. Ramatlhakwane
put emphasis on what leadership is all about adding it is to motivate and
inspire to do a great job. Leaders need to lead by example and treat staff
honestly, trusting employees, and listening to their problems without
prejudice. The District Commissioner, Bernadette Malala, and top
customers of the bank attended the event.
Drivers
urged to be vigilant
The Station Traffic Officer for Ngamiland, Big-Boy Tiyedze,
is appealing to motorists to be vigilant and attentive when driving, especially
around towns and villages.
This follows two incidents in which two young children were knocked by cars in different wards. On one, an 8-year-old
Thamalakane school pupil was knocked down by a car while attempting to cross
Tsheko Tsheko Road this week. Tiyedze said the incident happened near a
pedestrian zebra crossing. The boy suffered scratches and head injuries and was
admitted to hospital. A 5-year-old old was hit by a car along Letsholathebe
Road while attempting to cross on September 22. He was treated and discharged
the same day.
Tiyedze advised motorists to be prudent and anticipate the
unexpected since anything can happen at any time. People are being urged to comply with road traffic signs but
Tiyedze said this did not mean motorists and others should always stick to road
signs but rather consider the situation as it happens.
He said each person who travels in a car has the right to
comment on its speed as well as the status of the driver. Drivers should learn
to guard against drinking and driving, and fatigue. They should rest whenever
they feel tired.
MAWS says ‘thank
you’
The Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS) wants to thank many
well-wishers who made last weekend’s “dog day” a big success. “We want to thank them for their support, donations and
organisation of the show,” said a spokesman this week.
Among those thanked are Dany Hancock, Gill Spells, Ron’s
Fresh Produce, Delta Meat Deli (also for the donations given during the spaying
project in June), Postnet for a donation of hundreds of flyers “and anyone else
we may have inadvertently missed.”
A picture to make you sick!
A picture that
will make you sick! Livestock – soon to reach the cooking pots of Maun -
mingle with humans and dogs scavenging for decaying food at the Maun dumping
site. This sorry state of affairs has angered farmers who have their cattle
posts in the vicinity of the dump which has not been rehabilitated in years and
this has led to the rubbish dumped there to spill out of the site. They blame
the authorities for failing to push back the rubbish and burn it, as is normal
practice. Last week, for instance, trucks were steadily increasing the size of
the eyesore by dumping rubbish 200 metres away from the actual site. The
rubbish includes cans, plastic bags, broken glass, decaying food, bottles and
even dead animals. The plastic bags are being blown by the wind to a fence that
separates the existing dump with a new one that is not operational. The farmers
say the old dump is a hazard to livestock which now eat all sorts of rubbish
that they come across at the area. There are fears however that the cattle,
which in most cases are bought by butchery owners in Maun for slaughter, may
have diseases from the rubbish. Maun has no meat inspection office and
therefore meat from any animal goes straight on sale to an unsuspecting
public. Photo:
Bright Kholi
Editorial
Independence means
just that
Independence is such a big word, and when it depicts the
independence of a people it becomes an even bigger and stronger word. Botswana is celebrating the 40th anniversary this weekend of
its sovereign independence as a self-governing nation.
It was a momentous step that Seretse Khama and his
government took in 1966 when they opted for independence from years of being a
British protectorate.
A step that was breath-taking in scope as the Botswana at
midnight on September 30, 1966, was nothing compared to the Botswana of
September 30, 2006. There were no diamonds or other minerals in those far-off
days.
Cattle and farming was the mainstay of the economy. There
were virtually no tarred roads. A railway line ran north to south along the
eastern edge of the land. The great developments in hunting and tourism were in
their infancy. Maun was a sleepy desert village, seemingly without any hope.
Independence has brought huge prosperity. Yes, we still have
poverty but nothing like that of 1966 when Gaborone was a town dominated by the
railway line and the rural population lived from hand to mouth.
