Edition  326 August 4 - 11, 2006

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Maun Airport’s post office re-opened with pomp and ceremony last Friday. The full-service post office is the 114^th

 opened nationwide by Botswana Post. It is situated on the first floor of the airport concourse

 

‘THANK GOD I AM NOT DEAD’

KASANE – ‘It is only by the grace of God that I am not dead,” says a Kasane man who stared death in the face when an armed robber shoved a pump-action shotgun under his chin and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed. The misfire saved the life of Nick van der Westhuizen, who had lived in the town for nine years, when the robber held him up and stole about P12 000. It was the 17th time he had been a robbery victim in Kasane.

Van der Westhuizen said this week: “I cannot believe it myself that I am alive. I saw how inebriated he was. I kept cool and I wasn’t actually frightened. I wasn’t scared of dying. I was just cool . . .” He told his dramatic story to The Ngami Times this week as he packed up and was ready to leave Kasane for Durban, South Africa. “There had been a robbery at a house in Lesoma Valley last week, when a shotgun was stolen,” he said. “I was asleep in my caravan, who is surrounded by a security fence, when I heard someone shouting obscenities at me.  I took no notice but then suddenly there was an almighty bang as the front door lock was blown out.

“The person holding the shotgun then saw his reflection in a mirror opposite the door and blew that to smithereens as well before telling me not to get up out of my bed. He fired a shot at me and I felt the wind as the charge went past my face. I stayed down. He argued with me and put the shotgun under my chin . . .  and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed. He tried to free the jamming and as he did so, he accidentally pulled the trigger again. This time the shot went through the roof, making a hell of a mess of it. Then it jammed again. The man asked me for US dollars but I didn’t have any. He seemed to know I had sold two engines that day and had the money in a bag. He said he wanted the bag and my wallet. I gave him both as you don’t argue with a man with a shotgun.”

Van der Westhuizen said as the man was “stuffing notes into his pockets” he did not notice that his Omang had fallen on to the floor. “As he left the caravan, he pulled over a table, sending what was on it crashing to the floor. I got up and quickly drove to the police station where I reported the incident, saying I wanted to charge him with attempted murder.”

Van der Westhuizen, who had already found the Omang, was frightened of returning to his caravan that night as the robber may have realised he had lost the ID document but when he did so at first light on Tuesday morning, he found the same man walking out with foodstuffs and other goods.

“I immediately went back to the police where I found another Kasane resident, Mike Chase, reporting he had just been robbed.

“The police went to my home and we found spent shotgun rounds as well as one that had not gone off. The police called in trackers but the man had disappeared.” The Kazungula police this week confirmed that they had arrested Oboifeng Phaladi, 22, who had also allegedly confessed to various burglaries.  According to the Kazungula police station commander, Superintendent Frankel Mohutsiwa, the suspect was eventually found at his house after a massive manhunt. Mohutsiwa said P11 000, 500 South African rands and Zimbabwean dollars equivalent to P4000 had been stolen.

The shotgun was also reported stolen, and has since been found. “We are currently investigating and collecting various goods which he allegedly stole, with some goods being in Zimbabwe,” Mohutsiwa said, adding that Phaladi is likely to be charged with armed robbery. Van der Westhuizen intends returning to Kasane to give evidence against Phaladi when the case comes before court. It is believed that Phaladi was shot two years ago after a burglary and spent some time in prison for that crime.

Meanwhile, in Maun there have been at least 12 housebreakings over the past 10 days.

A well-known couple returned to their home in Matlapaneng on Saturday night to find that it had been broken into. A computer and a bag were stolen.  The robbers are believed to have then gone to a nearby house and attempted to gain entrance, but they were disturbed and  fled. The computer apparently stolen from the previous house as well as a bag was recovered in the yard.

It is reported by reliable independent sources that at least 10 more burglaries took place. Police however said that they had no information to provide to the media.

 

Boys beat off killer croc and hippo attacks fisherman

By Lets Open

 

A desperate fight with a crocodile trying to drag a 15-year-old boy to certain death ended with a gang of youngsters beating the reptile with knobkerries until it let go of the victim’s leg and slithered back into the Okavango River.

Two boys, aged 13 and 15, were herding their family’s livestock to the river for drinking, as they usually did, when the crocodile grabbed the elder boy’s leg. The crocodile had been in river plants and was not visible to the youngsters. The victim sustained severe leg wounds, scratches and abrasions to his back after he fell to the ground several times during the life-and-death struggle.

Meanwhile, illegally fishing in Namibia almost cost the life of a Mohembo fisherman who was at Kwabeng lagoon.

A hippo chased and injured the man who escaped with his life when his screams brought others to the scene.  He had been laying nets without the permission of the Namibian authorities when the attack took place.

Shakawe police chief Malibala Ndiko said this week that “these fishermen don’t listen to what is legal and what is not legal.”

 

Cold front sweeps across country

Bitterly cold weather as a result of snow and rain in South Africa swept across Botswana this week. Temperatures fell in many areas of northern Botswana as residents donned jerseys and coats to ward off the chill. Rain also fell over southern Botswana. Snow fell over the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and Gauteng provinces of South Africa, and over Lesotho and Swaziland. Torrential rain was also recorded in several places. Temperatures are expected to remain low for several days.

 

 

No booze, so man urinates in bar and kicks down door

Even before the proposed liquor Act regulations come into effect, some people are already protesting to the extent of damaging property when told that it’s time to close. Keromile Nkgogelang, 23, of Botshabelo, Maun, recently broke a bar door and urinated inside the bar after being told that the bar was closed.

This week Nkgogelang was  brought before the Maun Customary Court for causing damage to property.

According to evidence led in court, Nkgogelang went to Mummy’s Bar to drink, but when closing time was announced he went berserk, urinating in the bar and then kicked down a door valued at P690.90. The police were informed and he was arrested.

Keromile pleaded guilty before the court and asked the court to be lenient as he is taking care of his disabled father, together with minors, adding that his mother had passed away. Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe explained that no one is allowed to destroy property and went on to sentence Nkgogelang to five lashes and also ordered him to pay P690.90 within a month.

 

Women’s groups worried about rape cases

By Golang Raditsela

 

The increasing trend of rape cases throughout the country poses a serious threat to women. Speaking in separate interviews with The Ngami Times this week, women’s organisations aired their concerns. The vice-president and acting publicity officer of Emang Basadi, Ntombi Setshwaelo. called on the public to unite with their organisation in the battle against rape. Setshwaelo emphasised that rape is not only a problem to women, but to the general public. She maintained that her organisation has been fighting the battle for a long time, and it was high time the general public joined in. She said there has been a lot of talking but not enough action, and that strategies to combat rape must be implemented.

Mpho Mahopolo, a counsellor at Women against Rape, agreed, saying that rape in Maun was on the increase and particularly among children. She added that in July, Women against Rape had handled five cases, which she said means that every week a woman was raped during that month.  Their statistics however do not cover all cases as some are handled by the police.

Commenting on the causes of rape, Mahopolo said it is difficult to get to the root of the problem since perpetrators normally deny all allegations. She however pointed a finger at alcohol and drug abuse saying these played a big role. “Alcohol and drugs reduce one’s assessment of another person’s intentions, rate of self defence, and also affect the choice of place and methods of socialisation”, she explained, adding that culture also has its part. When asked  what can be of help to this problem, Mahopolo said she believed educating children from an early age could be the solution. She said parents should learn to have open discussions about sexuality with their children so that they have a broad knowledge of how to conduct themselves.

Each will respect their own body and that of the opposite sex and more over, Mahopolo said women are not safe and always vulnerable to being raped as they do not know what will happen wherever they are.  People need to understand there is absolutely nothing one has to do to deserve to be raped, but there are things that can expose them to rape. She urged women to avoid going alone to odd places as it is one way of reducing the risk and increasing the rate of their protection.

 

Supermarkets pounce on sneaky thieves

Maun’s supermarkets are continuing to be on the alert for petty thieving from their stores. In the latest cases to come before the customary court, Mpopi Senne was found guilty of theft and fined P70 for having stolen from Spar Delta in the Old Mall Ext. It was alleged she had stolen groceries to the value of P65.50.

Giving evidence in court, security guard Machinga Makinda said he found the  goods in the accused’s bag when she tried to sneak out without paying. The goods included two perfumes, a chocolate bar, toothpaste and washing powder. All the products were produced in court as evidence by investigating officer Tshenolo Mophuti. Senne pleaded with court to be lenient with her as she was taking care of her three fatherless children, adding that she was also in poor health.

Asked by Kgosi Oleo Ledimo why she decided to steal knowing the results of it, Senne said she wanted to sell the items to buy mealie meal to feed her “starving children.” The court advised her that there are many ways of making a living besides stealing and ordered her to pay P70 within three weeks or face a jail term not exceeding two months.

In another case, a Zimbabwean man received three lashes for stealing after-shave from Shoprite supermarket. Nivel Chaeva, 28, was brought before the customary court this week. According to Mophuti, Chaeva was arrested after being allegedly found with a stolen Brute after-shave cologne while trying to leave the store undetected. A security guard, Kgomotso Batane, said he stopped Chaeva and found the cologne in the inside pocket of his jacket.

Chaeva admitted the crime and told the court he was ashamed of his actions. He pleaded guilty and told the court that he was the breadwinner back home in Zimbabwe.He was sentenced to three strokes without any fine or imprisonment.

 

Burglary suspect shot dead

GABORONE – A police and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) patrol this week shot dead a suspected burglar in Block 9, Gaborone. It happened when the suspect, a Zimbabwean, resisted arrest and then assaulted a police officer. Police recovered electrical home appliances from the suspect who had been spotted leaving a house in the company of two others who escaped arrest.

The shooting is the second such incident in Gaborone in the past two weeks. Recently, four armed robbers were killed when they attempted to rob Broadhurst Motors. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of police, Edwin Batshu, has told a police conference in Lesotho that at least 10 people have been shot and seriously injured in robberies in Botswana.

Most firearms seized from criminals indicate that these did not originate from Botswana.

 

Human remains could be of missing Chobe man

SHAKAWE – Human bones found at the local dump are suspected to be the remains of a Kachikao, Chobe district, man who went missing months ago.

An Omang card was found near the remains and this was in the name of “Musindo”. The Omang may be connected to the remains.

Forensic tests have indicated that the bones were those of a male aged between 20 and 24.

Police investigations are continuing.

 

EDITORIAL

 

Time to rethink key policy?

Our country’s tourism representatives in Britain have spelled out our biggest problem loud and clear – they report that the public perception is that Botswana is too expensive a destination for tourism, and from what is being said by today’s tourists in Maun, this is echoed by visitors from other European countries.

Botswana prides itself on having some of the finest game viewing in the world, some of the finest bush camps, some of the most natural game parks that can be found anywhere, and a vibrant tourism industry.

Julie Brenner, who represents Botswana tourism in Britain and Ireland, however had some sobering words for the industry when she spoke at a seminar to introduce the World Travel Market to the local industry. Her straight-from-the-shoulder statements were a refreshing change from the fawning attitudes of others who place great store on how well we are doing when in reality the customer base is saying, in effect, “no ways. It’s too expensive.”

