Edition 333 September 23 - September 29, 2006
Bird strike brings down plane

The hero, pilot Tim Schubert, of the Flying Mission Services, stands in his shattered plane displaying the vulture which brought down his Cessna 206 in the Okavango delta. He and four passengers had a miracle escape when the plane hit the water and flipped over. An emergency satellite-linked transmitter on board pinpointed the co-ordinates to guide rescuers to the scene. The signal was picked up in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggered a search for the downed plane.

A pilot shoved aside a huge  vulture which had come through his windscreen and managed to keep his Cessna 206 aircraft in the air in a dramatic incident over the Okavango delta late last week. A built-in satellite beacon aboard the crashed aircraft guided rescuers to the remote delta area. The pilot and four passengers narrowly escaped death in the incident which is being investigated by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

Flying Mission Services (FMS) said their plane was enroute from Nxabega  to Tsigaro when, at 2 500ftagl, the vulture smashed through the windscreen on the pilot’s side, destroying some of the instrumentation and becoming entangled in the flight controls.

The pilot, Tim Shubert, shoved aside the bird and managed to maintain control of his plane but because of the damage to the windscreen, an excessive amount of drag was created, affecting the aircraft’s ability to maintain altitude. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in water and as it did so, the plane flipped over. All five on board escaped with minor injuries.

The FMS flight department was notified within 20 minutes of the landing through an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) with a satellite link. The signal was picked up by Cape Town Radio and the South African Maritime/Aeronautical Rescue Co-Ordination Centre. Mark Spicer, FMS director of operations, told The Ngami Times he immediately contacted Kavango Air, a Maun air charter operator, which sent an aircraft to the co-ordinates given and spotted the plane.

Sefofane Air Charters, the Botswana Defence Force, Helicopter Horizons pilot Andrew Baker, and Med Rescue International (MRI) were informed and provided assistance. FMS says it also wants to thank Maun air traffic control, the Department of Civil Aviation, Jack’s Camp, and Stanley’s Camp for the use of their airstrip as well as Okavango Helicopters for taking FMS officials to the site, and Kalahari Air Services in Maun for assistance in retrieving the aircraft from the delta.

In an interview with the hero of the day, pilot Tim Schubert said: “ I am just amazed how God gave  me the ability to think and act promptly. but ultimately the reason why we survived and didn’t sustain bad injuries is that God protected us.

Spicer said “We would like to commend Tim, our pilot. I believe that he had remarkable presence of mind in maintaining control of the aircraft throughout the ordeal. He also showed professionalism and concern for his passengers after the emergency landing. His conduct was exemplary. ”Without taking any credit from him, I believe that his performance was in part due to the standards and training which FMS requires from its pilots and maintenance personnel.” He added that FMS aircraft are fitted with 4-point seat belts for pilots and passengers and “I believe this was an important factor in the injuries sustained being minimal.”

Major boost for Maun and Ngamiland
GIANT COPPER FIND

A giant copper project with the potential to transform north-west Botswana, and Maun in particular, is underway. This 40th Independence anniversary present for Ngamiland is “a viable” copper strike in the Kgwebe Hills near Lake Ngami. First results from drilling by an Australian mining group shows the find warrants more exploration and investment.

Known as the Maun Copper Project, an assessment by Australia’s Discovery Nickel Ltd company points to a viable multi-million pula opencast and underground copper mine supplying copper grade at 1.2% and above. This is said to be more than sufficient for operations to get underway.

Although no date has so far been set for the mine to be developed or a start of operations, it is believed by industry sources that thousands of jobs will be on offer in the years ahead and that this could herald a huge boom for Maun and Ngamiland.

Two of Australia’s biggest financial institutions – Macquarie Bank and the Commonwealth Bank – have separately purchased a total of about 26% of the company’s shares to show their confidence in the mine. Many private investors have also taken up shares.

The world copper (Cu) price is higher than average at present due to huge demand from industries in China and India battling to keep pace with major developments in both countries. The find follows on the start of the Dukwi copper mine about 450km south-east of Maun, which is also being developed by an Australian concern.

It is anticipated by Discovery Nickel – which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange -  that the Maun mine would, at current copper prices, be able to support operations and adds the net present value is more than US$200-million (about P1.3-billion).

An assessment, carried out by internationally-known Snowden Mining Industry Consultants, says net present values range from US$28-million (about P197-million) with a mineralisation grade of 1.2% Cu to US$224-million (about P1.5-billion) for an open pit with a mineralisation grade of 1.5% Cu at a price of US$1.5/lb Cu.

The open pit has a potential of producing14.7-million tons. “Using a price of US$2.00lb Cu – which is 59% of the current spot cash price of the mineral – net present values range from US$90-million (about P640-million) to US$341-million (about P2.38-billion) for the same grades,” says the assessment. “Snowden has determined that the Maun project has the potential to support a profitable open pit operation at average grades of 1.2%Cu and above”.

Drilling of the first five holes has been completed out of a planned total of 2 700 metres, and it is this prospecting that has uncovered the viability of the project. A further 25 holes are being sunk in what is known as the “Zeta Copper Resource.”

Jeremy Read, the company’s managing director, said in Brisbane, Australia, that “drilling in and around Zeta will allow us to get a much better idea of the economic potential of the Zeta Project and whether a larger, more aggressive infill and extension drill programme is warranted.” Read has recently been to Maun to personally investigate the potential.

Raped by a gate attendant

By Golang Raditsela

A gatekeeper at Makalamabedi allegedly took advantage of the absence of a 17-year-old girl’s parents by raping the youngster. This has been disclosed by the Maun police station crime officer, Nkape Kealotswe, who said the alleged rapist had disappeared and was now being sought by police.

The girl’s nightmare experience took place at about 9am on August 31 but the girl did not report the incident immediately, waiting instead for her parents to return home on September 5. Kealotswe said she was sleeping when the man pushed opened the door, got in and raped her. Apparently the door’s lock was not working. The man then left the following morning for Francistown on leave.

Kealotswe also said the man was familiar to the girl, her parents and his co-workers. No arrest has been made so far because the suspect’s whereabouts are not yet known. Police have appealed to the public to take precautions and maintain their security, more especially because rape cases are taking place.

In a separate incident, a 10 year old Thito girl was allegedly raped by an unknown man on her way to school on September 5 at about 7am. She was said to have been walking alone to Tawana Primary School when she saw a man pretending to be walking past her. The stranger grabbed her while at the same time pulling her to the nearest shrubs where he raped her.

She went home and told her parents, who reported the matter to police. The police are appealing to the public to escort school children to schools or hire taxis to prevent rapes taking place. Kealotswe said it was difficult to state whether rape cases were increasing or decreasing since the numbers fluctuate.

Editorial

Finding the arsonist

Botswana Police deserve a pat on the back for continuing to pursue the arsonist who set fire to thousands of hectare of our beloved Kalahari Desert and Makgadikgadi Pans.

The Rakops police have reported that they have found the source of the blaze and now are hunting the arsonist.  They are using every detection tool they can muster in their search, and we all must wish them well in the hunt.

The blaze wiped out grazing and undergrowth over a huge tract of land, causing great distress to villages in its path and to subsistence and cattle farmers who feared the worst.

That so many animals were eventually saved through the combined efforts of the police, villagers and the Botswana Defence Force is a tribute to these firefighters and their determination to stop the flames from progressing any further.

No Longer Dirty

It is good news that Maun, much-maligned as “a dirty village”, has come up in the world and is no longer the country’s filthiest village. The news that the town has been voted the 4th cleanest in the country is great, and a far cry from years of being branded as filthy.

It was always with some nervousness that the residents had to face tourists who couldn’t believe their eyes when seeing the litter that abounded on our streets. The North West District Council a few years ago contracted outside agencies to do something about it, and that policy has finally paid off.

The Maun Shuffle

What a pleasure it is to report that Maun – the tourist capital of Botswana – is no longer labelled a filthy village.

That “honour” has passed on to Gumare and Shuffle hopes that the people there will soon get their act in order to sort out their village just as we in Maun have tried so hard.

The announcement at the Maun sports complex last weekend was like music to the ears of the crowd which attended the world clean-up day event.

North West District Council should take a lot of credit for this situation as councillors exhorted the electorate to play the game and deposit litter in the bins provided, notwithstanding the fact that donkeys and other stray animals also made a beeline for the dustbins.