Celebrating independence this weekend is such an important
occasion for reflection of what was and to dream of what’s to come. It is a dream all Batswana should aspire to and take a pride
in their nation.
The
Maun Shuffle
The usual doubting Thomas’s are at it with a vengeance. They have poured cold water on the claims of a large copper
find in the Kgwebe Hills overlooking Lake Ngami, claiming that if there is a
find of any sort it is “only skin deep”, whatever that means.
Shuffle has been privy to the assessment of the find made by
an Australian company and if two major banks down-under decide that there is
something in it, then there must be something there . . . have you ever heard
of a reputable bank that launches itself into dubious business deals (OK, there
may have been some fly-by-night outfits in central America or parts of Asia but
those are few and far between).
Remember in this 40th year of our country’s independence
that the very idea of finding diamonds or any other minerals in the Kalahari
was regarded as the joke of the century.
Learned experts - well, that’s what they called themselves –
shook their heads as geologist after geologist returned to base without any new
information on kimberlite pipes or anything else that could point to a
discovery of minerals.
They had an idea, based on scientific knowledge, that there
may be something out there in the dry wasteland of our favourite desert but
whatever it was, the desert was keeping it a close secret.
Tenacity, though, won the day and where do we now stand – as
the largest producer of diamonds in the world, so don’t knock these Aussies.
They have done their homework and with the aid of satellite image, good
old-fashioned foot slogging through the hills, and the like they have found the
copper, which incidentally stretches virtually all the way to the Namibian
border.
Probably one of the reasons why the doubting Thomas’s are
having a field day is because they don’t like Australians – after all, those
guys believe in winning. Ask rugby players, cricketers, swimmers and surf
lifesavers!
There are also other minerals in the desert – coal, gas,
gold, iron ore to name but a few. Keep your eye on the mining prospects and developments. You
could be in for a pleasant surprise.
**
An elephant has disrupted a church service in a village in
the Seronga area.
No, the animal did not blunder into the congregation.
Rather, the congregation blundered its way through the bush to plunder and eat
the elephant. The “nama from heaven” was as a result of a big game hunter
shooting the elephant, apparently a problem animal, with the permission of the
Department of Wildlife.
The hunter and his team stopped by a church and politely
informed the minister and his congregation about the elephant waiting to be
divided among the flock.
Well, it took 10 minutes for the hunter to run an errand to
the other side of the village and then to pass by the church once again. This
time the church was empty – the minister and his congregation had hot-footed
into the bush to grab their share of the nama.
Young kids were dragging huge lumps of meat in buckets,
fathers and mothers were carrying whatever they could, the church minister
(still in his robes) was seen smacking his lips in anticipation of a good meal.
After all, meat is scarce in that part of the country and
the gift of an elephant that literally fell from the skies is too good an
opportunity to pass by!
**
This newspaper’s electronic edition on the internet is being
read in some very strange places, Shuffle has discovered. Not only are we being
perused in Mongolia, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), the Pacific islands and Central
America but now also in the Antarctic.
Shuffle was studying the latest information on our readers
from the host server based in the United States and on a map provided
indicating which countries, cities and streets housed our readers, there was
“Antarctic”
The only people living in that part of the world are those
in research stations so obviously somewhere in the frozen wastes is a
researcher with nothing to do except read international newspapers fortunate
enough to be on the web – and ours is one of them! Quite something, isn’t it?
**
The Ngami Times lends its support to many events affecting
our community as we believe in social responsibility. Sometimes it gets us into trouble with some sections of the
community who claim “favouritism” but fortunately that doesn’t happen very
often as people seem to realise that a newspaper can lend support from time to
time.
So it has been a great pleasure down the years to support
the Shakawe-Maun road and river challenge, the Maun Animal Welfare Society
campaigns, a myriad of sports events, school prize-givings, appeals for funding
for a variety of reasons, publicity about kids badly bitten by dogs, adults accidentally
paralysed, children requiring surgery, and lending support to a cause dear to
our hearts – press freedom.