Africa was also perceived to be unsafe and that a lack of direct long haul flights was a deterrent on its own while the national carrier, Air Botswana, is regarded by many as being expensive and unreliable.

Brenner said Botswana needed to be branded in an effort to have increased results and to improve the country’s public relations profile.

This means a rethink on our value as a leading tourism destination is urgently required – not in five years time but right now. Is anyone listening?

 

MAUN SHUFFLE

For years now, this newspaper has come in for criticism from the tourism sector apparently because we have publicised woeful facilities in our national parks, animal attacks on tourists, and the high cost of tourism in general in Botswana. The facilities have obviously not pleased  tourists who have gone back to their respective countries and unfortunately spread the word among friends and by writing letters to newspapers and magazines about a country that they perceive does not really enjoy having tourists even though our public relations shouts out about the wonderful parks etc that we have.

This newspaper has also been accused of not supporting tourism’s efforts and even of being unpatriotic, whatever that means in a democratic society. Our patriotism cannot be challenged - we recall that about five years ago this newspaper produced a special supplement which was, with the written permission of the Department of Tourism, to be circulated at South Africa’s Indaba tourism exposition in Durban and later at the World Travel Market in London.

It was a stupendous effort by our staff and we were justifiably proud of our achievement and of our town in the development of tourism in Botswana. What happened was that an official in the Department of Tourism overrode that permission and refused to allow thousands of copies to be handed out to participants from numerous countries.

Despite that, we sent the supplement to London, courtesy of a wonderful operator who told Shuffle later “I broke my arms carrying the damned things” and he, fortunately for us, was able to distribute copies at the World Travel Market, much to the chagrin of the self-same tourism official.

Tourism operators who had paid a lot of money for advertising were upset and, believe it or not, some still are to this day – and we have to agree (probably one of the reasons why you don’t see big advertisements from these companies in our newspaper, apart from the classified advertisements for jobs etc).

Now we have Julie Brenner, the woman charged with selling Botswana tourism to Britain and Ireland, stating quite clearly that Botswana is perceived as being over-priced plus other comments which do not do our tourism industry much good, and she says her job is made much harder as a result.

As we say in our editorial on this page, perhaps this will jolt the Ministry and the department into action as Shuffle believes we need to do much better. Is that being patriotic or is it just plain common sense?

It is not only Brenner who is voicing this opinion. Foreigners who have never heard of her have been telling Shuffle the same – the other night, a Dutch couple said they had cut short their stay in Botswana “because it is too expensive” and opted instead to go to Namibia.

Of course, Shuffle – as patriotic as anyone else - wasn’t happy with this but what can one do when someone has made up his or her mind?

 

**

 

It has taken that most laudable of institutions, the Maun Counselling Centre (MCC), to wield the big stick on churches that are perceived not to be playing their part in assisting disadvantaged children, orphaned as a result of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and others.

Church representatives at a meeting in Maun the other day listened in silence as they were berated for “dragging their feet” when it came to assistance and for paying lip service to the needs of children. It appears that while churches have always taken a lead in organising marches etc in support of the disadvantaged, they are sorely lacking – with some notable exceptions - when it comes to actually dipping their hands into the collection plates to assist in the upkeep of these children.

They were urged at that meeting to actually act like “Christ’s ambassadors” and to practice what they preach.  That’s pretty harsh but maybe in this tough world, it is fully understandable as churches, too, are battling for survival.

Travel through European countries and you will come across empty churches on Sundays, boarded up churches in towns and villages, and churches that have been closed down and turned into homes. That is all indicative of a seemingly disinterest in religion and more than likely in the dogma preached by particular branches of religion.

Shuffle hopes that Maun churches will find the courage and piety to help the orphaned children, in particular, and show that they really do care through mobilising their congregations to do something tangible.

 

**

 

Did you know that there are many more women in the Okavango Delta area – the world’s largest Ramsar wetland - than there are men? It’s a fact, according to statistics published in the use and land management plan for the Ramsar site.

There are 58 215 women as against 52 637 men, and most women are in the age group 20 to 29 or else over 75 years of age. In the latter grouping, women outstrip males 60.7% to 39.3%!

The statistics also confirm Maun’s position as the dominant town in the region, followed interestingly enough by Gumare which has a seventh of Maun’s population of 43 776 (2001 Census). Next largest is Shakawe, followed by Nokaneng and Etsha 6. Maun and Gumare are the only two places which boast tarred roads – Maun has 34km and Gumare, 2km. All the rest are served by either sand, paved or gravel roads.

Another interesting detail is that the Maun-Sehitwa road is the busiest in the area as is Maun airport the busiest in the country.

 

Councillor needs answers, so does his electorate

By Bright Kholi

 

SEKONDOMBORO - When people in a certain area are not happy with developments, they usually look to their political leaders for answers and explanations. For Ngarange/Mogotho and Sekondomboro residents, the answers do not come easily from their councillor, Mbathera Ngundura. Just like his electorates, Ngundura has more questions than answers regarding developments in his area, especially at Sekondomboro Primary School.

Despite being in the North West District Council’s education committee, Ngundura still does not know why it takes so long for the local primary school’s kitchen to be roofed after the original roofing was blown away by wind about two years ago.

In his remarks at a full council meeting held on May 23 this year, the NWDC chairman, John Benn said “The roofing of Sekondomboro kitchen, which was blown way by the wind, has resumed with expectations of handing it over by end of June 2006.”

In May 2005, Benn said about the same kitchen, “The Sekondomboro kitchen was complete but the roof has been blown away by the wind. The matter has been referred to the insurance company for compensation. Ngundura told The Ngami Times this week that he has “problems understanding what could be the problem.”

Now, a year and two months later, Ngundura still cries foul as the roofing is still not complete. According to Ngundura, the contractor on site is “slow” and has been surpassed by the date in which the kitchen was supposed to have been handed over – at the end of June this year, as stated by Benn. He said the education committee and the entire council are aware of the problem.

Ngundura says the delay in the completion has resulted in some serious problems as now a classroom is not only being used for lessons but also as a storeroom for food and kitchen equipment. “If we go there now, you will find that children are in the same classroom with food, books, pots and other equipment and the smell emanating from the classroom is a health hazard,” he said.  Ngundura says he has taken all the relevant authorities to view the situation for themselves but is disturbed that nothing has come out of it.

He also regretted that the old toilets at the same school were no longer serviceable and some have fallen in, adding that although construction of new ones was ongoing, it was also too slow. “Children have now resorted to using the bush for their toilet. Teachers have also complained about this sorry state of affairs,” he said. He said it was unfortunate that sub-district and district level supervision left a lot to be desired.

Ngundura has been very vocal in council about this issue, at times getting emotional and being ordered to sit down. Ngundura also complained about the Mohembo-Gudigwa, road which is a very bad state. He said at present only 15 potholes are being filled up, adding that the material being used was sub-standard. Five accidents have occurred along the road with the latest one involving students from Ngambao Junior Secondary School, in Seronga. He said the road should have been considered first for tarring before the proposed bridge at Mohembo.

He also questioned why such a big state-of-the-art police station was built in Seronga while there is no hospital. Ngundura also believes that people’s health comes first.  “You can never make it to Shakawe from Seronga or Gudigwa with a critically ill patient along that road. Patients usually die along the way to Shakawe,” he said.

Meanwhile, some people have questioned the viability of the police station, saying it is bound to become a white elephant as it was under-utilised - “there another big police station at Shakawe. There was no need for another big one at Seronga and the funds should have been used to build a primary hospital for the villages,” he said.

Botswana tourism perceived to be expensive

Julie Brenner at the recent workshop

By Bright Kholi

 

Botswana tourism is said to be perceived by most international tourists as expensive because of the country’s low volume high quality policy. This has been said by the Botswana tourism representative in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Julie Brenner, at a recent workshop on the World Travel Market (WTM) with tour operators in Maun. The workshop was organised by the Botswana Tourism Board in a bid for local operators to participate in the forthcoming WTM in London in November.

Brenner said in marketing Botswana, her comp any had  “come across some challenges from the customer base in the UK and Ireland.” She said one was that Botswana was perceived to be expensive as compared to other countries, and also that Africa was perceived to be unsafe. A lack of direct long haul flights was a deterrent on its own. She said Air Botswana is seen by many as being expensive and unreliable, adding that this is also compounded by increased competitor marketing.

She said in their endeavour to market Botswana well, they have had to specify in brochures that Botswana was unique and its tourism attraction sites were also unique and still very natural. Brenner said Botswana needs to be branded so to increase the connection abroad, adding that she is hopeful that since the Tourism Board is in the process of branding Botswana tourism, there will be increased results. She also said that there is need to increase the public relations profile.

 

Police chief commends shoot-out team

GABORONE – The Commissioner of the Botswana Police, Edwin Batshu, has commended members of a joint Botswana Police and Botswana Defence Force team that foiled an armed robbery in the city last week. Four foreign gangsters were shot dead at Broadhurst Motors, while a fifth escaped. Batshu said that while it was regrettable that the shoot out resulted in the deaths, he was pleased the officers emerged unscathed.

He said 10 innocent civilians had been injured in armed robberies in Botswana between January and June this year and that this was an indication that criminals were prepared to kill innocent people. Batshu added the police were prepared “to reward handsomely those who were prepared to pass quality information to the police that could lead to containing violent crime.” He also urged shops to discontinue the sale of toy guns which he said were regularly used in the violence.

Police said the four suspects  were Eric Mpofu, of Durban, South Africa, and Faison Mtambo, of Harare, Evidence Mbaiwa, of Kadoma, and Vodka Jawapu, of Kwekwe, all of Zimbabwe. Mpofu, Mtambo and Mbaiwa were travelling on Malawi passports.

 

Regional youth forum for Orapa

GABORONE – A regional youth forum to discuss issues and challenges is to take place at Orapa from August 13 to 19.

The Ministry of Education’s curriculum development and Evaluation department’s guidance and counselling division says that the forum will enable 130 participants to share ideas and experience on emerging issues, review intervention strategies, review current HIV/AIDS programmes, empower young people with knowledge and life skills, and acquire skills in communication, interpersonal relations and decision making.

A mini expo is to be staged on August 17.

 

Ridge to attend conference on broadcasting reforms

By Bright Kholi

 

The Member of Parliament for Maun West, Ronald Ridge, has been invited to a top international media conference to be held in Maputo later this month. The conference will discuss broadcasting regulators, and a continuation of the audit on broadcasting legislation in Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

A follow-up on resolutions made by the SADC Parliamentary Forum on Broadcasting Reforms in Swaziland in April of this year is also on the agenda. Ridge will address the conference on the role of parliaments in broadcasting reforms and also report back the recent conference on broadcasting reforms. It resolved to act in the public interest and to play a role in expediting broadcasting reforms.

Delegates also resolved that this would give practical meaning to agreed principles that democracy demands public debate, transparent decision making, free exchange of ideas, opinions and information with the media, and to enhance the political will and a sense of urgency in the countries to seriously embark on the process of broadcasting reforms.

 

Local company wants to run Air Botswana

A Lobatse company is one of the seven companies that have bid to take over Air Botswana when it is privatised.

