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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 attendantBy 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.
Well done, Maun. Keep up the
good work!
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
DELAYSBy
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 |