The latest project is to garner support for a little girl
who is horribly burned, and who leaves for Boston, United States, soon to
undergo yet further operations to repair her disfigured face.
**
Ngamiland is known for a lot of different things – some
good, some bad. Like those stories this newspaper carried about a man in
love with his donkey, and why he had to have carnal knowledge of the beast of
burden. The stories created shock and amusement in various parts of
the world.
The latest concerns Sudan, thank goodness, where a court has
ordered a man doing exactly the same to his favourite goat to marry the animal! Elders at a village ordered the man to pay a dowry (bridal
price) of about P140 to the goat’s owner and then marry it.
The elders said that the man, who was caught red-handed or
whatever with the goat, had to stay with the goat and use it as “his wife.” Oh well, there’s always something new out of Africa! Decline in
farming shown by census
Agricultural holdings in Botswana decreased by almost 50%
between 1993 and 2004, an agricultural census has found. There were in 2004 a total of 51 264 farms compared to 100
434 ten years previously, with the most affected being the traditional sector
which declined by almost half.
The commercial farming sector however increased 46.9% but
overall this improvement was offset by the decrease in traditional farms. There has also been a huge decline in the cattle population
– in 2004 there were 1 296 232 head of cattle compared to 2 818 000 in 1983 and
1 820 700 in 1993.
The Central Statistics office, which conducted the census in
co-operation with the division of Agricultural Planning and Statistics, says
that there have been significant decreases in livestock over the last three
decades.
“Major decreases were realised in the cattle industry when
the cattle population decreased by 54%, and the goat and sheep population
decreased between 1993 and 2003 by 55.8% and 42.5% respectively.
The total number of donkeys and mules on farms in 2004 was
197 509 while that for cattle was 1 296 232, goats 34 945, sheep 143 880,
horses 29 244 and pigs 2 083.
The total number of farms in 2004 stood at 27 483, a decrease
of more than 60% in 10 years with the result that land area in hectares dropped
from 310 042ha in 1993 to 96 840ha in 2004.
The area under crops also decreased significantly – from 278
617ha to 82 947ha, which constitutes a 70.2% decrease. Only 63 126ha was
harvested in 2004 compared to 118 426 in the previous 10 years. The area planted for maize totalled 30 291ha as against 85
257ha in 1993.
More die on the
country’s roads
GABORONE – More people have been killed on the roads so far
this year than during the same period in 2005.Police said that to date 293
people had died in traffic accidents between January 1 and September 17
compared to 283 for the same period last year.
Charges were also laid against 861 motorists for speeding
offences, with a breathalyser test for alcohol conducted on 118 motorists, of
whom five have been charged for driving under the influence of liquor.Eighteen
motorists were booked for using hand-held mobile telephones while driving.The
police said that eight murders had been recorded between September 10 and 17,
and that 13 suspects had been arrested for seven of the murders.There were also
29 armed robberies, two of which involved the use of handguns, 18 knives, and
the remainder a variety of weapons. This brings the number of armed robbery
cases this year to 1 288 compared to 1 074 for the same period last year.
Twenty-four rape cases were reported, for which eight
suspects had been arrested.
‘Root out
corruption’ says police chief
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Botswana’s commissioner of Police,
Edwin Batshu, says that police forces must root out corruption in the service
to maintain the trust of the people. He told the 75th Interpol general assembly in Rio de Janeiro
that “a corrupt free police service would not only earn public confidence in
the police but enhance an admiration for strong character.”
He said “a corrupt free mind would obviously serve with
total courage, conviction and a high degree of ability and honesty that is
unequalled.” Batshu said police forces had to train their officers to be
of strong character, unquestioned integrity and to be ready to undertake the
most dangerous and difficult duties with a high degree of courage and intent. He said there were many opportunities for corruption within
police services, and these are increased when policies, procedures, supervision
and leadership were weak.