Lobair, which is part of the Lobtrans Group, is seeking the contract against companies and airlines such as Comair, SA Airlink, Tourism Empowerment Group (South Africa), InterAir (South Africa), African World Airways, Ethiopian Airlines Enterprises, and ExecuJet (Switzerland).

Comair already successfully operates British Airways and kulula.com in South Africa and was a previous bidder for Air Botswana. A report in a Gaborone newspaper says that Air Botswana is viewed by SA Airlink as having “interesting opportunities in the region.”

Lobair’s chief executive, Sam Asmal, is quoted as saying that his company was ready to improve the fortunes of Air Botswana and make it a regional profitable outfit.” Asmal said Botswana had an advantage through its geographical situation in SADC.

Lobair would ensure that more flights are scheduled between Gaborone and Johannesburg and a new route opened to Lusaka.

A bidders’ conference is due to be held during August.

 

Dangers of bars near churches, schools

Much has been said and written about a plan by President Festus Mogae to stop bars and bottle stores being opened close to churches, schools, hospitals and clinics, and to limit bar opening hours. He told kgotla meetings during a recent countrywide tour that such places will have to relocate within five years and that changes to the Liquor Act would be made to ensure this took place. As this special report points out, international experience is that the higher the number of bars in a neighbourhood, the higher the rates of assault.

During the whole argument in newspapers about the proposed bar operating hours, the liquor industry’s supporters have given a lot of their opinions but have also fallen short on facts. Since we can believe, based upon accepted medical facts, that the bodies and brains of humans the world over react to and are affected by alcohol in similar ways, we don’t have to wait for studies to be done in Botswana. That is a delaying tactic of the pro-alcohol faction that should not be permitted to influence decision-making about this important subject. Facts about Alcohol the Drug are readily available and speak for themselves.

A new study analyses the relationship between alcohol outlets and overnight hospital stays due to assaults.

Results indicate the greater the density of alcohol outlets, especially bars, the higher the rates of assault. The authors speculate that failure to regulate growth in outlet numbers will lead to higher rates of violence, especially in urban areas. Roughly 15 years of research has shown that the availability of alcohol – as measured by the number and types of alcohol outlets – is directly related to interpersonal violence. A longitudinal study spanning six years is the first of its kind to use overnight hospital stays to re-examine the influence of alcohol outlets upon violent assaults. Findings confirm the greater the outlet density, the higher the rates of assault.

According to the report in the publication “Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research”. Hospital discharges are carefully tracked throughout the State of California, in the United States, and provide accurate assessments of causes of injury.

This is the research conducted by Paul J Gruenewald, of the Prevention Research Centre in the United States. “Included among these are assaults or injuries that arise from some form of inter-personal violence. About one out of 10 assaults recorded by police are severe enough to require hospitalisation. “Thus, assaults recorded in discharge data represent the most severe cases of inter-personal violence, short of death, that occur in the state.”

Using the data on violent assaults rather than crime reports from law enforcement officials also helps to control biases, says Richard Scribner, professor of preventive medicine at Louisiana State University health sciences centre. “For example, residents of neighbourhoods with high levels of police mistrust might be unlikely to report an assault,” he says. Research collected data from 581 “consistently defined areas” in California, and features of local populations, such as household sizes, and places, such as retail markets, were correlated with one measure of violence: Hospital admissions related to violent assaults.

“We found thast rates of violence increase in areas with growth in the number of bars and off-premises establishments that sell alcohol,” said Gruenewald. “These relationships are independent of changes in other aspects of communities often related to violence, such as poverty or vacant housing.”

It was also noted that alcohol consumption at bars or taverns tends to concentrate at-risk individuals within environments that emphasise both drinking and social interactions – “for those individuals with some predisposition to violence, such as young males living in impoverished areas, this is enough to increase violence rates. In addition, high concentrations of off-premise alcohol outlets tend to occur in communities with lower levels of social control, where a variety of other crimes occur – such as illegal drug sales and prostitution.”

The effects of alcohol outlets are found not only in the immediate vicinity but also in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

“These findings are significant from a prevention standpoint,” says Scribner. “Policies targetting the density of bars and off-sale outlets could be used by policymakers to address high rates of interpersonal violence in their communities. After all, violent assaults may only be the tip of the iceberg. “Responsible leadership needs to factor in the potential social costs as well as the economic benefits associated with the approval of even one more additional outlet.”

 

Bush is the place for the bold and daring

By Lets Open

 

DITSHIPING –Living in the bush is no easy task for safari guides and workers, as they have found out in this area.

Large numbers of wild animals are attracted to deep lagoons and other waterways that are favourites for boating, but there is always the danger of hippos and crocodiles lurking nearby.

At one camp in the Ditshiping area, elephants wander in and out, stealing whatever food they can get their trunks around.

“We have a few resident hippos and an old elephant named ‘Tom Bains’,” said safari worker Florence Samaphanyane, while a friend, Dichiping Opelo says there are many “water creatures inhabiting the pools.” These include monitor lizards, water snakes and wild animals such as water buck, Sitatunga, Roan Antelope, Red Lechwe, and other plainsgame.

“You see some amazing creatures out here,” said Opelo, referring to a recent incident when a group of South African tourists and their guide came across an animal that looked like a cross between a tortoise and a snake.

Kesebonye Oatsi said: “We don’t sleep well as monkeys and baboons climb over our tents, particularly early in the mornings, while playing with their young, and hyenas are always about searching for food. “Elephants pass through our camp as there are no electric fences such as those found at other camps.” She added: “Animals are animals. One day someone will be killed.”

Further into the bush, at Khwai and Mababe, residents have taken to chasing away wild animals in order to collect their share of antelope and other game killed by lions.

Recently men from the two settlements chased away a pride of lions in order to grab a buffalo that had been brought down by the lions. Dikarabo Oagile, a guide, said he had witnessed such incidents, and recalled when a zebra was killed by lions near Khwai. But on that occasion, the lions won the day – keeping at bay villagers who wanted to share in the spoils.

 

Times   Art & About

A village ‘thirsty for great music’

RAKOPS – Party animals are really born not made. The sound of the “Gongs” filled the space so much even the deaf could hear! Saturday July 29 was a night Rakops night callers will never forget. Every “puto” (brother) and “ba ama sistere” (sisters) were jiving like nobody’s business. A crazy night indeed.

The braai stand stood down in the street and it was quickly labelled a “street bash” as Leatile Morolong aka DJ Dan Do himself was spinning the tables, tunes floated like the river Nile during the ages.The gig was spearheaded by two unknown young ladies who were according to those in the know, were celebrating a birthday.

Born in Serowe, Dan Do started his primary education in Maun and he sat for his junior certificate at Moeti JSS before attending classes at Maun SSS. He then enrolled at the University of Botswana and or a degree in Humanities and that’s where he learned to spin the discs.

He was a crowd puller at university and featured as MC at big events such as the Freshers Ball. Today, he is the only jockey in the village of Rakops. He told The Ngami Times that “generally entertainment in our area is not enough. It is like being thirsty in the desert. “I am not a full-time DJ but do it part-time as by profession I am a teacher,” he added.

Given a chance he will be a threat to any DJ.

 

Russian ballerinas perform in Botswana

GABORONE – The stars of Russian and American ballet are to perform in a one-off show in Gaborone on Saturday night (August 13). It will be the first time that the country has seen the Ballet Moscow ballerinas and their visit follows on a successful South African tour last year. Yuri Vetrov, former director of the Bolshoi Ballet, has prepared an excellent programme for the show at the Gaborone International Convention Centre.

The show is performed in three stages, including act 1: Paganini, Act 2: Pas de deux, and Act 3: Swan Lake, and various other performances. Dancers from various celebrated ballet companies will be on stage, including those from the Moscow State Classical Ballet, Kremlin Ballet, Metropolitan Classical Ballet (United States) and the Theatre of Stanislavsky and Nemierovich-Danchenko.

VIP tickets are P250 and Silver seating P175 for adults and P75 for children under the age of 12. Bookings can be made through Sega on 363 7607.

 

Media women to hold conference

GABORONE – The first annual general meeting of the Botswana Media Women Association (BOMWA) is to take place in Gaborone on August 25. The association, which has opened its membership to men as well, covers practitioners in writing, printing, publications, audio-visual aids, film, television, advertising, graphics, and media training.

The newly-opened Kamanga Lodge in Maun recently treated Member of Parliament for Maun West, Ronald Ridge, and the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Moeng Pheto, to a Nyama Choma feast. Nyama Choma is a popular Kenyan dish. Pictured are the lodge management together with Ridge (Left) and Pheto (Centre in colourful shirt).Inset: Two VIPs with the Director of the Lodge, Mike Kamanga  

Jailed for chopping off woman’s head

By Golang Raditsela

 

A man who cut off a woman’s head at Xharaxao cattle post has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by Judge Moses Chinhengo at the Francistown High Court.  Sam Dikokawe cut off Rehedile Dikeledi’s head, after shaving it, and put it next to her naked body in 2003.

The body was found by Goitsemang Kenosi, a resident who had gone to check on Dikeledi, but found horror instead.

Dikeledi’s daughter, Obonye Saokanga, told the court her mother’s head was shaved, cut off and put near the naked body, and  her hands tied behind her back.

The other witness, Ndiane Samasasa said Dikokawe should be referred to as “a lion”, because what he did was inhuman.

Denying the allegations, Dikokawe said he only went to Dikeledi’s house to pick up his blanket. The court found that reason to be a lame one as it turned out the blanket was the same that he had earlier bought in Maun. His evidence was rejected and he was convicted for murder.

 

 

Major ODMP consultative workshop

By Bright Kholi

 

The Okavango Delta Management Plan Project in conjunction with the University of Botswana Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation will next week hold a major consultative workshop for community leaders within the Ramsar Site. The workshop, to be held in Gumare from August 8 to 10,  is targeted at Dikgosi, Village Development Committees, Community Based Organisations and non- governmental organisations (NGOs). According to the ODMP project secretariat, the involvement of user communities in the whole planning process is an important aspect of the project. The first consultative exercise was between November 2003 to March 2004 and again between January 2006 and May 2006.  The third round of consultations will commence with the workshop in Gumare, followed by Kgotla meetings. The workshop’s objectives are to give feedback on the ODMP process, and to discuss and confirm management objectives/ interventions proposed in the draft Okavango Delta Management Plan.

The Okavango District Officer, Pepukae Makambe, will officially open the workshop.

 

Teacher arrested for assault

By Basadi Morokotso

 

A teacher at Tshwaragano Primary School, Boitshwarelo Molefhi, 36, has been arrested following a fight with a colleague at the school’s staff housing.

This comes after a series of alleged misconduct as an employee of the public service.  Molefhi, who was said to “have a bad record of assault” at Maun Police, is said to have beaten up Peter Butale, a self employed electrician, causing grievous bodily harm.  He is said to have had a misunderstanding with Butale after a drinking spree with a few friends at his house at the school over the weekend. Butale was rushed to Maun General Hospital and then airlifted to Nyangabwe Referral Hospital, Francistown, in a critical condition.