Sometimes the ploy worked, other times it did not but in the end we have received our reward. We are now no longer the filthiest village in the republic! It is a great advert for tourism and perhaps in the next year or so we can proudly claim to be “the cleanest” in Botswana. That will be something splendid.

**

There seems to be a general exodus of expats from Maun, other parts of Ngamiland and Botswana. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly the reasons but supposition is that various factors are at work – not least of which is the economic situation and criminal activity.

Also, from what Shuffle hears, expats who have applied for extensions to their residence and work permits after they have been living and working here for anything between 5 and 15 years have had these refused.

No reasons are being given, as is the norm by Immigration officials. The damage to self-esteem is obviously immense as it means for these people having to pack up and start all over again in either a foreign country or the country of one’s birth.

Economically, of course, Maun has been in the doldrums for a few years following on the terrorist attacks in the United States and the knock-on effect of that with regard to lodge bed nights being lost, a nervousness on the part of Americans and other foreigners to fly long distance out of fear of the unknown, and general uncertainties about Africa that takes hold from time to time in the outside world.

These days there has been an improved economic climate in Maun and Ngamiland but it is still not as good as it was five years ago.

The devaluation of the pula has seen a lot of people taking a decision to leave the country for South Africa or Namibia, where conditions are perceived to be more friendlier than in Botswana. This attitude has apparently affected investment into this country. Crime is another factor. Huge strides are being made by the Botswana Police to get on top of the situation in Maun and Ngamiland but memories are long, particularly if you have been attacked in your home or business, shots fired over your head, or have had shots fired at you. The recent anti-crime swoops in Maun by security forces has obviously played a big part but the fear is that when these are completed, criminals will again come out of the woodwork to terrorise householders and businesses.

Perhaps we should ask the authorities to keep a permanent force of crime busters in Maun to augment the police.

**

The story we ran on our front page last week about the village that forked out over P260 000 for toilets that never worked has brought a lot of laughter and a lot of comment from many in the community.

The laughter was because of the headline “Village that took the long drop” (geddit? Long drop??) while the comment is reserved for the contractors who went off with the money probably fully aware their “environmental toilets” would never flush. As the story said, it is sad that there are still unscrupulous people at large in the building of Botswana.

We have had contractors walking off the jobs at schools because they have run out of money as their tenders were hopelessly inadequate to meet the costs and others who simply decided they had had enough.

Some schools have been without kitchens for many months, with classrooms in some doubling up as kitchens and pantries. Not a good idea if the teacher is trying to teach his or her classroom full of hopefully-inquisitive children.

We have enough problems with classrooms having to be held under trees because of an inadequate number of classrooms and a baby boom that defies the imagination, with having to put up with contractors who can’t count how much it will cost them to build kitchens, toilets and extra classrooms.  The Etsha 6 primary school is a case in point.

Shuffle thinks these should be stricter control and more enforcement of tender requirements instead of these jobs being handed out like sweets to favoured people who don’t care about the end product (if they ever reach that point).

‘Botswana should sign convention’

GABORONE – Botswana has not signed an African Union convention on preventing and combating corruption. Transparency International Botswana says that this decision has placed Botswana in the same camp as countries such as Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Malawi, Seychelles, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt.

Countries that have signed the convention include South Africa, Burundi, Comoros, Congo, Libya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda.

Guard against misuse of funds, residents told
By Bright Kholi

SANKUYO- Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust has come out clean in its report of the operations of the Trust since its inception in 1995. At a recent meeting with the Parliamentary Committee of Environment and Agriculture,  the Trust gave a detailed report on how they have been operating and using the funds over the past 10 years.

The Trust gets its funds from land rentals, hunting quotas and from Santawani Lodge - which they run - as well as the Kaziikini cultural village. It has provided scholarships to students from Sankuyo at different colleges in the country and some are still undergoing training. The Trust also provides household dividends to members of the community each year.

The committee however told the community to guard against misuse of trust funds as this may lead to government deciding to stop the programme. The chairman of the committee, Gobonwamang Mokalake, told residents that they have received information that funds in some Trusts “were misused” by a small group of a community.

He said it has come to their attention that in some Trusts, it was the board members who benefited from the funds alone while the entire community suffered. He urged them to report any form of misuse of funds. Residents were also advised to take care of the environment since the business they engage in was very sensitive. They were told that the sustainable use of natural resources will ensure that future generations will find them in the same state. They were urged to strengthen their work force in their businesses by training staff to be able to handle business. Residents told the committee that misuse of funds is something they do not know in their Trust as the use of funds is authorised by the villagers themselves. This also includes allowances for board members, which is also decided by the community itself.

Residents also told the committee about their initiative to conserve natural resources, saying there is no poaching in their area and adding that if any member of the community is caught poaching, that person is suspended. The committee was shown around the projects that the Trust has done and the members spent a night at Santawani Lodge. Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust utilises NG 24 and NG 25 for tourism activities.

Maun girl (8) needs help to heal

Bophelo Mpofu pictured with his father

Three years ago Bophelo Mpofu was accidentally burned while visiting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She sustained serious burns to her body and severe burns to her face, with the result that she spent five months undergoing consultations and surgery in Boston, United States, and in Canada.This exhausted all her parents’ money and now she has been accepted back by the Shriners Burns Hospital in Boston for specialist treatment (plastic/ reconstructive surgery).

The medical care and treatment she will receive there is being given at no cost. Bophelo’s parents, Local and Lebogang, are appealing to the Maun community for any assistance in order to pay for living costs while Bophelo and her mother are in the United States.

British Airways (BA) has agreed to sponsor the return flights from Maun to Boston.The first of several operations is expected to be carried out on October 16 and will be followed by others. Any donations can be deposited into a savings account at First National Bank. The account holder’s name is Bophelo Mpofu. Account No: 62070570067.

All donations will be recorded and all expenses / invoices will also be recorded. Local Mpofu can be contacted on cellphone number 71608768 and Lebogang Mpofu on 71444952. Further information can also be found on http://www.dorad.co.bw/bophelo/index.cfm  

DC remembers 1966 as if it were yesterday

Bernadette Malala

By Basadi Morokotso

The District Commissioner of Ngamiland Bernadette Malala has taken a walk down memory lane recalling that September day 40 years ago when Botswana attained its independence.She said at the Maun launch of the 40th anniversary of independence that the month of September has had a very hectic schedule because it was the month that the nation had celebrated the 10th anniversary of Vision 2016, it is a month of prayer, a month at which the nation celebrates the 40th anniversary of independence, and finally a month in which the roving independence Torch travelled from cities to towns to villages across the country to show unity.Malala said the nation should commit itself to unity, self-reliance, development and democracy.

This, she said was a month when Batswana should reflect and say how much they have achieved and if they are really gearing in achieving the intended pillars of Vision 2016. She also took the audience down memory lane by recalling1966 when the prime minister of the then-Bechuanaland Protectorate, Seretse Khama, asked fellow Batswana to think of doing something so as to gain independence.

She said then there was only 3km of tarred road in Lobatse, which was to be used by whites from Britain when coming from Mafikeng - the then capital of Bechuanaland. Malala said then the two flags of Bechuanaland and the United Kingdom (the Union Jack) were the order of the day, even though the Queen’s representative, Princess Marina, instructed the Police Mobile Unit to fly the national flag high while the Union Jack was lowered as an indication she was declaring this country independent from British rule.

Malala recalled songs, ululations and dances that September 30, 1966 as the nation rejoiced. The national anthem (fatshe leno la rona) was sung that day, and Bechuanaland Protectorate became Botswana. The district commissioner expressed disappointment about the low turn out of members of the public at such an important event as the launch of the anniversary month.

She expected many churches to be at the main kgotla “as this is also a month of prayer.” She urged members of the public “to make it a habit of always praying for those affected and infected” and that people should pray for a cure of AIDS as ARV’s are already assisting.

Meanwhile, residents and civil servants in Maun felt the Torch organising committee did little to see to it that members of the community, particularly school children, had the opportunity to see the roving torch. They said they felt pupils should have been released that day and wait along the streets for the arrival of the Torch rather than be kept indoors and denied the opportunity of seeing such an “educational and historical thing.”

‘No hurry’ Council ends exam hopes

TSAU – Several Form 3 students at Sekgoma Junior Secondary School in Tsau were unable to write their preparatory examination for home economics last week because the Okavango sub-district of the North West District Council (NWDC) failed to provide transport for them from their homes in terms of the remote Area Development Programme.