Maun Senior Secondary honour deserving students
By
Basadi Morokotso
A poet would best describe Maun Senior Secondary School
(MSSS) as a character building school, a lively and educational school with
leadership training, a school renowned for excellence and well disciplined
student community, and as one of the biggest schools in the country.
That was the message from speakers at the school’s annual
prize-giving day.The patron of the school, Motsamai Mpho, was present along
with senior government officials and parents.
School headmaster Galesengwe Mohube said he was “delighted
about the hard work” achieved by students and said this was all because of the
commitment of teachers.
He said there are school clubs that do not participate in
competitions but have contributed to school activities. He gave as an example
the PACT club that has been very active in HIV/AIDS awareness, the Scripture
Union which contributes a lot to the spiritual life of the school, and many
students entered for various fairs and have won prizes and trophies for the
school.
The guest speaker at the event Dr S Keitumetse, a research
fellow at the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre of the University of
Botswana, Maun, said the occasion was “a wonderful way for the school and the
community to recognise and celebrate the choices, and at times the sacrifices
they have made.” Keitumetse said the
school has over the years enjoyed success in sport, with some former students
such as Olympic Games athlete Glody Dube, Lesley Sekotswe and Gable
Garenamotse. She said an analysis showed that some students with C grades from
Junior Certificate did better than those with B grades and that this is
attributed to hard work and commitment. She called on teachers and students to
keep up the good work and make MSSS a school that will be respected in the
region and countrywide. Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A) chairperson Jane
Maiketso said he was worried about the low turn out of parents at such events,
adding that it is high time they help pave a desirable way for their children.
He called on parents present to assist teachers with the academic work of their
children as well as moulding them.
Farmers count cost
of big fires
Farmers in and around the Sexaxa area are counting the cost
of bush fires that have ruined palatable grasses and caused them major problems
with feed for their livestock. A large number of animals have little to graze on.
Farmers at Xchagana,
Sexchaxcha and other areas says that the fires killed off many small animals as
well as snakes, insects and other small game, such as spring hares, squirrels
and ant bears.
Although there is a lot of water for this time of the year,
the concern is the grazing situation. Farmers have protested to the Agriculture
department and sought its help but they claim nothing has been forthcoming
since the fires.Trees have also been destroyed, particularly the Makolwane
which farmers use to make traditional
beer called Mochema.
‘Slavery’ claims
bring angry reaction from tourism industry
By Lets Open
Claims by some safari industry workers that they had been
turned into virtual slaves by their employers have been angrily denied by
safari companies. The claims were made to groups of Members of Parliament who
have been listening to complaints from workers for several months, with some of
them saying that “slavery existed in the camps”. The Department of Tourism has also denied the allegations.
The workers claimed about what they termed “inhuman
treatment”, saying they did overtime work without pay, wages were cut without a
worker’s knowledge, they had to pay for flights out of camp to Maun for medical
reasons, they were being insulted, and there were no visitors rules in the bush.
It was also said that people were refused permission to
attend funerals.Grant Woodrow and Sam Kavindama, of Wilderness Safaris, told
The Ngami Times: “We have contracts of employment between employers and
employees as stipulated by law. Workers are given 14 days normal working leave
days and seven days compassionate leave which is optional. No one is forced
into slavery in our camps. There is no such treatment in our camps.”
Malcolm Robinson, of Orient Express Safaris, said there is
“no slavery at Khwai camp. I can’t talk about other people but in our camps
there is nothing of that sort.” He said workers were given unpaid leave when their normal
leave period is completed in order to visit relatives or for medical attention. “We follow government rules and regulations which controls
the safari industry and related businesses. “I for one would say that people should report allegations
of this nature to government authorities for stern penalties to be imposed.”
The Department of Tourism’s Jongman Mothalosi also denied
the allegations. He said: “We have no such cases before us. The Wildlife
department and the Labour department in Maun have denied any knowledge of
so-called inhuman treatment, a colour bar or of alleged slavery being
practised.”