In mitigation, Molefhi pleaded with the court to be lenient with him and give him bail because he was due to prepare end of term examinations for his class.  Magistrate Nsikelelo Moyo responded by telling him he (the magistrate) “would be sleeping on his job” if he gave him bail because he has become a serious threat to society.  Moyo also told him to worry less (about the examinations) because there were capable and responsible people such as his school principal who will be left in charge of his class while he languishes in jail. Molefhi was remanded in custody awaiting trial set for September 2006. If found guilty, he faces a jail term of not more than five years.

 

SPORTS

Rollers take Cup and pocket P45 000

 Sweet smell of success . . .  they’re on a roll. Players from Township Rollers toast their victory

 in the 2006 OrangeKabelano Charity Cup final at Gaborone last weekend (Picture: Bose Sethupa)

 By Bose Sethupa

 

GABORONE - The 2006 OrangeKabelano Charity Cup has come and gone leaving soccer fans and players in different moods - some happy and other in sorrow.  Four teams displayed scintillating skills of soccer, exchanging good passes and scored goals to the delight of the crowd that thronged the national stadium at the weekend.

The four - Lobtrans Extension Gunners Notwane, Township Rollers and Gaborone United - battled it out in the semi-finals which Notwane and Rollers booking themselves places in the final which was staged in the afternoon.  Notwane,  alias “Toronto”, beat Gaborone United aka “The Money Makers” 1–0 and Township Rollers aka “Mapalastina” prevailed with a 2-1 win over Gunners (Mapantsula) in a game many called a cracker. At the end of the day, it was Rollers who were crowned champions after beating Notwane 4 – 2.

The final started off slowly with players looking exhausted due to the morning games. Both teams played cautiously and defending well. The on-form Rollers were the first to get a goal through Onalethata Thekiso and although Notwane tried hard to come back from behind but couldn’t convert their chances until after half time. They fought hard and were reward with a strike from Keoagetse Radipotsane and shortly after they were in the lead thanks to a stunning diving header from Kitso Kowa.

Rollers, who are being coached by Zimbabwean Mandinda Ndlovu, never panicked, got their act together and got an equaliser through their new signing, Joel “16” Mogorosi.

A few minutes later, they were awarded a dubious penalty which was easily converted by Shono Bogatsu. In the dying minutes of the game. Mogorosi netted the 4th to give his side the victory. Both teams appealed for penalties throughout the game as nasty challenges were thrown, ending in both sides receiving a red card. Violence nearly erupted after the game as Notwane players and officials believed that they were robbed of two obvious penalties but the police intervened.

Notwane left the field before receiving their medals as they felt that they did not deserve to lose the game but their officials persuaded them to return and they angrily accepted the medals. Rollers fans erupted in wild celebrations as their heroes were handed the trophy by the Orange chief executive officer, Thapelo Lippe, and they also pocketed P45 000.  Joel Mogorosi was voted the Man of the Tournament and walked away with an expensive cellphone and loads of free airtime courtesy of Orange

Madinda Ndlovu is now the man of the moment after having endured criticism levelled at him from the media and some Rollers fans who went to the extent of calling for his resignation.

An official of Rollers said:  “We are now looking  forward to clinching the Coca-Cola Cup.  I am very sure that we will do well and with our new signings we look destined for greater things.” This year’s Kabelano Challenge had Vee, Eskimos, the South African outfit Malaika, Stilt walkers and trampoline acrobats entertaining thousands at the Stadium. Orange gave away T-shirts, caps, and many other hampers.

 

Terrors blow their chances of promotion

Despite giving an outstanding performance, Maun Terrors are out of the division one promotional soccer play-offs. The Maun outfit played their last two games over the weekend, winning 3-1 against Man Machine from Mahalapye through goals from the hard and forceful Shaka Pelontle Dimbo who scored a brace before the 3rd goal from defender Collin Sebako.The result raised the morale of the Terrors camp, but Kasane’s Ferry Wanderers spoiled the party for Terrors when they held them to a 1-1 draw.

Dimbo was on target again for his side, but still the result was not enough, as Ferry had a game in hand. 

Two teams, Ferry Wanderers and Red Lions, have booked their places in the Med Rescue 1st division next season. Terrors finished 3rd. According to team captain Ronald Sebako, the team played as a unit in the games, especially in the final game which everyone wanted to win. Meanwhile, preparations for the new season are at an advanced stage.

The Nhabe Region BFA committee will be holding a meeting over the weekend, in preparation for the new season as well as a new committee that will be in control of the league.  Teams are working round the clock clearing players, as the transfer window has been opened and some teams have already started training.

There will also be a number of friendly games over the weekend. Makgabisa will play against North West United (The Elephants) on Sunday at 3pm at Maun Sports Complex.

 

British coach for Zebras

Speculation is now over - the Botswana Football Association (BFA) has finally announced the name of the new coach for the national team, Zebras.

He is Colwyn Rowe, who is taking over the team from Veselin Jelusic who has been deployed to develop junior national teams. The entire football fraternity expects a lot from the new coach, as Jelusic had taken the national team to a high level.

Rowe will take the Zebras to Lusaka, Zambia, for the COSAFA Castle Cup semi-finals next weekend and will travel to Uganda for a friendly to be played there this weekend. Rowe, who was in charge of junior squads in Jordan, has signed a three year contract with the BFA

 

Marula soccer tournament on the cards

ORAPA- As always the case, before the end of the Coca Cola Cup the Marula Soccer Centre tournament kicks off in Orapa and Letlhakane. The tournament features only Boteti sub-region second division teams.

The tournament is sponsored by Marula Soccer Centre, a business organization in Orapa whose aim is to promote the development of football in the region. A spokesman for Stallions Sporting Club told Times Sport that training is in progress in preparation for the tournament, adding that they are waiting correspondence from the organisers. Stallions was knocked out in the early stages of the Coca Cola tournament.

 

Delta Waters basketball team wins silver

The Delta Waters International School’s basketball team won silver at the recent BISA championships. The team performed well in their first season of competition, conquering the north zone where the boys were runners up to Orapa CJSS while the girl’s team was crowned champions.

Both teams went to the BISA championships where the boys climbed all upon their northern rivals to claim the 2nd position, while Maru a Pula were the winners and Orapa CJSS on 3rd spot.

In the girl’s competition, Maru-a-Pula also dominated as they emerged winners again. Delta Waters girls team were placed 5th  while Orapa girls came 6th.

In addition to claiming the silverware, the vice captain of the boys team, Keone Pheto, was voted the Most Valuable Player.

Edition 325 July 28 - August 4, 2006 

 

Botswana National Sports Council chairperson Dorcas Makgatho- Malesu planting a tree  on behalf of the sports council at the Batawana main Kgotla in Maun last weekend. Thirty-one trees representing each sports code were planted, including one by Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Moeng Phetho. Picture: Onkabetse Tsaro

ORGY OF RAPE

There has been an orgy of rape in northern Botswana this week. Police report 13 rapes – the majority during night hours - in the Northern police division, which includes Maun, Kasane, Francistown, Selebi Phikwe and Orapa. No assailants have been arrested although investigations are ongoing, police headquarters in Gaborone said this week. One of the rapes – a vicious attack on a woman who had apparently been at a local bar - took place in Mabudutsa ward, Maun.

The upsurge in the number of incidents has horrified police, churches and the public, with women’s groups urging people to be careful and not to go out at night unless they are accompanied by another. Police also said women should be cautious and not go to bars on their own as alcohol played a major role in the attacks. Rapists have also been on the rampage in the south of the country, with 10 attacks reported there – all the assailants there were taken into custody.

Two sodomy cases, the act is illegal in Botswana, were also reported from Mogoditshane police, who are investigating a case in which two men allegedly raped two others in separate incidents. A suspect has been arrested.

Lets Open, with additional reporting by Keagisitswe Dioka and Tshenolo Kelapile, writes that Police are investigating the Mabudutsa case in which the woman was robbed, assaulted and gang raped. Witnesses said the woman, from Botshabelo but a former resident of Mabudutsa, where her mother lives, left a bar late on Saturday night for her mother’s house, outside of which she was attacked. The rapists stole P20 and then viciously raped her. Her screams brought nearby people to the scene and the police were alerted. When found, she had serious head wounds. She is currently at Maun General Hospital. No arrest has been made so far.

Police are also investigating, reports Golang Raditsela, a claim made by a 9-year-old girl that she had been raped in Maun. Medical evidence appeared to rule out the possibility. CID officer Stali Phuthego said the alleged rape was reported to the police by the mother of the child on the night of June 25.

Phuthego said the girl stated that she was sent to fetch water, with her sister (11), at the nearest standpipe. While they were at the tap, an unknown man approached them and claimed that he had cooked meat in his house nearby and they could share the food. The older sister refused and took the water home, leaving her sister with the stranger. The youngster claimed that on the way the man had raped her.

The man took her hand and led her to his yard but the girl apparently managed to escape and rushed home. On her arrival, she told her mother, who went straight to the police and reported the matter. Phuthego added that the young girl was taken the same day to hospital for a test but when taken to the scene of the alleged crime, she could not identify the place where the man had allegedly taken her. Phuthego said because of the medical report, the police now doubt the allegations but investigations are continuing.

Churches rapped for paying ‘lip service’ over needy children

By Basadi Morokotso

Churches were criticised in Maun this week for paying lip service to needy children and “dragging their feet” when it came to helping. The result is church ministers are now going all out to mobilise themselves and their congregations to take better care of children, in particular those who are orphaned. Representatives met at a two-day community mobilisation workshop where the aim was to come up with ways that can help raise funds for orphaned children at Motse wa Tsholofelo day care, a programme established in 2000 under the Maun Counselling Centre (MCC).

This was done after it became evident that the HIV/AIDS scourge has not only caused deaths in Ngamiland but the entire nation and that many children have been left orphaned with no one to offer a shoulder to cry on. This in turn has led to psycho-social distress not only to the children but to families as well.

Motse wa Tsholofelo, which has a facility at Matshwane, offers psychological and social services to orphans and other vulnerable children to counteract the impact of trauma and distress. Godfrey Rabantheng, a counsellor supervisor at MCC, told the seminar his Centre had over the past few years tried in vain to get help from churches and urged representatives to help the needy. He said pastors could lead by example, pointing that some pastors show a tendency of discouraging sex before marriage, while at the same time they are the ones practicing it. An elder from the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Lokae Motsholathobolo, thanked MCC for organising the workshop saying the lectures were encouraging and said he was grateful because slowly but surely churches were gearing to the four pillars towards attaining the national Vision 2016 - being a caring and compassionate nation.

Khumo Majova, a coordinator from the orphan and vulnerable children project, said in most cases Christians “drag their feet” when it comes to helping the needy and urged them to pull up their socks. She described children as the “windows of hope” and that therefore churches should be “Christ’s ambassadors and act on His behalf with their wisdom.” Churches agreed that they will do all they can to offer help and that they were going to form committees to help raise funds for Motse wa Tsholofelo.

‘Home alone’ kids increase chances of house burnings

By Golang Raditsela

The police officer in charge for crime, Stale Phuthego, says leaving children alone at home increases the rate at which houses are being razed to the ground.This winter alone, a number of homes have been burnt out or damaged in and around Maun. In an interview with The Ngami Times, Phuthego said houses are burnt by children in the absence of their parents and it is suspected that children do so when trying to make a fire, or cook for themselves.