The government newspaper, Daily News, reports that the students had to be transported to and from school during term breaks, and that those from Qangwa could not write the examinations because they were not collected from the village on time.

The newspaper quotes the school’s head teacher, Godiraone Gothaang as saying that home economics preparation gives the students the go-ahead to write the practical “If you did not enter the preparation session you will not be allowed to enter the practical exam which carries 30% of the final mark in the junior certificate examinations.”

The Okavango sub-district had been informed that the examination would be held immediately schools resumed “but it decided to bring the students late,” the newspaper reports. The school had written to the District Commissioner for assistance in the matter as well as to the Chief Education Officer (examinations and testing division).

The ODMP Process
By Tigele Mokobi

The Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) is designed to adopt a process which amalgamates planning concepts applied in the current planning systems of government with those adopted through the implementation of the Ecosystems Approach and the Ramsar Planning guidelines. In this context, the ODMP works towards integrating the principle of the Ecosystem Approach with the socio-economic, biophysical and institutional realities on the ground, while the adaptive nature of the plan requires that it integrates resource management through communication, networking and information exchange.

The key principles of the Ecosystems Approach, which are integration/coordination and participatory planning, while central elements to the ODMP processes have proven to be very difficult areas to put in practice. There has been no template that can be fully applied to derive intended objectives as the processes develop, evolve and mature over time. The process, thus calls for flexible, dynamic and adaptive elements at all stages of planning including the implementation phase.

The adaptive elements of the ODMP manifest themselves through various forms which include: modeling or simulations, pilot activities; communication and collaboration through dialogue, feedback, networking and sharing experiences with stakeholders, other programmes and international partners; institutional restructuring; participatory planning; incorporation of local or traditional knowledge systems; database creation and management; monitoring and evaluation tools; resource profiling and mapping; and the ‘hot spot’ (burning issues) approach. All of which contribute to identify key areas, which require management interventions.

The key principle of the ODMP is, “the creation and strengthening of ownership’ of the plan, both in the planning phase as well as in the subsequent implementation. This has been the over-ridding factor for all activities and models adopted in the ODMP planning process. It dictates the need for responsible management and insists on accountability for actions at all levels of management.

Through the application of the Ecosystem Approach, the need to consult and allow for wider participation in planning at local, regional and international levels is observed.  The ODMP is therefore premised on dynamic principles which will allow for continuous learning of lessons and experiences and the sharing of these with stakeholders.

Man who buried his girlfriend appears in court
By Delphin Koma

A man  who allegedly   assaulted and then burned his girlfriend to death on a lonely farm has appeared in the Maun high court charged with murder. Dineo Mathepe, of Nocjane, was last week arraigned before court. It is alleged he committed the crime on Edward Joseph’s farm at Charleshill.

The court was told that that Mathepe and his girlfriend, Xhia Oba, went on a drinking spree on September 9, 2003 and later decided to get back to the farm where Mathepe was working.

The court also learnt that the accused demanded back about P200, which he had allegedly given to the girlfriend during the drinking session.Mathepe told the court that Oba started insulting his parents and also picked up a stick and hit him on the back numerous times. “I only beat her once on her legs and in the way she fell to the ground she hurt her face and was staggering all over the road,” Mathepe told the court. He added that after a while, the two left the road and decided to rest for the night as she had been complaining of “pains all over her body.”

Mathepe said: ‘We made fire and I fell asleep, leaving her drinking beer and smoking dagga.’’ He was surprised the following morning when he woke up to find the deceased’s body was burning and said “she looked stiff.” He told the court that in the confusion and fright he felt, he decided to bury her. The case continues.

Rape still a concern to the police
By Golang Raditsela

District CID officer Mookame Kame says he is very concerned about the number of rapes taking place in Maun.He said even though the number was lower than those of past years, it is still of great concern to police because numbers seem to be gradually increasing. Statistics show that each week at least one woman is raped and that during the past three weeks, four young women and girls had been raped.

On August 31, a 17 year old girl was allegedly raped by a gate attendant at Makalamabedi gate during the absence of her parents.A 10 year old girl was raped by an unknown man on her way to school in the morning of September 5.

The police are investigating two rape cases in which two Thito women were raped. On the first account a 16 year old was gang raped by a gang of five after midnight near her place. The girl had gone to a place of entertainment with her cousins and she had been dropped her off at her home. Before she could get into her house, however, the gang of fiver men appeared from nowhere, dragged her to an unknown house and they all allegedly raped her. A report was made to the police and five men are helping the police with investigations. The victim managed to identify one of the suspects.

On another incident, a 25 year old woman was allegedly raped by an unknown man on her way to her home. The woman was walking alone at night when she was attacked and raped by a stranger. No one has been arrested.

Meanwhile, the police are inviting the public to identify goods which are suspected to have been stolen. Kame said the goods were collected from suspects and owners have not been identified as yet. The goods include a silver Telefunken TV, a silver/black Panasonic radio, a silver Tedelex TV, a silver/black Technics radio, a silver/black LG home theatre, a silver Samsung VCR and a pair of white sneakers. 

SPORTS

Zebras ‘blood’ new players

The national team, the Zebras, have gone into camp in preparation for the 40th Independence match and the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon and Egypt, respectively.

The Cameroon match is in Gaborone on Saturday 30, with AFCON game against Egypt on October 7 in Gaborone.Among the players who have been on camp are new faces, including Palapye United goalkeeper Itumeleng Selepa, Mokgwathi Mokgwathi, of TASC, Osenyeng Bashin Tsenang (TASC), and Boitumelo Mafoko and Thatayaone Thekiso (both Township Rollers).  The trio of Diphetogo Selolwane, Mogogi Gabonamong and Kagiso Tshelametsi have not been selected after they did not go to Mauritania.

Moemedi Moatlhaping and Michael Mogaladi will miss the friendly independence encounter, but will be available for the Egypt match.This will be the first time that the Zebras play Egypt. The Zebras last played the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in 1990. The game against the Indomitable Lions will not only mark the 40th Independence celebrations, but be a preparation game for the Egypt encounter.In their first AFCON qualifier, Zebras tumbled to Mauritania by 4-0.

Nhabe League resumes

The 2006/07 Nhabe Regional soccer league season kicks off on Sunday at Maun Sports Complex.

The start of the league was delayed due to the Independence Cup games that have been going on for the past few weeks. The new season will kick off under the new committee led by chairman Kgato Motai. Only two games will be played on Sunday as the semi-finals of the A to Z Independence tournament will be played on Saturday. Maun United, who were knocked out of the Independence tournament by BMC, kick-off the new season against Cubs at 2pm, while Sankoyo and Fuji follow at 4pm.

Volleyball launches Re Ba Bona Ha

Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) affiliates Botswana Volleyball Federation are to pilot the Re Ba Bona Ha programme in the grassroots development plan.

The main aim of the programme is to attract the aged based category of 5 to 17 years to nurture talent and also to fulfil the vision of the Botswana National Sports Council’s 2012 programme that recognises the need for the establishment of age based teams to enhance development.

More BNSC affiliates have submitted proposals and commitment to sports development. The BVF will conduct a coaching course for teachers and community coaches in the Francistown area. The BNSC will also host first aid and event management basic courses on September 23 before the launch.

Weekend soccer results were:

A to Z Independence Cup: Maun Terrors 2 BMC 0; Makgabisanaga 8 Zungu 0; CTO 1 North West United (Elephants) 2; Maun Tigers 1 Gaegolelwe 0

Mascom Premier League: Lobtrans Gunners 0 Centre Chiefs 2; Police X1 2 Gaborone United 2; Nico United 2 UF Santos 2; Prisons X1 0 TASC 0; Ecco City Green 3 Notwane 2; Jwaneng Comets 1 Township Rollers 1; FC Satmos 1 Tafic 1; BMC 0 BDF X1 1 

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Independence Cup (semi-finals): Saturday – North West United (Elephants) v Makgabisa 2pm; Maun Tigers vs Maun Terrors 4pm. Both games to played at Maun Sports Complex.

Nhabe Regional League – Sunday: Maun United v Cubs (2pm); Sankoyo v Fuji Rollers (4pm). Both games at Maun Sports Complex         

Mascom Premier League: Saturday - TASC v FC Satmos (Masunga); Township Rollers v Lobtrans Gunners (Gaborone National Stadium); Notwane v Jwaneng Comets (Lobatse);  BDF X1 v Ecco City Green (SSKB); Tafic v Nico (Francistown).