Nails thief gets nailed
By Keagisitswe
Dioka
A 28 year old Mabudutsa man was sentenced to four strokes
for stealing nails from Northern Building Supplies. According to evidence before the Maun Customary Court, self
employed auto mechanic Aminy Setsile allegedly entered the store on September 9
with an intention to steal.
He stole four screws valued at 68 thebe each, five screw
nails valued at P3.30 and screw bullets valued at 45 thebe each. He hid the
items in a pocket. He then tried to pay for two nails besides those in his
pocket.
Hendrick Mateise, a security guard who was on duty, told him
to take the nails out of his pocket as he had seen Setsile put them there. Setsile refused and there was an argument. After a long
argument, Setsile took the nails out of his pocket and left the shop. Setsile pleaded guilty even though he didn’t plead guilty at
first in court and or to witnesses who included two shop assistants and a
police officer who arrested him.
Kgosi Labane Meno told Setsile that should he continue his
habit of stealing he might be sentenced to three years in prison. He told him
that as he did not deny the allegations brought before the court by the
witnesses and the questions asked by the prosecutor, it showed he was
guilty.Meno sentenced Setsile to four strokes.
Five survive car
crash
KASANE – Five employees of the Lovers Plus organisation
escaped with minor injuries when their car crashed after a tyre burst near
Pandamatenga at the weekend. They were travelling to Maun when the accident
took place.
The five decided to remain in the vehicle as they feared
wild animals in the area and waited for rescuers to arrive.
‘Blessed is the
hand that giveth, than the one that taketh’
By Basadi
Morokotso
Churches are still dragging their feet at rescuing
disadvantaged children at Motse wa Tsholofelo, a programme under the Maun
Counselling Centre (MCC) that provides care and support to orphans and other
vulnerable children who are traumatised and orphaned by today’s social ills.
This became evident at a recent follow-up meeting of a
community mobilisation workshop that called on churches to offer a helping hand
at raising funds for needy children.
Different churches had earlier agreed that they were going
to do all they could after the workshop to see to it that the children
concerned get immediate help, even though a number of them came to the latest
meeting unprepared, with some representatives saying the agreement was “all
news to them.”
Project officer Gobela Lesang told the meeting that Motse wa
Tsholofelo is currently struggling financially and that MCC cannot cope alone,
adding that donors Masiela Trust Fund and UNICEF have specific projects to
fund.
She said again that they don’t want to discriminate against
children by labelling them as orphaned, rather they want them to have a feeling
and a sense of belonging that they are part of the society.
A representative from Christinah Church said as a
congregation the church had resolved to share part of their land at the church
premises with orphaned children so that they may use it for tree planting,
gardening and whatever they find appropriate.
They also want to encourage orphans to attend Sunday School
classes so as to get to socialise with other children. The church choir is said
to be willing to give away old clothing or if possible, buy new clothing for
the children.
Boitshepo Gabaikanngwe, from St Jacob Apostolic Church, said
at the moment, they are still mobilising resources to see if an intended “shoe
size method” will work for them and that they wish to have outreach projects
that will assist in getting closer to society and sharing ideas.
Spiritual Healing Church is said to be assisting needy
children with clothing, toiletry and shoes even though these are done
occasionally while Godfrey Rabantheng, of World ministries, said the idea of
offering assistance has been discussed and appreciated by his church and that
the intention is to hold youth forums at which they will need the help of a
counsellor.
Khangelani Haimbiri, of The Lamb Followers Apostolic Church,
said they already have youth clubs within the church and are intending to make
visitations to Motse wa Tsholofelo to see how they can help. Haimbiri said
however that they are still awaiting written correspondence from the Centre.
Gobela made a request to the churches to forward whatever
that they might have in hand, whether big or small, to the Centre, even if is
it is before the agreed deadline so as not to make the children suffer in
waiting.