Phuthego advises parents to always leave their children with enough food to eat during their absence so as to remove the necessity of fires being made or gas being lit by youngsters in order for food to be prepared. On the other hand, he also emphasised that children should always be under the control of their parents - “this is the only way the problem can be solved since kids should always be monitored”, he added. Burning down a house while parents are away could turn disastrous and lead to loss of life as in some instances children can get confused and end up receiving burns when trying to put out fires or removing goods from a burning house.

The latest incident happened at Sexaxa cattle post, about 15km east of Maun, when a 13-year-old girl set a house ablaze during the absence of her parents. It is believed she had been trying to cook food at the time. In another incident in Sedie, about a month ago a 10-year-old set her parents’ house on fire when trying to fry chips. It is believed a chip pan over-heated, sending huge flames towards the ceiling and engulfing the house. No one was injured in both incidents.

Meanwhile, firefighters are keeping an eye on bush fires which have ravaged large areas on the outskirts of Maun and up to 100km from the town. Huge palls of smoke have been a daily occurrence in some areas as the fires take hold on tinder-dry bush country. No reports have been received so far of villagers being in danger or of livestock and other animals being killed as a result of the blazes.

Escapee will not get bail again

By Golang Raditsela

A man who escaped from police custody, was on the run and committed another crime while in hiding from police has been denied bail by local magistrate Nsikelelo Moyo. Goitseone Sondane was described in court as “a dangerous character” and pleaded with the magistrate to grant him bail, describing himself as an “innocent and harmless man.” He said this during his appearance in connection with breaking and stealing at Metro Wholesale’s guard room on July 19, which is the robbery that led to his re-arrest. Sondane did not regard this robbery connection as a reason that could prevent him being granted bail as he said he was not yet convicted.

In responding to his request, Moyo said “dangerous characters” such as Sondane should be kept away from society.  He described Sondane as dangerous both to himself and the community. He added that remanding Sondane in custody will be a way of maintaining his safety on top of that of the public.  This follows an earlier incident in which Sondane was arrested and badly assaulted by a mob after he was caught stealing from a resident’s house. The mob later handed him to the police.  Moyo said Sondane has proven himself untrustworthy because he was granted bail at one hearing but did not abide by the bail conditions, and besides he escaped from custody.  Moyo said he is doing Sondane justice by keeping him away from the “chances of him of coming to terrible conclusions such as terminating his own life.”

Sondane pleaded not guilty to the charges and was further remanded in custody.

Maun woman sentenced for theft

A well-known Maun woman who was a director of a leading company involved in the tourism industry has been sentenced to fines and imprisonment on two charges relating to theft of money by a director. She is Carol Ann van As, who was sentenced by Maun magistrate’s court on July 7, according to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

She was found guilty on both counts. On the first, she was fined P5 000 or six months imprisonment in default of payment, and on the second count, to a fine of P10 000 or two years imprisonment if she defaults on payment.

In both cases, payment has to be made in 90 days from date of judgement. The case is to come up for mention on August 11, September 11 and October 9 to confirm that payments have been made.

The court ruled that the two fines are accumulative while the custodial sentences will run concurrently. The trial arose out of allegations made more  thanthree years ago that she had taken money while a director of the company which has major interests in tourism, camps and aviation.

Thieves raid media house

GABORONE – The offices of the Gaborone newspaper, “Sunday Tribune”, was broken into by thieves last week. Computers, digital cameras and a radio were among items stolen, the management said.  The value of the equipment is more than P15 000. The managing editor, Omen Ndlovu, said the paper’s operations had been compromised by the theft and that contingency measures have been put in place to continue with publication.

 Celebrating art . .  Delta Waters International School in Maun has just held a successful art exhibition at Cresta Riley’s Hotel. On display were the works of the students. At the opening ceremony, school principal Bhajina Mpofu said the exhibition was meant to celebrate the artistic abilities of students with the theme being “Our art, our culture, our school - Delta Waters.” District Commissioner Bernadette Malala attended the event.

EDITORIAL

The whole question of the future of the Okavango River Basin is to be debated at an international conference on water to be held in Sweden next month.

This affords Botswana a great opportunity to put its point of view about our Okavango River and Delta, and efforts on how it is being managed and developed within the confines of the Ramsar Agreement.

A seminar on the river is taking place under the auspices of the Okavango River Basin Water Commission, the Okavango Delta Management Plan Project, the IUCN-World Conservation Union and the Every River has its People Project.

It is an opportunity to put forward to an international audience points of view ranging from Namibia’s attempts to dam the river at Popa Falls for hydro-electric purposes to cutting off supplies to Lake Ngami. Hydrologists and others are concerned about the silting up of the river and the devastating effects this would have on flora and fauna, let along human habitation in the years ahead.

Our government has given its tacit approval to the hydro-electric scheme without, conservationists say, really going into all the facts. This needs to be clarified and what better opportunity for the Department of Water Affairs to do so than in Sweden.

Botswana, Namibia and Angola are already putting into operation various projects that generate more light than heat, to quote the conference organisers, and there is more trust than tension.  This is the way it has to be if the Okavango River is to play an even greater role in the well-being of our tourism, agriculture and general development in the decades ahead.

MAUN SHUFFLE

Tourists and locals one would presume like to have their beers served to them in a glass if they are sitting in a reasonably pleasant pub whether it is in the bush or in a town.

Shuffle personally prefers it that way, so imagine the surprise at a “rustic camp”, watched over by a giant aardvark, outside the village of Gweta when the bar lady demanded a fee of P5 (five pula) “for hire of the glass.”  That came on top of the money one has to pay for a cold beer or other beverage on a hot Botswana day.

People in Shuffle’s party were taken aback, and rightly so for where else in the world does one have to pay for the hire of a glass in a pub? Of course, the question is what happens if one asks for a whisky – that usually comes in a glass as it is deuced difficult to drink it out of the cupped palm of your hand!

The bar lady was insistent on that too – P5 for the hire of the glass!

Unfortunately, the management of the establishment was not available on the day in question but let’s hope they read this and realise the folly of their ways.  One would think that if they are so keen on preserving their glasses they would build in the cost of a glass into their beer price – after all, they are making a handsome profit on each beer sold or else they wouldn’t sell the stuff. Barmen and restaurant owners consulted back in Maun were astonished at the practice - “It’s not what we would do”, said one.

A piece of wood is firmly wedged in this tyre after a vehicle that drove over the spike on the Disaneng gravel road, now being rebuilt.

The mention that this column made the other week about dangerous pieces of wood placed upright on the Disaneng gravel road to assist the contractors there has had a quick sequel.

One of our readers drove over one with catastrophic results to her tyre. She reported the incident to the police and the construction company. A representative of the construction group promised they would pay for the damage but the question remains: Why place the sticks upright on a relatively busy road?

**

The government’s policy of trying to sell Botswana as a good place for investment seems to be starting to pay dividends, judging by the decision of the giant international Cadbury Schweppes organisation and Dimension Data, the IT conglomerate, to establish themselves here.

There are also other big companies investigating the investment climate, so one hopes that more and more international groups will view this country as being worthwhile from an investment point of view.

However, as Shuffle and others have pointed out before, there needs to be a change of attitude among politicians and the general public towards foreign companies and their personnel if Botswana is to entice them to come here.

While our taxation laws make it easier for investors, our tourism potential beckons, and our infrastructure improved in leaps and bounds, it is still the public servant who has the last laugh for her or she are in the front-line and their behaviour towards foreigners is of paramount importance.

Perhaps the government should start looking at re-starting the public relations and attitude courses they gave some years ago so that these people have a better understanding of what’s good for the country.

Okavango under the spotlight at world water conference

STOCKHOLM - Sweden is to be the venue for a major international seminar on the future of the Okavango River and the Okavango delta. The discussion forms part the World Water Week which starts on August 21 in Stockholm. The discussion on the river and the delta takes place on August 23 and is expected to draws participants from Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

The seminar is being held under the auspices of the Orange River Basin Water Commission, the Okavango Delta Management Plan Project, the IUCN-World Conservation Union and the Every River has its People Project.

The organisers say “the Okavango has given birth to a collaborative and dynamic form of governance amongst the three countries. Like 263 rivers worldwide, the Okavango flows across borders of sovereign states (and) each state needs the Okavango’s water resources.”

They add that each of the three has comparative advantages in capacity, resources, knowledge or geography (but) none can unilaterally develop water for power, agriculture or domestic use without affecting upstream or downstream neighbours.

Border fence ‘has been abandoned’

GABORONE - The controversial border fence along the Botswana-Zimbabwe boundary has been abandoned, according to a report in a Gaborone newspaper. The assistant Minister of Agriculture, Peter Siele, is reported to have made the announcement to parliament last week.

The P8-million earmarked for the project has apparently been diverted to other needs. The fence caused tension between the two countries when it was first mooted and then constructed as Zimbabwe claimed it was to keep out people rather than animals.  Botswana said it was necessary in order to prevent further outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in North East district and also as a deterrent to illegal immigrants.

Maun Scout group in cleaning campaign

The Maun local scout troop has for the past five years been engaged in the clean up campaign in Maun together with the Barclays Bank of Botswana (Maun branch).  A member of the group, Rolf Boikano, told The Ngami Times this week that the idea to clean the roundabout near the Rural Administration Centre (RAC) came into action in 2003 because they felt it needed to be put in good shape as it is in the town centre.

He says the group has donated time and effort to servicing their communities, while at the same time learning lessons of good value in pride and support. He went on to say Boy Scouts equip young men with a life time opportunity to learn a variety of skills that will at the end of the day pave a good future for them to be leaders of tomorrow and become productive members of the society.

The Department of Roads supplied the scouts with fencing materials and the boys erected the fence themselves. In April 2004, they obtained a variety of trees from the Maun Forestry department and they had them planted the same year. Barclays Bank has donated a hosepipe.

Drought, predators making life a misery for farmers

By Lets Open

Roaring lions, other predators, wild dogs, birds of prey, cheeky baboons and monkeys are making life a misery for cattle and subsistence farmers in the North West and Central districts. Reports coming into The Ngami Times this week spoke of predators preying on livestock – cattle, goats, horses and donkeys – in a search for food as the drought takes hold.

There is serious drought in cattle country near Motopi while farmers in Chodobe are especially concerned.

In the Lake Ngami area, farmers have also had to fend off predators, with some landowners losing many head of cattle and other livestock.

Phuduhudu villagers say “the worst part of it is that lions come in from the nearby Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi Pan reserves” and they in turn are not allowed to shoot predators. A farmer, Keile Mothagodi, said goats and sheep are dying from a lack of water and grazing as many water holes are dry. Another farmer, Jewel Mothusi, lost 36 goat kids through thirst and predators while Phuduhudu Masarwa people reported a loss in horses, cows, domestic dogs, sheep and lambs.

Farmers say the predators are fearless, entering kraals and waiting at water holes and water installations.

Lake Ngami farmers also have to put up with airborne attacks on young animals – from eagles and other birds of prey. 

Top journalists to receive awards

GABORONE – The annual fund-raising dinner and national media awards night of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana chapter) takes place at the Gaborone Sun on September 8. Under the theme “Access to information, a key to development,” the dinner is one of the highlights of the Gaborone social calendar.