Sunday - UF Santos v Police X1 (SSKB); Centre Chiefs v Prisons X1 (Lobatse);   Gaborone United v BMC (Otse). All games kick off at 3.30pm.

Vol 8 No 332 September 15 - 22, 2006  Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper  Tel: 686  4807  Fax: 686 0257  e-mail: tnt@info.bw    

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VILLAGE THAT TOOK THE LONG DROP

Some of the toilets built in the bush, and which do not work      (Picture: Bright Kholi) By Bright Kholi

SANKUYO- Villagers here look out daily at something they certainly don’t want to see – 40 spanking new toilets which stand guard over their community, and which they cannot even flush!

They are unhappy people following the building, at a cost of P260 672, of the toilets seven years ago, and which stand as a reminder that there are white elephants in the bush and, unhappily, that there are also people who apparently take advantage of poor rural communities. The toilets have not been used as it quickly became clear that the long drop “environmental” loos would never work!

This was revealed by village chief Timex Moalosi to a parliamentary committee on environment and agriculture that visited the village last weekend as part of a countrywide tour to familiarise itself with various issues. Moalosi said the community decided in 1999 to build 40 toilets and took advice from the North West District Council (NWDC), which promised to help find a suitable contractor.

This they did, and they were charged P260 672 for the work. When construction was completed, the community realised almost immediately that the toilets were not functioning, but by which time they had already paid the contractor, who had left the site.

“We went back to Council to tell it our problem and they promised to help us,” he said. Moalosi regretted that to date they still have not received any solution to the problem from the Council, adding that the community has now decided to spend more money to build other toilets and demolish the seven year old toilets

Council chief wants to sue paper

The Secretary of the North West District Council (NWDC), Paulos Nkoni, is threatening to sue The Ngami Times for libel. He has objected to this newspaper reporting it cannot obtain comment from him or his officials on issues affecting the Council.

Nkoni announced his intention of banning the newspaper from obtaining NWDC information during a speech at a World Press Freedom Day commemoration in Maun on May 6 this year.  The Ngami Times has since then tried unsuccessfully to obtain comment on various issues. Its reporters were informed by Nkoni’s staff and officials that they were not allowed to talk to them.

The inability to obtain information has been stated in reports in order to advise readers as to why stories could not be balanced, as is normal journalistic practice. Nkoni describes the reference to him in such comment as “an innuendo in its ordinary and natural meaning to ordinary and reasonable person(s) in Ngamiland, the republic and the whole world within the circulation and accessibility of the internet . . . that the Council Secretary banned the newspaper reporters and officials from accessing and obtaining official information from the Council.”

He says it depicts him “as a person who does not only respect the freedom of speech as enshrined in the constitution but as an arrogant person without any regard to the law” and “displays him as a person with excessive power, undemocratic and above the law who can ban the accessibility of information without procedure.”

Nkoni said the “article not only bore the hallmark of exaggeration but (was) also libelous and smacked with (a) high degree of unfounded and wanton imputations maliciously published to defame me (and) this has seriously demeaned my reputation as a public officer and defamed my name.”

The editor, Norman Chandler, said the newspaper had a responsibility to its readers to state why it could not obtain comment. “We have not portrayed him as a person abusing his powers, as being undemocratic or being above the law, as he has stated, but have said merely that there is a ban in force. 

“It is a fact that our newspaper was banned. It is what Mr Nkoni said in a speech before hundreds of people including representatives of the District Commissioner, Botswana Police, the business community, and the director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana Chapter), who took it upon himself to reply to Mr Nkoni during the commemoration.”

Independence Torch reaches Okavango, Ngamiland

District Commissioner Bernadette Malala hands the Independence Torch to Kgosi Mathiba Moremi III of the Batawana on its arrival in Maun this week By Golang Raditsela

The Independence Torch, which started a nationwide tour from Gaborone on September 1, this week reached the North West District. I was at Sepopa on Tuesday afternoon to see the Torch arrive from Seronga to where it had been taken from Kasane.

Residents in all villages on the way to Maun shouted their happiness in different ways in honour of the Torch itself and the symbolic meaning of it. The Torch was in many villages taken to the dikgotla, and individuals were allowed to briefly touch it as a symbol of unity.

Accompanying the torch was project co-ordinator Tlamelo Montwedi, and members of Botswana National Prayer Team, led by Cynthia Rendoh. The general message is “As we celebrate our independence and beyond, we commit to further diversify our economy in order to attain the millennium development goals and Vision 2016. We commit ourselves to continuous develop strategies geared towards sustainable development for prosperity. We commit ourselves to serve our country with diligence, loyalty and dedication”. Montwedi explained that historically, fire was used to bring together people who were scattered due to war and other reasons. He said it is the same with the roving Torch as Batswana are encouraged to come together as one.

Sepopa chief Rangosa Nkape said the Torch symbolises a prosperous way to Vision 2016 while village councillor Robin Maiketso felt the Torch showed recognition for the village as well as combining many different tribes in to one large nation. Gumare chief D Salepito considered his village and people “very lucky” and the headman of Nokaneng, Fish Ozoo, told of how his people spent sleepless nights preparing for the day. He said the Torch symbolised unity and the Covenant existing in the nation. Tsau chief Ebineng Pusoeng encouraged residents to understand the Torch’s symbolic meaning.

The District Officer for Okavango, Pepukai Makambe, encouraged Batswana to keep up the spirit of unity as they have shown in receiving the torch. In Maun, Basadi Morokotso reports that on arrival at Shashe Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, the Torch was handed over to District Commissioner Bernadette Malala by Montwedi. It was then taken through Maun and on its way to the Kgotla, the Torch was met by teachers and students from Maun Senior Secondary School, the Ministers’ Fraternal, and then taken to North West District Council chairman John Benn at the Rural Administration Centre.

After being taken to Tawana Land Board, it reached the Kgotla where it was handed over to Kgosi Mathiba Moremi, who passed it to different headmen and chiefs before the general public had a chance to touch it. Mathiba lit a symbolic fire with the Torch. The Torch left Maun on Thursday for Ghanzi and other areas. It is expected to return to Gaborone on September 30.

Maun woman tops in the World Cup competition

Maun’s Ethanile Rabai is the proud winner of a complete home theatre worth P48 000 – comprising a Philips 42-inch plasma flat screen TV, Philips DVD recorder and a Philips home theatre. And it only cost her P1 000 for a radio she bought from Furnmart, and entered her name into a lucky draw held to celebrate the World Cup soccer tournament. Furnmart and Philips hosted the promotion in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. And not only did she win, but also Maun’s Thero Leratang who won the first prize for being the top sales person for  Philips products during the promotion. She won herself a Philips 54 cm TV and a Philips Home theatre system. Other winners in the Philips and Furnmart promotion were Maherero, who won a Philips home theatre system, as well as Leina Nkapana and Rebinaefe Makata. The fourth winner was Mosiako Bashe, who won a Philips domestic appliance hamper. During the presentation ceremony, Philips sales agent Chris Lahama said that he was happy at the outcome as people are recognising the company’s products.

Bana ba Letsatsi shows the way By Basadi Morokotso

Bana ba Letsatsi Trust is a day care centre for children at risk that started its operations in December 2002 under a shade of a tree with the aim being to see all children and youth in need becoming productive members of the community.

According to the coordinator Lilian Costa. the mission behind the establishment of Bana ba Letsatsi is to keep “children at risk” in Maun off the streets and away from negative influences by empowering them through education and support.

She says they are trying their best level to discourage these children to use the streets as a way of survival where they are targeted by troubled characters and as a result many of them choose to roam the streets getting involved in petty crime, sniffing glue and many times being sexually abused. The main aim is to keep these special children busy during weekdays through providing non-formal education and extra activities after school and during school holidays.

The centre also provides breakfast, lunch and snacks and motivates the children to keep themselves clean. Costa said when the Social Department cannot provide school uniforms for some, they try their best to find funds for those whose parents can’t afford the clothing item.

So far, as a result of almost three years of hard work, Bana ba Letsatsi has managed to re-introduce (in some cases introduced for the first time) 71 children to the public school system in an attempt to push them back to mainstream society.The centre has managed to create jobs for six working full time as well as four volunteers.