Blind man assaulted over woman
The Maun customary court this week sentenced a man who
assaulted a blind man to a fine of P100 for jumping on him while he was sleep. Sebatana Moloi, 54, was alleged to have assaulted blind
Serome Moopi, of Daoga cattle post, who it was claimed had sexual relations
with Moloi’s wife.
Moopi said he had been assaulted for nothing and was
“defenceless and blind.” Moopi sustained serious chest injuries as his assailant
apparently jumped on him several times and kicking him.
Chief Oleyo Ledimo told Moloi he could go to prison for 12
months. He however fined him P100. Moloi asked in mitigation for a lenient sentence as he had
to look after orphaned children and his elderly mother.
Sebele calls it a
day at Thuso
Elisha Sebele
By Basadi Morokotso
Elisha Sebele who has been the Director of Thuso
Rehabilitation Centre for the past 11 years has called it quits and followed
his priorities to greener pastures! The outgoing director told The Ngami Times
at a party to bid him farewell that he is heading to the Ministry of Health
headquarters where he will hold the post of Senior Technical Officer. He said
although he currently knows little about the procedures of government, he will
have to learn and adapt to situations because life is all about learning.
He said throughout his life, he never thought he would
secure a job at Thuso, let alone working with people with disabilities. Sebele admitted that there were times when he was nearly
held back by challenges and frustrations within his working environment, but
always stuck to his principles of holding his head high and being man enough to
fight for what he found to be the right thing. Although he is a qualified
physiotherapist, he said he never had time to practice his profession as he was
quickly promoted to deputy director and then director of Thuso. He called on
students and employees to work harmoniously with the next director and not to
ignore away those working on a voluntary basis.
Deputy director Dickinson Samaemo thanked Sebele for the
support he gave them all and said “it takes a lot to be a leader, let alone
being exemplary, because people expect a lot from you and always expect you to
lead by example.” He said life has
challenges and successes all at the same time. Samaemo reminded Sebele that although
they have had their differences, which are common at any other place of work,
neither of them ever took it personally because they had faith in each other. Giving a vote of thanks, Oduetse Dekop, an employee at
Thuso, was worried that in Sebele they had lost a good leader and father figure.
Times
SportClash of the giants
in Independence Cup final
A mighty clash of the giants is set for Independence Day on
Saturday when Makgabisa play Maun Terrors at the Maun sports complex in the A
to Z Mica Build Independence Cup final. The two arch-rivals clash is expected to attract football
followers from Maun and the surrounding areas.
It will be interesting over the weekend to see how the two
giants square up in pursuit of the trophy that was won by Makgabisanaga for
four consecutive years before losing last year to Maun Terrors. Terrors defied the odds by fighting all the way to reach
this year’s final by beating BMC 2-0 and then Maun Tigers 1-0 last Saturday.
Terrors got the win despite playing with only 10 players
after midfielder Fredrick Motukwa was sent off for a second bookable offence. The only goal of the match came from the hard working
striker Pelontle Shaka Dimbo. Makgabisa
had a hard fought 1-0 win against North West United (The Elephants) to book
their place in the final. Kabelo Dunga Seemeka scored the solitary goal that separated
the two sides in the 74th minute.
The Elephants also finished the game with 10 men when their
captain Calvin Mangwiro was shown a red card for arguing with the referee who
had flashed a yellow card to the goalkeeper for allegedly handling the ball out
of the 18 yard box. Makgabisa had won 8-0 against Zungu in the quarterfinals,
but found the going tough when they clashed with the Elephants.
All eyes will be on Terrors to see if they will be able to
retain the trophy. Terrors are expected to give Makgabisa a hard time at the
back as they are the team that has one of the most feared strike forces in the
regional league, while the midfield is also doing well as Alfred Ndawila seems
to have found his form.
Makgabisa has a respected midfield of stylish Mumbush K
Moatshe, new signing Scara P Likha and anchorman Kuda Butale who has fitted in
well with the team’s style of play. Makgabisa seem to have a balanced side with
a number of options available in all departments.