Awards are to be presented to the country’s best photojournalist, sports writer, radio news reader, television news reader, television presenter, radio presented, investigative report and business reporter.  The best designed newspaper in the country will also receive an award as will the best radio programme of the years. It is hoped to award the best technology and information, travel and tours, health and auto journalists as well. All entries are eligible for the title of “Overall Journalist of the Year.” Tickets for the event are P300 per person or a table of 10 costs P3 000.

Five lashes for resisting arrest

A man who resisted arrest earned himself five strokes of the cane and six months in prison, wholly suspended, at the Maun customary court this week. Hani Ngonda, 24, of New Town, is said to have run away from the police when they tried to arrest on June 26 for allegedly misbehaving in a combi taxi.

A police officer, Keabetswe Saudu, he tried to arrest Ngonda after her had allegedly ill- treated a passenger - “he made four passengers sit on a seat meant for three and one passenger complained. Ngonda insulted him,” Saudu told the court. He ran off and the police searched for Ngonda at the taxi rank but he was nowhere to be found.

By the late afternoon of June 26, he was “found idling by Spar supermarket”, and when he saw the police calling him, he ran away and climbed into one Baleleki Sekao’s car. “My colleague and I traced the car and fortunately managed to stop the driver opposite Delta Medical Centre. We caught Ngonda and took him to the police station.” He was charged with two offences, resisting arrest and common nuisance.  The senior chief’s representative, Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe, asked Ngonda why he ran away from the police. “I did not know it was a crime. Besides I’m scared of being handcuffed,” he said.

Top marks for village school

Own Correspondent

RAKOPS – Although Rakops Junior Secondary School only managed to beat Mopipi JSS in the Boteti cluster of six schools in last year’s Junior Certificate examinations, it remains a force to be reckoned with. Even with the implementation of the double-shift education system, Rakops students have remained a tough nut to crack especially in educational competitions.

This is shown in this year’s fairs and exhibitions when the Home Economics and Maths and Science students did very well – making it to the national finals. The design and technology department also helped the school by performing well in the Central Region design and technology exhibition sponsored by Orange in Serowe.Masego Modiitsdasne, Tshepo Kebiditswe and Warona each took first position in cluster projects and won two trophies for overall best school in the region as well as overall best display.

Business delegation ‘sells’ Botswana in SA

GABORONE – Botswana’s BEDIA organisation is this week leading a delegation of business people on an investment promotion mission to Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in South Africa’s Limpopo province. The delegation covers all sectors of the economy.

A seminar is included in the programme, and will cover business opportunities for the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament to be staged in South Africa. It will feature topics such as extending the opportunities of hosting the world cup beyond South Africa’s borders, maximising the benefits of transfrontier tourism and developing a competitive service industry.

Shoot-out ends in four deaths

GABORONE – In a dramatic shootout in busy Broadhurst, here, this week, Botswana Police shot dead all four criminals who were attempting to rob Broadhurst Motors.   Two died on the spot while the other two died later.  One managed to get away in a silver grey BMW. The five – believed to be all foreigners – had apparently tried to steal P35 000. None of the company’s employees or the police was injured. Police investigations are continuing and a massive search has been launched for the fifth suspect.

ONKS TIME BEAT

DRY SEX AND HIV/AIDS

Ever heared of dry sex? Well, definition varies, one is having sex with ones clothes on which means no penetration happens while the one that I want to draw your attention to is having a penetration while the vagina is dry or not lubricated. Warning, this is a sensitive topic, with explicit language, if don’t want to get the details flip to another page NOW!!

Dear friends and readers, why on earth would I choose to write on such a topic? Well, according to a certain report I stumbled on by the Village Voice, dry, abrasive vaginas are seen as desirable in sexual interscourse in the vast majority of African cultures but aversion to moisture in penetration has inflamed the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this region.

The report goes on to say that dry sex promulgates HIV in three ways: The lack of lubricant results in lacerations in the delicate membrane tissue, making it easier for the lethal virus to enter. In addition, the natural antiseptic lactobacilli that vaginal moisture contains aren’t available to combat sexually transmitted diseases. Finally, condoms break far more easily due to increased friction. Research also confirms that dry sex causes vaginal lacerations and suppress the vagina’s natural bacteria, both of which increase the likelihood of HIV infection. The drying could also lead to abrasive trauma during sexual intercourse, and the inserted substances may compromise the effectiveness of condoms. Why do women go the extra mile to ensure that they keep their vaginas dry? Well, because one common belief holds that loose, slippery vaginas are evidence of infidelity. Also, many men and women are embarrassed by the noise of wet sex hence dry vaginas offers friction that makes men feel larger. The youth particularly pay attention to this aspect as they are in a bid to get lifetime partners or even just to be thought of as a very “hot”, tight and dry because that pleases men.

Some women do not use any of the above but they make sure they do not succumb to foreplay to ensure that they do not lubricate. You may be surprised if you could learn of the substances that are used to ensure dryness. these include; ice cubes, dettol, sunlight, cotton, tiger balm and if you know of any you can add to my list. A Zimbabwean friend of mine says in Zimbabwe a dry soil where a baboon has urinated is a traditional Zimbabwean recipe. A crushed stone called “wankie” is also utilised, as are portions called chimhandara (‘like a virgin’ in Shona) and zvanamina (“taste me only” in Ndebele).

Please note, it is natural to lubricate during foreplay since is a sign that you are ready to have sexual intercourse. It is the safest because if you are to use a condom, the chances of breakage are close to nil. The substances that are inserted to insure the dryness make both men and women susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases which are an easy vehicle to HIV/AIDS. As I said recently, the response from readers is overwhelming and here are some of the messages that I have been receiving.. Thank you! sms to 71854142.

“Hi, I apreciate your column so much, its real gud 4d teens. I just wish thy cn uz ur adviz, i also wsh i culd hve cme across dis stuf on my teen time. From 72885683.”

“Luv vs afektion..ur ryt most maun chaps r uzerz, but gals in this town do not care..4 them it jst a ride. From Rati @ OIS- 71907778”

“I like your part man, u are the boom keep on moving. Peace!!!- 71446488”   

SPORTS

BNSC spells out its successes

By Bright Kholi

It was a busy weekend for the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) in Maun over the weekend when it held its annual general meeting and also celebrated 40 years of existence. When anniversary celebrations are called for, people usually want to know what was achieved over time that deserves celebrations, and this is what chairperson Dorcas Makgato-Malesu did on Sunday at the anniversary celebrations.

Malesu said the council was established in 1965, and enacted through an Act of Parliament in 1981. It only had a fully fledged secretariat from 1996. Malesu said the council has a strategy fully under implementation and reviewed periodically, adding that they have developed policies and other instruments to improve the governance of structures.

She added that the council has a fully fledged secretariat headed by a chief executive officer. “We have acquired property in the form of a fleet of vehicles to facilitate sports development and also acquired building infrastructure for use by our sports persons.”

She said BNSC has empowered affiliates with basic administrative support services and some with vehicles, have appointed officers in the districts and have special programmes to support athletes.

The BNSC increased its membership and has been able to forge partnerships with the private sector to promote their courses. Malesu dedicated the achievements to volunteer sports administrators and also paid special tribute to former BNSC chairpersons.

The former chairpersons are the late Peter Mmusi, Chris Dambe, Ishmael Malefho Mothibatsela, Mompati Merafhe, Joseph Dibona Orebotse, Temba Vanqa, Boyce Sebetela, Julia Majaha-Jartby and Thuli Johnson.

However to emphasise that the achievements were worth it, Malesu said unlike its neighbours, when Botswana got its independence there were no sports facilities in place.

“With other pressing needs facing our government at independence, sport was unfortunately not included in the country’s national priorities,” she said, but since then  government has continuously helped in the development. She however regretted that a P25-million grant to sport has remained the same for the past three years. The Member of Parliament for Maun West, Ronald Ridge, commended BNSC for having seen it fit to celebrate in Maun, saying it was not often that such events take place in the town.

He said that there have been remarkable strides that have been achieved in growing sports in Botswana and being competitive against the rest of the world. “From being cynically known as the whipping boys of Africa, we have now become a country that is recognised and treated with respect in Africa,” he said.

Village with four teams wants better chance

Own correspondent

RAKOPS – Even though remote, Rakops is considered as one of the developing villages in the Boteti sub-region. The village boasts a police station, three primary schools, a junior secondary school, a primary hospital, a clinic and two motels. All it wants now is a top-class soccer team to take on the best in the country. There are four unregistered teams in the village – Dust Rangers, TUSC, Shooters and Falcons, and apart from the Tshwaragano Spectacular soccer tournament last year, there has been no other tournament and this denies players the chance to be spotted by scouts for top clubs.

In an interview with The Ngami Times, one of the soccer pundits in the village, Goitsemodlima Gabalalwe, said: “Generally football in our village is poor. Maybe this can be attributed to the lack of financial support from the local community.” He believes however that Rakops soccer can be taken to greater heights and is a good hunting ground for top clubs and for Zebras youth coach Jelusic Veselin.

High hopes for Terrors at promotional games

Maun representatives in the regional soccer league play offs, Maun Terrors, started off well for a place in the Med Rescue 1st division during promotional games in Mahalapye over the weekend.  Terrors played four games, winning one, drawing two and losing the other.

Terrors drew 1-1 with Palapye through a goal by midfielder Opelo Mokate, and then shared the points with Tiny Rockies. In the third game, Terrors beat Red Lions 3-2 but crashed 1-0 to White Diamonds. Maun Terrors, still in the race for a place in the first division, will be in action again this weekend for the final two games. They clash with Man Machine on Saturday at 10 am before their final game against Ferry Wanderers at 6pm.

It’s OrangeKabelano Charity Cup tomorrow

All is set for the OrangeKabelano Charity Cup scheduled for tomorrow (July 29) at the National Stadium in Gaborone.  The sale of tickets started in earnest at the Orange Customer Centre at the Gaborone station, Orange Shop at the Gaborone main mall, Choppies in Mochudi and Molepolole, and CD Sports at the Gaborone station and at Lobatse.

The tickets will also be sold at the Stadium on Saturday. Gates open at 8am for the public with grandstand tickets selling at P50, Panda stand P30 and P25 for the North and South stands.  The first game will kick off at 9.30am between Notwane and Gaborone United, followed by Lobtrans Gunners against Township Rollers. This will be followed by two hours of entertainment and the final game at 4pm between the winners. The winning team will get P45 000 and the runners up P27 000, while the two losing sides each receive P15 000.

Edition 324 July 21 - 28, 2006

“Now this is the way you do it” .. .is what the coach seems to be saying to anxious youngsters lucky enough to be receiving expert advice on athletics at the ball sports and athlectics event that attracted hundreds of school children from all over the country to Maun last weekend

BACK TO JAIL FOR ‘FOLK HERO’

An alleged armed robber who has become a “folk hero” to many in the Maun community has been re-arrested after walking free due to an apparent administrative error. He is awaiting trial prisoner Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane. He was taken into custody this week after being given bail last Thursday in connection with the Open Door bureau de change armed robbery of December 2004.