They have been running its activities in a financially regular way with the help of a private American donor who manages a small foundation called the Somarela Fund. They also get support from individuals and development agencies. The reason of having so many children in need of help is the severe lack of parental care that is caused mainly by alcohol abuse, unemployment and poverty. Bana ba Letsatsi also assists the children with home and school visits and counselling sessions. All the cases supported by BBL are taken with the knowledge of the Social & Welfare Department

Wrap up time, but still a long way for the ODMP
By Bright Kholi

The Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) project is doing the final wrap-up of the plan as this week a consultative forum was held to give all stakeholders an opportunity to exchange views on the contents of the draft management plan.

At the same time, the project communication team is also conducting kgotla meetings in the district to consult with communities on the draft plan. The final plan is expected to be complete by October and the deadline for the submission of ideas and comments has been set for September 29. However, while the project may be coming to an end, the consultation will still continue during the implementation of the plan over the next six years.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tutu Tsiang, told a stakeholder workshop this week in Maun that as everyone looks to the final ODMP, elements of sustainability, partnership building and adaptive planning which are critical for successful implementation of the plan have to be seriously considered. “I am informed by the Project Secretariat that at all the workshops and meetings where the Draft Management Plan has been considered so far, these elements featured strongly,” Tsiang said.

She said to address these, the Department of Environmental Affairs office in Maun which will be functional by November, will be established to co-ordinate among other things, the implementation of the ODMP. “We are aware of capacity limitations that exist in some of your departments that might make it difficult for you to implement relevant sections of the plan. We want to appeal to you to look into this,” she said. She urged that for the plan to make an impact, the partnership that was created during the development of the plan, especially between government departments and the local authorities, needs to be maintained or even strengthened.

Contractors take issue with newspaper over roadworks

The contractors on the new Disaneng road have taken issue with The Ngami Times over an article that appeared in this newspaper recently regarding the complaints of the North West District Council (NWDC) about delays in the work. The contractors were told by the NWDC chairman John Benn, in his Chairman’s Report read to a recent full Council meeting, that they had to increase productivity. This newspaper reported that information and also obtained comment from the industry about the project in general, which is normal practice in the media in general.

The China Jiangsu International Botswana company, the contractors, strongly object to the information published “and the negative attitude the article conveys”’ and adds that our story appeared to indicate the company is corrupt in that it managed to win the contract. At no time has The Ngami Times made any such indication and would not do so in any event. The newspaper also takes exception to the suggestion from the company that it (the newspaper) is influenced by rival companies to the contractors. This newspaper has also been requested to furnish proof of allegations of how the contract was obtained and the schedule of work.  We are not privy to such information and also to the work schedule, which is the prerogative of the NWDC.

We accept that there is nothing illegal in how the company obtained the contract. The story also did not indicate in any way that the company was involved in corrupt practices.

Water resources campaign road show reaches Maun

The water resources management road campaign which started on Monday this week will reach Maun today (Friday). The event has been organized by the Global Water Partnership Botswana Chapter in liaison with other stakeholders.The aim of the campaign is to promote active public participation and involvement throughout the country.

The objective is to sensitise stakeholders on an integrated approach to management of water resources, specifically focusing on integrating HIV/AIDS and gender mainstreaming.An objective is to sensitise Batswana with an integrated water resources management concept and its relation to the arid and drought stricken environment in Botswana and also to be tool for a membership drive for the Global Water Partnership-Botswana chapter.

Another is to lobby for political support in districts, and a broad-based integrated natural resources management and strategic planning.The theme for the campaign is “Play your role, water is a basic need for development.” The Maun road show will be held today (Friday) at 3pm at the Old Mall in the open space between Nando’s and Choice. The show is held through the use of mobile audiovisual means.

Thanks for saving my life
By Golang Raditsela

Saturday September 9 saw the Mohemele family in Borolong ward in Maun hosting a ceremony with two meanings-a - remembrance of a sad past and happiness for triumph. Bakaa Mohemele together with his family expressed their immeasurable thanks to Tally Tshekiso, the executive director of Caratex Botswana, for saving his life, by sponsoring a kidney transplant.

Mohemele had been suffering from a kidney disease to the point when some people thought it was over with his life, but he never gave up hope, as he said.
He could not receive any medical help unless he could pay P130 000 for a kidney transplant, as well as finding somebody to donate a kidney. Bakaa said he will never forget the day Tshekiso called him and promised to pay the cost on condition he found a kidney donor – and who better than his sister, Maokwa Mohemele.

The guest of honour was Tshelang Masisi, Member of Parliament for Francistown West, who was also a victim of kidney disease and who was in turn saved by his wife. During his speech, Masisi emphasised that it is possible for a person to save another’s life. He pointed out that kidney disease has been in existence for years and he encouraged people to know their status before it is too late, especially those who suffer from high blood pressure and sugar diabetes.

He also encouraged victims of the disease to accept their situation, and have hope and trust in God, and urged the public to support each other by giving and sharing. He believed Batswana have come to an era where they see an importance of donating organs, just like it happens with blood donations. Tshekiso also expressed how grateful he was to have helped and encouraged others to follow the same route. He disclosed that he came to know about Bakaa’s need for help through a donation form which was placed in a shop.  He was touched by the fact that people were donating very small amounts of money which would not catch up with Bakaa’s desperate need. He then felt he had to do something.

EDITORIAL

The long wait

It is a pity that Maun’s long awaited new hospital will be just that – long awaited! There was hope three years ago when the first sod of soil was turned at the site that the institution would be ready by mid-2006 but now that date has been stretched to early 2008, according to reports, and that is only if new mechanical and electrical contractors can be found to fill the vacuum left by the bankrupt former contractors.

The size of the hospital is awesome if viewed from the air. It will be a pity if the construction of it is left to die because of an inability on the part of the authorities to find a suitable replacement contractor.

We urge the relevant authorities to renew their efforts and kick-start full construction once again so that this growing town can boast of a hospital that is world-class. Of course, the hospital’s success will depend on its staff and in that regard, one must also hope that programmes are being put in place to ensure excellent staffing is contracted in advance of the opening date.

The Maun Shuffle

Sport is always a soft target for people who want more money. The latest squabble between the Botswana Football Association and its international players based outside the country is a case in point, Shuffle thinks, and may well have led to the humiliating downfall of the Zebras when they played Mauritania in the wastes of the Sahara Desert the other day.

The team coach, Colwyn Rowe, hit the nail on the head when he told a TV reporter last week on the side’s return to Botswana that the cash problem was a factor as three stars wouldn’t play unless they got more pay. That’s a terrible reflection on national pride, and an attitude that has crept into the world game and not only in Botswana,

Even one of our top soccer administrators felt the need for more money when he sold free World Cup tickets and earned himself a rebuke from FIFA. So far, the BFA hasn’t taken any action against him to write home about.

This is supposed to be a game by the people for the people – but, hang, if the alleged stars demean themselves by shouting for more like a modern day Oliver Twist, what’s going to happen next? Maybe they are hoping there will be pots of gold in the goalmouths, at the halfway line and the four corners of the pitch?

Botswana football is not particularly rich and therefore one would hope that these people (because that’s what they are) will put pride and country first. It’s a hollow thought.

On the subject of Mauritania, Shuffle spent a productive couple of hours last week checking up on the state of that Islamic Republic’s football, and came away with the thought (before the game) that the Zebras were in for a hammering! It is not difficult to see why Mauritania soccer has returned consistently good performances down the years.

They basically have nothing else to do out there as the Sahara Desert to all intents and purposes keeps them very much at home, so practice, practice, practice must be the name of the game. Practice of course is what makes things perfect – and certainly not for an hour only the day before the match as Zebras did!

**

There was once a young woman who came straight out of college to Shuffle’s verandah and spoke about selling advertising for The Ngami Times. We gave her the opportunity and she grabbed it with both hands.

She turned out to be a gem, eventually moving on to Francistown and Gaborone to hone her craft. Fact Jeke is her name, and last week she officially launched the “Hotel & Catering” magazine which by its very name caters exclusively to the hospitality trade in Botswana.

The Gaborone-based publication contains many interesting stories and other information on the industry. Another Maun success story, and one that this newspaper is proud to have been part.

**

Shuffle notes that three companies are in the running to take over Air Botswana through the privatisation scheme. The three which entered final bids on August 31 were local conglomerate Lobtrans (they also have links to Choppies supermarkets and a host of other businesses), South African Air Link and African World Airways.