In goals, both teams have good goalkeepers - Omphemetsi
Spider Kanyeto has represented the country at all junior levels while his under
study at Tigers before they moved, Lorato Keamogetswe, is doing wonders for
Terrors. The two shot stoppers have been playing together since secondary level
at Maun Senior Secondary School, and moved to Maun Tigers were Kanyeto was
first choice goalkeeper with Keamogetswe coming second.
‘Indomitable Lions’
stalk the Zebras
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have sent to Botswana a 25
member team of 18 players and 7 officials for a friendly game against Zebras to
mark Botswana’s 40th Independence at the National Stadium in Gaborone on
Saturday.
The match is also to prepare the Zebras for their Africa Cup
of Nations qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt on October 7 at the National
Stadium.
The Indomitable Lions who are led by team manager Ndjidjiwa
Jean Marie, have sent a team of local players, most of them are said to be
playing in the country’s national under- 23 squad which is currently involved
in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers, while a virtual foreign legion of their players
is in camp for their AFCON encounter against Equatorial Guinea in Yaoundé.
The Cameroon league is one of the toughest in Africa, and that
will guarantee the Zebras of a tough match over the weekend.
National team coach Colwyn Rowe has named a 23 member team –
also of local based players. The South African-based Michael Mogaladi and
Moemedi Jomo Moatlaping will be available for the AFCON game against Egypt.
Also absent are Tshepiso Sox Molwanta and Tebogo Mothusi through injuries.
It is clear that the team will have to do without Diphetogo
Dipsy Selolwane and Mogogi Gabanamong, who seem to want more in appearance fees
before they play, while second choice goalkeeper Kagiso Tshelametsi has asked
to be excused as he is still trying to impress his employers in South Africa
(City Pillars). This will be a blessing in disguise for new players to prove
their worth.
The match starts at 3pm at the national stadium. Ticket
prices are P70 for all covered stands, P30 for Panda and P20 other stands. Will this be Rowe’s first line up for the
match?: Modiri Marumo, Mompati Thuma, Seabo Gabanakgosi, Ernest Amos, Khumo
Motlhabane, Ndiapo Letsholathebe, Nelson Gabolelelwe, Tshepo Motlhabankwe,
Malepa Bolelang, Thatayaone Thekiso and Joel Mogorosi.
Schoolboys to take
on ‘Celebrated Pioneers’
An all-star schoolboy soccer squad is to take on a team
styled Maun Celebrated Pioneers – all aged 40 or more – at Maun sports complex
before the final of the Independence Cup tomorrow (Saturday).
The game is being played in conjunction with the Ngamiland
Independence celebrations committee and has been organised by Delta Waters
International School.
Weekend soccer fixtures
Independence Cup Final: Saturday September 30 - Losers
final: Maun Tigers v The Elephants 2pm; friendly game – Schoolboys v Celebrated
Pioneers XI 3.30pm; cup final -
Makgabisa v Maun Terrors 4pm. Games at Maun Sports Complex
Friendly international: Botswana (The Zebras) vs Cameroon
(The Indomitable Lions). 3.30pm at National Stadium, Gaborone
Nhabe Regional league – Sunday October 1: BMC v Gunners of
Khwai (2pm);
Gaegolelwe v Moeti 4pm.
Mascom Premier League – Sunday: Prisons X1 v Township
Rollers (Mahalapye); FC Satmos v Centre Chiefs (Selebi Pikwe); BMC v Ecco City
Greens (Lobatse); Tafic v Police X1 (Francistown); Gaborone United Vs UF Santos
(SSKB). All games start at 4pm
Monday (October 2): Lobtrans Gunners vs Notwane (Lobatse);
Jwaneng Comets v BDF X1 (Jwaneng); Tasc v Nico United (Francistown). Games
start 4pm.
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