At the time he was supposed to have been taken back to prison as he is awaiting trial on other charges relating to separate cases. However, Prisons authorities said that bail conditions for another alleged offence had lapsed and, as no further remand notice to continue to incarcerate him had been received at the time, they let him go.

He was however seen on the streets of Maun by a police officer and special constable, who then re-arrested him but the police had no option but to release him. On Thursday, The Ngami Times received information that “Golden Tooth” had been re-arrested on the strength of a renewed warrant of arrest relating to the Charleshill alleged offence which is being heard by Ghanzi magistrates. Police CID officer, Stali Phutlhego, said the renewal of the remand warrant was a responsibility of the station commander at Charleshill police station. The failure to renew it was either the result of an oversight or had been delayed. He said the omission could have been caused by the fact that Maphanyane was in custody for other cases.

Phutlhego emphasised that when “Golden Tooth” was granted bail, it was not taken into consideration that there was another case pending and for which he had to be remanded in custody. He said this was due to the fact that the case is neither before Maun magistrate Nsikelelo Moyo nor the responsibility of Maun Police. Last Thursday, Moyo had given “Golden Tooth” bail - the second time he had received bail for an offence. On the first occasion he absconded and was re-arrested. The court had in earlier evidence heard that Maphanyane and fellow accused Phaa Ndiweni and George Themba had a case to answer in connection with the Open Door heist. Maphanyane has denied all the allegations against him, claiming he was just passing the scene “like anybody else”. The saga of his scrapes with the law has captured the imagination of sections of the community. Maphanyane hit the headlines in 2004 with allegations, which were subsequently found to be untrue, of possession of dagga and was then allegedly involved in a series of armed robberies.

These included Cashbuild Maun, Air Botswana’s offices in Maun, the offices of Sefofane Air Charters, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) offices at Maun Airport, an armed robbery at Sefalana/Metro involving a coin security van, the Moremi Game Reserve’s South Gate, and at Charleshill on the Namibian border. He has since been acquitted on the Sefofane, DCA and Sefalana/Metro cases and received bail in regard to the alleged Cashbuild and Moremi offences. He was not on bail for the Charleshill offence.

Escaped prisoner held at his house

On the run Goitseone Sondane has been re-arrested. The man who escaped from the Maun magistrate’s court earlier this month was re-arrested this week at his home in Botshabelo, Maun. Sondane had run from the courtroom, swam across the Thamalakane River and disappeared into the Maun wildlife sanctuary despite a land and air search for him.

According to  crime officer, Nkape Kealotswe, Sondane was found in the company of two friends when the police were following footprints after a robbery at Metro Wholesalers’ guard room during Wednesday night.

Three men attacked the security guard at Metro and fought with him until he fled. They then broke into the guard room and stole goods valued at P300.00.

The footprints led them to Sondane’s home, where he and the two others were allegedly found in possession of the goods suspected to have been stolen from Metro. Police are also investigating a claim that Sondane had been locked in the house by his younger brother so that he could not be arrested.

Major issues identified over land use in the Delta

By Bright Kholi

The final report on the Land Use Planning and Management Component of The Okavango Delta Management Plan Project has identified community needs and concerns on land use in the delta. One of the concerns, as outlined in the report, is that there is no separation at the moment of land uses especially communal, arable and pastoral areas which lead to crops and livestock being destroyed by wildlife. These are also compounded by the fact that buffalo fences are not well maintained.

The slow pace of allocation by Land Boards has also been cited in the report. Communities are also said to have raised concerns that they are denied access into concessions by camp owners, contrary to terms of the leases. The communities are also said to have come against the prohibition of veld fires as a management tool.

Livestock are also to be moved away from the delta to the sandveld and drilling boreholes in the Tobera area to facilitate the establishment of grazing pastures away from the delta. The communities also called for all aircraft flying in and out of the delta to be searched against illegal transportation of animals and other items. There also has to be clearly defined land use plans for villages in the Delta, and to stop the allocation of camps and lodges in communal areas.

They also called for large engined boats to be barred from the delta as the waves created destroy nesting areas for both fish and birds. According to the report, communities also suggested residential plots sizes to remain at 40 x 40 sq.m and called on land overseers to be involved in land allocation. The report concluded that there is a predomination of mixed land use in the delta resulting in conflicts. Relationships between tour operators, camp owners and communities were characterised by suspicion and mistrust.

The report also calls for immediate attention to the question of allocating camps and lodges within the communal area and that as the demand for privately operated ventures increase, the collective interest of the community should be take on board. The report also calls on the government to expedite and communicate to the communities its decision on the status of the Jao settlement, which is not gazetted.   

Cattle post shooting – police hunt man

LETLHAKANE – Police here are hunting a man who allegedly shot another over the President’s Day holiday weekend. He is Ditshotlo Oitshupile, also known as “Serious”, of Gobekhudi cattle post, who is alleged to have shot and injured a 45-year-old man from Makonyane cattle post early on July 16. Oitshupile is also wanted for a wide range of offences including three separate attempted murders, unlawful wounding, robbery, stealing stock and common assault. He is armed with a shotgun and police say no one should approach him, and for police to be informed immediately when he is seen.

Hundreds of students take part in major music festival

The Botswana Teachers Union and Botswana Life, the insurance company, scored a triumph at the weekend with a hugely successful national Eisteddfod. Hundreds of school children from more than 70 primary, junior, senior and tertiary schools competed for honours at the Maun Senior Secondary School. The event, sponsored to the tune of P150 000, was divided into traditional dance and choral music.

Eisteddfod 2006 was officially opened by Kgosi Kealetile Moremi who said she was proud that Maun was recognised as a venue for the event. She said dancing was a high calibre talent that is not easily accessible, and that it needed intelligence, hard work and patience. Traditional dancing has come a long way though it is common in big occasions such as the inauguration of chiefs and at weddings.Dancing can be informative, be it in sorrow or happiness.

Kgosi Moremi said that on any occasion such as an Eisteddfod there has to be a winner, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the loser should lose hope. Instead, losers should be aware that without them, there wouldn’t be a competition and that their participation is important. “We all witnessed earlier this month men and women weeping after losing games at the just ended World Cup, but they have shown interest in continuing to play. So you should also believe and bear in mind that next time you are going to win,” she said.

In the primary section of the traditional dance, Mogalatladi from Lesomogalethame region took first prize of P10 000 in the primary section for traditional dance, with Gambule, of the North East, coming second (P8 000) and the 3rd prize went to Ncojane (a trophy and a certificate). In the junior category, the prize of P10 000 went to Kelemogile CJSS, with Motaung second (P8 000) and Nareseretso third. The 1st prize for the senior schools went to Matsha College of Education, with McConnell second and Kagiso third.  University of Botswana emerged winners in the tertiary group followed by Tlokweng College and Lobatse College. In the choral category, Moeding College was the winners, and won a keyboard, while second came Serowe. All the prizes and certificates were donated by Botswana Life Insurance.   

Man clubs his father to death

GABORONE – Police headquarters say three murders took place at cattle posts over the holiday period.

These were at Nkoyaphiri, Mahurane and Lerala. In one of the cases, Sejelo police are detaining a man, 28, for allegedly clubbing to death his 67-year-old father.

At Kanye, police are holding a man for breaking into the police storeroom and stealing robbery case exhibits.

Masunga police are investigating a case in which a 22 year old Zimbabwean was shot and wounded. The shooting was allegedly done by a 44 year old Metsibothoko man who allegedly saw the victim running after his wife, who had gone to track goats on a farm. The shot victim is a suspect in a case of attempted rape.  Police have arrested the man who shot him.

EDITORIAL

Fresh look needed to sort out Zimbabwe

With thousands of Zimbabweans taking refuge in Botswana – many of them in Francistown and Maun – from economic and political misery in their home country, it is perhaps little wonder that Morgan Tsvangirai, the Opposition leader in that country, should chose to hold meetings with his lieutenants in Maun.

It would almost certainly be a safer place to do so than in his native country despite the reputed presence in this part of the world of Zimbabwean secret agents and a very real fear he could be assassinated.

Tsvangirai told this newspaper in an exclusive interview he gave us after our reporters tracked him down to a Maun hotel that SADC – a 14-nation grouping of southern African and Indian Ocean nations – is failing Zimbabwe by its inaction and, as is most evident, kid gloves diplomacy which is naught for the comfort of the ordinary man in the street in Zimbabwe.

He said: “A fresh, robust and more focused look at the situation in Zimbabwe needs to be taken urgently to restore the dignity of that country.” Truer words have seldom been spoken. 

There is no doubt about it, the regional and indeed international community needs to take a fresh look at Zimbabwe, wallowing as it is in the depths of depression brought about by financial mismanagement, corruption, political ineptitude and a land grab from black and white Zimbabwean farmers by unscrupulous politicians almost on the same scale of anything attempted by the communist regime in the old USSR.

THE MAUN SHUFFLE

Here’s a biter-sweet experience if ever there was one!

A friend of Shuffle was pulled up at a road block the other day – a road block manned by Botswana Police, Botswana Defence Force and the South African Police Service’s anti-car theft unit – and had his car impounded.

He has written to friends overseas about the experience, and while in parts it makes hilarious reading, it also sums up the dilemmas faced by a motorist when he finds his car which he has been driving for years is actually a stolen vehicle!

“Everything alright!? Everyone o.k.!? Your car hasn’t been stolen recently has it???” is the first question on its letter.

“Listen to this one and tell me if that can happen at home...

“Wednesday morning, 9am, drive out of town. Roadblock, both directions. A police officer slows the traffic down but waves the cars on in front of me and myself through. Drive back into town half an hour later.

“Same roadblock, but now it’s me being pulled of the road. Not just the ordinary “your driving license, please” and light, Indicator and car licence checking but I’m asked to open the bonnet,” he writes.

Like most Botswana motorists, we have all been through that exercise.

In this case however, our friend has a “non-local” policeman (in other words, a South African) checking the chassis number and volunteered the information that the number on that little plate in the engine compartment is not the right one! Consternation crosses the face of the interloper cop – as our friend writes, he heard the words: “What do you mean?” The car had apparently been involved in a head-on collision some years ago and that the whole car was rebuilt on a new chassis.

A little guy in a satellite high in the sky punches in numbers into a police master computer probably in South Africa and comes up with the great news that the car is stolen! A cry of anguish from our friends – “What do you mean?” “Hmm, yours is listed. It’s here, in the database. It’s reported as stolen!”

After that shock the brain gets slowly into gear again - “what was stolen? I mean, is the chassis I got now reported as stolen or the one that originally belonged to this car.”

The answer: “The original one, which probably means the whole car is stolen. But let’s check the engine number. Sometimes stolen parts are used in other cars”. So we go and check the engine number. Turns out to be stolen as well.

“So what happens now?”

“The car goes back to its original owner!”

“You’re joking!” I say with panic in my voice and eyes.

“No, I’m not. It’s his possession. It was stolen from him!”

WOW! NO MORE CAR!!!

The vehicle was impounded on the spot and shank’s pony (that’s his legs) came into play. . . . police drove his car to the police impound, Army later drove our friend home to pick up his passport and the registration blue book while a nice warm police cell was being prepared for him!

“I spent the morning explaining that I had bought the car legally in 2000 (proven by the blue book and the contract!) and filling in forms. I managed to get hold of the person I had bought the car from back then and told him the

story as well,” said our friend.