Not much is known of the capabilities of Lobtrans apart from the fact that the company transports aviation and other fuels while Air Link is a well-known carrier in southern African skies. African World Airways is also an unknown quantity.

**

Who saw the lunar eclipse the other night?

Shuffle wasn’t on hand to view the cosmic phenomenon but a friend, Sharon, was at the ready with her camera, and recorded the event. We are grateful to her for the photograph that appears elsewhere kin this edition. Of course, we all take events in the heavens with a pinch of salt, more so after the hullabaloo about the “twin” moons of our own Earth’s moon and the planet Mars appearing in the skies during August. Nothing of the sort happened, as far as Shuffle is aware, and even today no reference can be found to anything like it. It seemed so certain at the time!

Awards for top media people

GABORONE - Botswana’s best designed newspaper award has this year gone to the Botswana Guardian.

It was presented at the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana chapter’s annual gala dinner in Gaborone at the weekend. The majority of the awards to journalists were won by radio and television journalists and media staff.

The Journalist of the Year accolade was won by Alpheons Moroka, of BTV, who also won the Investigative Reporter title. Joel Kanopo, of Mmegi, won the Business Reporter award while photographer of the year was BOPA’s Kagiso. The radio programmer award went to Boipelo  Seleke, of YaronaFM. The station’s Desma Basson was judged the best radio newsreader, and the best radio presenter was Lesego Mohutsiwa, of Radio Botswana. The TV presenter of the year is Oteng Mokowe and TV news reader is Reginald Richardson.

P1-m pre-school for desert  village

RAKOPS – The Evangelical Christian Training Trust in Rakops has embarked on a P1-million pre-school project. Project co-ordinator Malaki Gakelebe said in an interview that Dutch churches had assisted with funding.

The state-of-the-art facility will take the place of the existing school which is housed in temporary buildings. The new school is to offer free admissions to orphans while a nominal charge will be levied for other admissions.

Giant fire ‘caused by arsonist’ – Police

RAKOPS - Police are searching for the alleged arsonist believed responsible for starting the devastating fire that destroyed vegetation over a wide area of the Kalahari Desert during the past few weeks. Police in Rakops are appealing to the public for information, it was disclosed this week.

Inspector Rwenya Simasiku said the first indication Rakops police had about the fire came from Local Police at Xhumo who reported a fire on the western side of the village and that it was being fanned by strong winds. “It was difficult to put out the fire but eventually Debswana Diamond Company provided water bowsers which helped to help villagers,” he added. The forestry department also brought in firefighters from Mahalapye, Selebi Pikwe and Serowe. Residents of local villages were also brought in to fight the blaze.

During an inspection, it was found that the fire had started 15km from Setata veterinary gate in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and had spread through Matswere wildlife camp to the Phefodiafoka veterinary camp, moving north to cattle posts such as Kukamana, Garugae 1 and 2, Mangena, Kukamana, Xere and Gudigo.

Orange paints the town orange . . .

The hand-over of the cheque Tshidilo  Stimulation centre.

By Bright Kholi

The chief executive officer of Orange, Thapelo Lippe, says his company is in the network provision industry to stay and will not go anywhere. Lippe was speaking at the opening of Orange’s new Maun store in the Old Mall Extension. Lippe said the move was meant to ensure visibility and accessibility to all customers.

“We therefore want all to know that we are here for the long run and we here to stay,” he said, adding Orange will continue to provide innovative and flexible solutions to its customers at affordable rates. Lippe also highlighted Orange’s commitment to increase communication through increased coverage countrywide. The new shop had been opened with an eye on people’s needs and for the people.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe commended Orange for having seen it fit to move from their previous office which was not accessible to all to a more accessible one. The District Officer-Administration, Lesang Kgomoetsile, said Orange has shown a sign   of customer focus, adding that this showed that the company is aligned to the national Vision 2016. Orange donated a cheque of P7 560 to Tshidilo Stimulation Centre in Maun.

Spring special from Stanbic

In what is thought to be the best offer available within Botswana currently, the fast growing Stanbic Bank has announced a spring special for September.

All clients having a home loan approved during the month of September qualify for a special fixed rate of 15%, a very good rate compared to the current prime lending rate of 16.5%. This rate can be fixed for up to 3 years. The bank is also offering free house protection insurance for the first year as part of the offer.

Stanbic Bank has in recent years shown good growth in the retail segment in Botswana and this offer is also seen as a contribution to the people of the country as it nears its 40th anniversary of independence.

Gearing up for Chinese tourists

GABORONE – Botswana is now an approved tourist destination for tourists from the Peoples’ Republic of China.

Officials from Beijing and Gaborone have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which has placed Botswana on the tourist map in China. The agreement means that the country is one of a select group of international destinations favoured by the Chinese government.

Dutch expert checks on eyes of ARV patients

Christinah Meenken

By Basadi Morokotso

Christinah Meenken, an ophthalmologist from VUMC university hospital in the Netherlands, has for the past few weeks been at the Maun General Hospital  and other local hospitals checking on the eyes of  HIV positive people to see if they  may have developed side effects from antiretroviral (ARV) treatment they are receiving.

Meenken, who is doing this project on voluntary basis, says she first came to Botswana on February and returned again in May. She goes back to the Netherlands soon and returns in November for further clinics. She made it clear that even HIV negative people are able to have free check-ups.

She says every now and then, there are trainee students from the same university hospital coming to offer assistance on a voluntary basis. From the Netherlands she brings along reading glasses and medication for those who are supportive and participating in the project even though she cannot bring as much as she had wanted because she is only allowed to carry 20kg luggage by air. Meenken called on the government to offer a helping hand in checking patient’s eyes as well as finding a way of distributing glasses free to those who find these unaffordable. She is delighted by the overwhelming response she gets from the patients for their loyal support and understanding, adding that they appreciate the good work she does for them and that through that she has made a lot of friends. From Maun she is heading to the bush for a tour of the delta settlements and do checks on  the eyes of those working in the camps and the wetlands before returning home. She has been hosted at various delta camps by Wilderness Safaris.

All the funding is from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nelly Reef Fund, pharmaceutical companies, the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research who assist her with eye drops, spectacles, traveling expenses, and research funds.

Hundreds at top ZCC woman’s burial

KASANE – Mourners From many parts of Botswana and South Africa attended the funeral in Kasane at the weekend of Vana-Ntukwa (Mma-Joe) Elizabeth Likezo Mucheka, the Chobe woman who was killed recently while enroute to the Zionist Christian Church (ZCC) September conference at Moria City in South Africa.

Known for her work with pregnant women and young children of the church, she was the first female elder appointed by ZCC in Kasane, and was praised for her contribution she had made and for teaching young women the correct ways of living their lives. Male and female choirs and traditional dancing groups attended the funeral. Speakers spoke of Mucheka’s co-operation with all language groups and that she did not accept tribal tensions or racial discrimination. She is survived by nine children, 30 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

Okavango’s key  role at world water seminar
By Portia Segomelo

STOCKHOLM, Sweden- Botswana’s water resources, and particularly the Okavango delta, was one of the key talking points at the recently-ended World Water Week attended by 140 countries in Sweden.

The Botswana delegation was led by the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs Charles Tibone and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government who is also a commissioner of the permanent Okavango Commission, Gabaake Gabaake. The project coordinator of the Okavango Delta Management Plan, Portia Segomelo, who is also a member of the Okavango Basin Steering Committee was also part of the delegation.

Other delegates included the chief executive of the Water Utilities Corporation, the director of the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre of the University of Botswana, and officials from the Department of Water Affairs and the regional coordinator of the Every River Project. The conference was held under the theme “Beyond the river, sharing benefits and responsibilities.”

A series of workshops, seminars and side events were arranged where international experts, programmes, and projects made presentations relevanat to their thematic area. The conference delved in discussions around three areas of sharing of benefits and responsibilities in trans-boundary and trans-basin water context under which water scarcity was identified as one of the critical challenges the world has to address during the 21st Century. A co-ordinated approach within the context of United Nations programmes was acknowledged.

“Coping with water scarcity” has been selected as the theme for World Water Week 2007. The other area which was discussed was that of feeding the world in a competitive context in which several case studies were presented to illustrate the possibility to have synergies between sustainable food production and eco system benefits.

Recognition was made to incorporate local knowledge into technologies embraced by other stakeholders and to encourage those which serve multiple ecosystem functions as well as empower local communities in decision making.The conference also tackled extreme events and natural disasters in which it was recognised that there is need to undertake assessment of resources and hazards in order to provide reliable data and information as a basis for strategic planning.

A half day seminar was also arranged by OKACOM, ODMP and the Every River project under the theme “Flowing upstream and downstream: collaboration for better management.”’ Key issues raised covered elements of data needs and priorities within the basin, relationships building and trust between stakeholders in the basin and across boundaries, Institutional strengthening and meaningful stakeholder participation and ownership as well as clarification of management responsibilities at all levels. Portia Segomelo, the ODMP project co-ordinator, was one of 17 panelists who featured on the final Synthesis Panel which took stock of all the deliberations.

The radio that caused havoc

The High Court sitting in Maun has found a Chanoga mother not guilty of the murder of her brother-in-law. Tsibogo Kokwana Tobiso was brought to court accused of killing Kemiso Oduetse over a radio. The murder took place at Xhaega cattle post on October 23, 2003.

Oduetse was said to have come from Chanoga at dusk that day to get back his radio which was being used by Tobiso. The court heard he arrived “in an unstable condition” as he was staggering and carrying a container of traditional beer (khadi).

He was allegedly provocative as he was holding a mophane stick and insulting everyone in the compound including the accused. Oduetse lashed out at Tobiso with the stick, hitting her on the neck.

Tobiso – a mother of two - was said to have got angry and went behind a tent, returning with a plank with which she hit Oduetse five times on his head until he collapsed.

The court was told that after the incident, the accused ran away with her two children and was later found at a neighbour’s house. The court asked Tobiso why she decided to run away after the deceased collapsed. “I was scared. I thought he was going to get up and follow us to fight again”, the accused said.

Detective Inspector Maziba Duna told the court that he went to the scene that night and found Oduetse covered with a blanket and with blood oozing from his ears. Duna told the court that he took the body to Maun general hospital where a doctor certified Oduetse dead on arrival. The blood-stained plank used on the killing was said to have been found 500metres away from the scene buried by the river bank.

The judge, Thomas Masuku, told the court that “the event was provocative and the accused acted to protect her siblings and herself. The evidence given to the court is not sufficient as the plank used was not disclosed as proof of evidence to the court. I find her not guilty.”

The Okavango River Basin – A Shared Watercourse
By Tigele Mokobi

The Okavango Delta, located in the northern fringe of the Kalahari Desert, is the world’s largest inland wetland ecosystem which forms part of a regionally shared river basin, the Okavango River Basin. The river flows off the well-watered highlands of Huambo in Angola, and is joined by the Cuito before flowing 1 200 km downstream through the narrow Caprivi Strip of Namibia dispersing its flow in an alluvial fan known as the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The transboundary watercourse is the only perennial river in Africa that flows eastwards without reaching the ocean forming a unique interior freshwater drainage system in the middle of the Kalahari Desert.

The mosaic of channels, lagoons, swamplands and islands that emerge from the Delta’s waterways give rise to several diverse ecosystems, which in turn offer an oasis of habitat for prolific plant and animal life.  The Delta’s rich biodiversity and myriad of different land and water habitats hold a vitally important place in the ecological, economic and cultural fabric of communities living around it as it provides a vast area of water and flooded grasslands with good grazing for the rich diversity of wildlife and livestock. Many people derive their livelihood from this complex ecosystem through activities such as floodplain farming and harvesting of its natural resources. The Delta is also economically valuable as it serves both as a source of revenue from tourism and of water for the region.

Concerns over increased threats to, as well as actual impacts on, the well-being and changes in the ecological functioning of the Okavango Delta have been attributed to a growing population, its accompanying socio-economic development and the impacts of these. These factors together with the array of national laws, polices and guidelines as well as regional and international conventions, agreements and protocols to which Botswana is a signatory dictated the need and determined the context for an integrated management planning process for the Okavango Delta.

The increased pressure on this freshwater resource resulted on Government ratifying the Ramsar Convention in 1997. The Okavango Delta was listed as a wetland of international importance because it plays a substantial hydrological, biological and ecological role in the natural functioning of a major river basin.

The transboundary nature of the wetland ecosystem has therefore made it critical for the riparian countries to establish platforms for discussion and exchange of views, and mutual beneficial cooperation in order to achieve better management of the shared water resource in an effort to promote the sustainable and environmentally safe development of this unique resource. Hence the establishment of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM). This is a tripartite agreement between the governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia responsible for the management of the Okavango river basin at regional level.   

Local and global interests in this extraordinary and complex hydrological ecological processes together with the requirements of the Ramsar Convention have made it necessary for the Government of Botswana to develop the Integrated Management Plan of the Okavango Delta in order to guide and regulate all activities that take place within the Okavango Delta Ramsar site.

The integrated management plan for the Okavango Delta inherently deals with and addresses the needs and interests of a large number of local, national, regional and international stakeholders. A number of these needs and interests are of a potentially conflicting nature such as between tourism and irrigated agriculture, and between wildlife and cattle farming. These land-use conflicts apply at the local and national level within the Okavango Delta itself and is equally true with regard to the upstream-downstream interactions in the whole river basin and thus also at both the regional and international scale.

With growing water demand in the basin states, the development approaches and directions taken upstream in Angola will determine future water flow to downstream Namibia and Botswana. Both Angola and Namibia have legitimate water resources needs and interests and the potential and actual effects of realising such needs, together with the interactions of ecological processes taking place in the two countries will have to be balanced with the sustainable conservation and use of the resources in the Okavango Delta within the boundaries of Botswana itself.  OKACOM has realized the need to address these issues through an integrated river basin management plan. Botswana has taken a step towards the achievement of the ideals of OKACOM by developing the Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) which will feed into the entire Okavango River Basin Integrated Management Plan once it is put in place.

SPORTS

Cosmos Top 8 tournament launched

From left; Cosmos Chief Engineer, Vikas Chokis, Business Development Manager Parvez Malik, C.E.O Chetan Sham, Chairman of the Organising committee Charles Thabano and Sherink Shah of Maun Wholesale showing the Cosmos Top 8 trophy.     

Maun company Cosmos has joined in the support of the development of soccer by sponsoring a Nhabe regional competition to the amount of P17 000.  The event, named the Cosmos Top 8, was launched at a glittering ceremony at a local hotel last weekend.

The games are due to kick off on the weekend of  15/16 October at Maun sports complex, the teams to take part are those which finished in the top 8 of the 2005/06 season. These are Maun Terrors, Makgabisa, Maun Tigers, CTO, BMC, Sankoyo, Moeti and North West United (Elephants). The winners of this prestigious event will win a floating trophy, and prize money of P3 800 with the beaten finalists getting P2 500. The third-place team wins P1 300 while fourth wins P800. All the teams knocked out in the 1st round will each get a consolation prize of P400. 

Schoolboy star misses Zebras youth XI

GHANZI – A Ghanzi schoolboy soccer star was one of the 25 players chosen by the Botswana Football Association for the African under-17 championship qualifiers.

Kenanao Montsho, of Ghanzi Senior Secondary, missed the final selection of 18 but is likely to get his chance again. Another player with Kalahari Desert links was Botshelo Modirwagale, of Letlhakane Senior Secondary. The squad had been in a training camp all this week under the tutelage of former Zebras national coach and now director of BFA Youth Teams, Veselin Jelusic. If Botswana gets through to the finals, the team will be off to Togo next year for the all-Africa championship. The South Africa game is being played at Eldorado Park stadium in Johannesburg.

Elephants through to Independence quarter-finals

North West United (The Elephants) are through to the quarter-finals of the A to Z Mica Build sponsored Independence soccer tournament. The Elephants turned in a robust performance to book themselves a place in the last eight by knocking out their opponents, Cubs, 3-1.

Both sides, which were playing their first competitive game since the start of the tournament, were showing a lack of combination and took time to settle. However as time went by, Elephants stood firm and made their intentions and presence felt towards the end of the 1st half.

Kgosietsile Kelapile found the back of the net from a beautiful curling free kick by Calvin Mangwiro that found Kelapile in a comfortable position to head home the goal. (1-0). After the goal, Cubs seemed to have found the right track but were left stumbling about and in disbelief after Ogaufi Bathusi made his way past a number of defenders, and blasted his effort over the bar, with Elephants’ Boitshepo Mlotshwa in goals completely beaten. That was a wake up call for the Elephants, who created much more clear chances only to be let down by poor finishing up front.

On the stroke of half time, Elephants were up again  (2-0) through a wonderful goal by young and promising midfielder Kesigo Mmolainyane who connected a pass from Onosi Motoloki after beating the Cubs defence led by Simisane Bathusi and Vutavunashe Tarisai.

More fire works were expected in the 2nd half, as Cubs came back in full force searching for a goal, which they were rewarded with after the goalkeeper failed to clear the from a throw in by defender Buyani Ntweng. The loose ball fell straight to the legs of Kelatlhegile Nkemelang, who easily rolled it into an empty net. (2-1).

The goal brought life to the game that had started slowly, with Cubs now in full control as they were attacking from all angles, putting the Elephants defence under pressure. In a bid to find the equaliser, Cubs made some chances, and the introduction of Kenneth Katjizeu, Petros Malaesa and Godirileone Leso caused a scare to Elephants as Cubs were unstoppable. The Elephants showed maturity and experience when they slowed down the pace and silenced the crowd, most of which were rallying behind Cubs.

They made sure of their win when they scored the 3rd goal through a free kick by Kelapile that gave Cubs goalie Motshidisi Kelathile all sorts of problems. (3-1). In other games played over the weekend, BMC knocked out Maun United by 4-3. BMC got their goals through Phemelo Kenosi, Sekano Bodio, Tuelo Matlhare and Olorato Phasogo, while United scored through Ofentse Nakedi and two from Otshotswe Thabare.

Vol 8 No 330 September 8 - 15, 2006  Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper  Tel: 686  4807  Fax: 686 0257  e-mail: tnt@info.bw   

We are sorry for delays in getting the current edition online. It is caused by either lack of host site stability, slow internet connections or... It was not from lack of trying.

The following is our first attempt at doing a poll with our readers. If all goes right, the results should be available on our Must Visit Links page. If you have ideas for another poll, let us know. For more information about birds in Botswana or birding activities that are happening click on the site for BirdLife Botswana now.
 

Mogae hears of company’s achievements

It was a proud moment for Ngamiland stores Midas and A to Z Mica Build when President Festus Mogae called in at the company’s stall during the Vision 2016 anniversary at Sehitwa last weekend. The President had a long and informative talk with company president Subhash Mehta, who told him of the company’s social responsibilities and achievements.  President Mogae was particularly interested in the P400 000 children’s park project in Maun being developed by the company at the insistence of Mehta’s son, Sohum, the young boy’s 250km cycle ride from Maun to Gumare that raised almost P45 000 for Gumare Primary Hospital, as well as the long-term sponsorship of the Maun Independence soccer tournament and the company’s involvement in an annual international fishing competition on the Okavango River. The company’s achievements were also on display at the show. Mehta said the President had remarked that he wished there were other businessmen who have taken the Vision 2016 project to heart as had A to Z Mica Build. At the end of his visit, the crowd noticed the President and Mehta leaving the stall clasping hands.

MORE HOSPITAL DELAYS

By Bright Kholi

The new Maun district hospital is far behind schedule and is now not expected to be completed until early 2008 although the government says it is “inappropriate” to put a date to completion. Construction started in 2003 and was to have been completed by the end of 2006.

The Ngami Times has been told that the delay in the multi-million pula institution – the most modern in Botswana – is the result of the Kentz Botswana debacle, resulting from the mechanical and electrical contractors declaring itself bankrupt last December. Hundreds of workers, including many expatriate specialist staff, were affected by the closure.

The director of the Department of Building and Engineering Services, Jimmy Otsile Modise, told The Ngami Times that “there are significant delays to the project originally scheduled to be complete in the latter part of 2006.’ He however said “it would be inappropriate for the department to comment on the completion date at this time.”

Modise said there has been no activity in the mechanical and electrical portion of the work due to the unexpected liquidation of Kentz Botswana. “However negotiations are at an advanced stage to obtain replacement sub-contractors” and that a lot of time had been spent in negotiating for replacement sub-contractors to complete the job.  “The works involved are complex and risky to the potential contractor, despite intense negotiations with relevant contractors, high costs are associated with completing the project at this time,” he said.  He added that costs of machinery, which have to be imported from overseas, are escalating. Modise said the additional expenditure to the original budget will be unavoidable, adding that since the project started in 2003 there have been two devaluations of the pula, which also contributed to increased costs when compared with the original budget.

Pharmacy worker helps himself to ARV drugs

By Keagisitswe Dioka

A pharmacy technologist at Gumare Primary Hospital was allegedly caught red-handed stealing anti retroviral (ARV) drugs from the hospital.

According to the charge sheet, on August 19 this year Benjamin Zulu, a 32-year-old Zimbabwean, was caught stealing 60 tablets of Aspen Lamzid (Ziddovudine 300 mg +Lamivudine 150mg) valued at P5 819.52, 60 tablets of Viranune (Neirapine 200g) valued at P459.60; 90 capsules of Stocrin (Efarirenze 200mg) valued P1 800; and 60 tablets of Aspen Lamzid (Zidivudine 300mg + Lamivudine 150mg) valued at P5455.80. The stolen drugs are valued at P11 736.72.  According to evidence led in the Maun magistrate’s court, Zulu went to the hospital between 1am and 2am one morning carrying a bag, and started loading the drugs.

When trying to leave, he was spotted by a nurse, who called the nightwatchman. Police were informed and they searched the accused and found the ARV drugs. The accused is on bail and all travel documents have been confiscated.

Meanwhile, Gumare police investigations are continuing to establish whether there are any shortages of drugs at the hospital that may have disappeared in the same way. The case continues.
 

Chobe woman dies in accident

KASANE – A Chobe woman has died in South Africa while travelling to the Zionist Christian Church’s September conference at Moria City. The accident took place near Polokwane. She was Mmandokwa Mocheza, of Kasane.

Three other people in the vehicle, which collided with an abnormal load truck, were injured.

Here’s something unusual – a ‘Mr Gorgeousness’!

BERE, near Ghanzi - Who would imagine young men competing for their gorgeousness  and brain power! Well, that’s what happened the other night at Bere settlement in the Ghanzi district and it turned out to be a completely new experience for Ghanzi youth in the world of “beauty” contests.

There was a unique twist with a touch of masculinity to it - male soccer players strutting their stuff wearing soccer attire, parading with different techniques and uniqueness.  Some even had condoms creatively attached to their heads along with some tied to their socks with shoelaces.

Each of the contestants were named after a government  health programme, such as PMTCT, condom, IPT,A RV, STI’s, AZT, AIDS, TB, HIV and positive living. The contestants were first called in one at a time with the facilitator asking the audience questions about each programme and how it relates to them. Amazingly, most of the random responses from the crowd were quite good!

The excited, well behaved and eager crowd made this experience even more motivating. They were freely open in how they understood the programmes. The second round of the contest was just exhilarating and showed that soccer players, too, can dance one at a time, the boys swaying their hips from left to right to a popular Kwaito tune.

PMTCT, from New Kanagas, STI from Bere and Condom from West Hanahai emerged the top three. Immediately the boys were faced challenging and yet informative questions to which they responded well.  “I found it very important because with programmes such as PMTCT. I  knew very little about them and as such I am more informed  this time round and I will be able to share this with some of my  friends”, said Ntlogelang Dekop, one of the participants. Without a doubt this was a good tool for people like Dekop. The night ended with a music jam and condom distribution. The slogans “Low Fats” and “Play it Safe” were chanted throughout night.
 

Maun’s Stanbic beats all the rest!

The staff of Stanbic Bank’s Maun branch this week watched a satellite broadcast that was beamed across the continent to all Stanbic operations in 17 countries that they had won a prestigious campaign that required the branch to achieve against challenging targets for both service and sales components. Andrew Barton, Head of Personal and Business Banking, was really pleased that Maun performed so very well in both areas. He said: “We contract an independent survey company that randomly interviews customers to measure their perceptions of our service. This branch has previously won prestigious awards within our Group for service results and it is very pleasing that the client survey results shows we are still doing well in our objective of really wanting to deliver the best service of all banks in Maun. Maun clearly is a fast growing area with much potential as our new business this year has certainly exceeded our expectations. We really do value the support of the community and hope that some of our innovative products are finding appeal- there will be more to come, too!” Barton said it was hoped the public appreciates the fact that the bank’s staff, like management, are rewarded not only for achieving new business targets but also demanding service objectives, with the clients themselves measuring this important part – and “we are exceptionally proud of our M