“Anyway, after I convinced CID that I really was from Maun, wasn’t going to run away etc., I was released eventually.”

The next day our friend met the South African police officer who had found out the car was stolen. The day was spent trying to organise a new car.

He was asked to return to the police station where he was told his vehicle had been stolen twice - the first time in 1994 in Lobatse and the second time again in Lobatse six years later!

The owner had been paid out by the insurance company and later the vehicle that year, was recovered in Zambia and returned to the insurance company which in turn sold it by auction. It turns out that a police officer in Lobatse had not deleted the old 1994 entry from the stolen vehicle database. Deserves a solid Jackass Card!!

**

While on the subject of roadblocks, can anyone in authority cast light on  why travellers – citizens, residents and tourists – need to show their passports at road blocks when driving from Maun to Gweta, Nata, Francistown or other parts of the country?

Demands for passports have been made by police manning the Makalamabedi cordon fence gate, with vehicle registration numbers, licence particulars and drivers licence particulars being taken down.

Some foreign tourists have objected to handing over their passports for scrutiny particularly as they point out, correctly one would think, that the cordon fence is not a border post.

Vehicle drivers have produced their driver’s licences but why should passengers have to do the same?

The police officers say “new laws” have been enacted which allows them to demand not only identity cards but also passports, but as far as Shuffle is aware, no such law exists unless it was pushed through parliament and the general public is blissfully unaware that Botswana has slipped from being a democratic state where unhindered travel is supposedly free between towns and cities into a socialist state where control is the name of the game? Can anyone help?

**

Great news for this town battling crime – the police will now be able to turn to the District Commissioner’s Office over weekends for assistance with vehicles for crime-busting if they face problems in having sufficient transport. The other evening at the French Connection restaurant, the DC’s representative, Lesang Kgomoetsile - celebrating Bastille Day, the French national day on July 14 - gave this news when he spoke about French tourists, Maun and crime.

About 3 000 French tourists pass through Maun each year, and obviously there is concern about their safety – however, Kgomoetsile made it very plain that the first duty was to protect not only residents but also tourists so that Maun can put its best foot forward.

For some time, of course, the police have been hamstrung by a lack of vehicles, torches, torch batteries and the like, but now with co-operation such as that from the DC’s Office, things are looking up.

Shuffle can also report that the 911 neighbourhood watch organisation has donated fire-fighting equipment to the town for civilian usage, in particular. Right now, the only fire-fighting vehicle Maun can have use of is controlled by the Department of Civil Aviation at the local airport and only in extreme circumstances is that used to fight fires in Maun.

Now, as a start, 911 has bought a trailer carrying a large water tank, hoses and other equipment which is available for public use. It is parked at the MRI offices near the New Mall and a telephone call to 911 or to the police will be sufficient to press it into service.

Shuffle believes we should all be grateful for the two offers. In fact, grateful for anything that will make the police’s work easier and enable them to catch the crooks giving Maun a bad name, and to enable townspeople to fight fires. The chairman of the North West District Council, John Benn, a few years ago urged the establishment of a fire station for Maun but that unfortunately ended up as a damp squib.

**

Did you enjoy your 28-page copy of The Ngami Times last week?

Our hard-working staff worked long hours to complete the bumper issue. We have of course produced large issues in the past, but those are usually the result of a special supplement such as on tourism or celebrating Maun’s 90th birthday and are separate from the main body of the newspaper. This time, the whole newspaper was one product with no supplements involved, and was therefore the largest number of pages that this newspaper has published in one edition.

It also constituted a record for the number of colour advertisements carried by The Ngami Times. There are several other special supplements in the pipeline, so keep an eye out for bigger and better editions of your favourite newspaper, now read around Botswana and the world, the latter of course is our electronic edition published via our hugely popular website, ngamitimes.com

How widows, kids can claim what is rightfully theirs

Not many dependants know how the Alexander Forbes Foundation operates. In this report, Basadi Morokotso attempts to unravel the mysteries

The Alexander Forbes Foundation is doing quite a good job by rescuing those affected even though a lot of people do not know it exists, let alone the services offered or how they could benefit from it. This was discovered recently during a survey in Maun carried out by The Ngami Times.  One resident told of how she had to surrender after fighting tooth and nail to get what rightfully belonged to her two sons after the death of their father, a former Botswana Police employee.

According to the woman, she stayed with him at police barracks for seven full years, only to be thrown out like trash by her in-laws soon after the death of her fiancée, claiming she wasn’t legally married to him. The woman said she never knew of the existence of Alexander Forbes and that for years now, her children have had to suffer as she is out of work and no one helps with their maintenance.

According to custom, the parents of the deceased should have submitted the children’s names to the Botswana Police (the deceased’s trustee), which thereafter makes arrangements and consults Alexander Forbes for claims.

If no such arrangement has been made and finalised, there is not enough proof to convince them that indeed the child belonged to the deceased. Children born out of wedlock also have the right to have a share in their parent’s money.

A senior official at the  Botswana Defence Force-Sir Seretse Khama Barracks, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of being blamed for leaking out information. confirmed that it was true that they have had people, more especially women, coming to  BDF headquarters showing their displeasure about what they in most cases term as “poor management and sleeping on the job”. The women, he said always come to lodge complaints as they realise their husbands and/ or boyfriends did not register their children as beneficiaries, even though some were legally married.

The advice always given is that  anyone who feels or suspects their spouses might not be doing things the right way should challenge them while they are still alive because it complicates the work even more if a deceased person is involved as officials have to go through a number of channels to assist the concerned party. Khumo Ketshabile, an employee at Alexander Forbes, said the organisation is involved in the administering of pensions mainly for government employees. She said employees do not automatically assist whoever comes to the offices for claims as they have to follow instructions from the member’s trustee and that only the beneficiaries indicated in their records are eligible for claims. She indicated however that this depended on the completion of all investigations into the deceased estate from the deceased’s employer. Ketshabile went on to say it is never too late to challenge the deceased’s former employers if there’s proof that a child rightfully was issue of the deceased member even if he/she wasn’t registered

Parents all have the right to go back to the deceased’s trustee and challenge it so that at the end of it all no one feels cheated.

Youth lacks tourism, hotel empowerment

The director at the Careers Dreams Centre in Maun, Kenneth Karanja, laments that the youth of Botswana lack a lot of empowerment, more especially in the hotel and tourism sector. He said its high time Batswana engage themselves in training as he feels it isn’t rewarding at all to hire untrained personnel. Karanja said no one was to blame because as a human being he also feels the reason people drag their feet to enroll with colleges which offer such courses might be because of  lack of finance.

Karanja said hotels, lodges, and some local restaurants have had no option but to employ untrained personnel for posts which remained vacant for a long time because of unavailability of suitable people to fill them. The youth on the other hand say it is not true that they do not go for training. They say in most cases the employers do not recognise them as they always want people with work experience.

Boitumelo Molapisi, a graduate from a technical college, who works for a popular local restaurant with high profile clientele, said she had been on the job hunt for almost three years and that the money she now earns per month does not suit her qualifications as a graduate. She says the problem with employers in Botswana is that they do not want people working on a permanent basis “as they don’t want to part with their money, whereas on the other hand they want people working day in and day out for a song.” Molapisi added that it’s high time their qualifications be recognised or else the industry will be doomed because no client will want to be served by unqualified staff.

Man hunted by police commits suicide

By Golang Raditsela

A man facing six different criminal counts has been found hanging in Maun.Nyatsang Morris, 25, of Sedie ward, killed himself earlier this month, police have revealed. According to Inspector Othusitse Marape, Morris had six cases pending before different magistrates - four for driving without a licence, one for armed robbery and one for grievous harm. Marape added Morris had also been missing court appearances and a warrant of arrest was issued. Police later received information that the accused had hanged himself.

It is suspected that Morris might have taken his own life due particularly to the charge of armed robbery and grievous harm. This related to an alleged burglary by Morris and his co-accused, Joel Merapelo, at Kagiso Funeral Parlour in Gumare in May 14, when they allegedly forced a staff member to open a safe. Merapelo threatened the woman with an axe while Morris allegedly held to prevent her shouting for help, but she managed to escape his clutches and screamed for assistance. A crowd quickly gathered and Morris was recognised by many. The two fled, with Morris boarding a bus to Maun. He was arrested on the bus when dragged out from under a seat.

BCP charts way forward to socialism

By Basadi Morokotso

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) national conference in Maun over the holidays was dominated by talks on opposition unity. The conference attracted hundreds of supporters and guests from Cuba and Angola. It was held under the theme “Reforming Campaign Strategies for Electoral Success.” Party president Gilson Saleshando said he recalled the time when the party was formed eight years ago when “prophets of doom” predicted a bleak future for it and he praised his followers for the “continuous good relations and unity that the party still retains what it pledged to this point in time.”

They managed to prove those who opposed them wrong while proving to them that the process of opposition co-operation is not only “a national clarion”, but also an imperative necessity. He was pleased to see a big turnout from the New Democratic Front (NDF), including its president, Dick Bayford, adding parties had been working with others in by-elections and in negotiations for possible unity for the 2009 elections to oust the ruling Botswana Democratic Party from power. Voters are, he said, calling on political parties to cooperate to avoid splitting the vote.

Bayford told the conference “the current democracy faces serious and unprecedented challenges” and foresaw a downfall of the economy giving an example of the value of the pula that has reached “an all-time low, sounding a death knell on an economy that is consumer-oriented.”

He said the ruling party had failed to diversify the economy and was incapable of addressing questions of equality and social justice “because all its policies are guided by liberalism and economic conservatism.”

Also invited to the congress were representatives from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) who said it was at the All Party Conference in 2000 that the idea of having a structure which could deal with complaints during election time was discussed.

The BCP resolved that cooperation between them and the NDF is premised on the principle of mutuality and that it constitutes an important step towards the ultimate unity of the Botswana opposition. It was resolved that the party’s central committee is mandated “in it’s discretion to renew the memorandum as and when it lapses, with such amendments, variations or additions it finds fit in the circumstances.”

Multi-party negotiations “should promote socialisation and interaction” of cadres and members in grass roots activities with members and other cadres of other opposition parties in Botswana.  They added that the BCP central committee should make sure that the cooperation negotiations are substantially concluded by the end of November as agreed previously by negotiation parties.

Top company  moves into Botswana

Cadbury Schweppes, the biggest international confectionery company in the world, has bought the Gaborone-based chewing gum business, Dan Products Botswana.

“We are very pleased about our presence in Botswana,” said Lawrence McDougall, managing director of Cadbury South Africa, adding that the addition of the stimorol and dirol brands to the company’s existing range in  South Africa will give the business a strong position in the chewing gum market.

“Part of our aim with this acquisition was to sustain employment within the community, and we are pleased to say that we have retained all the factory employees with the goal of developing and enhancing the Botswana operation as we move forward,” he added.

Malawian gets five strokes for stealing polony

By Keagisitswe Dioka

It wasn’t an easy escape for a 31-year-old Malawian, Joseph Banda, who was caught stealing sliced French polony from Shoprite Supermarket in Maun last week. He was taken to a customary court to face charges of common theft. The court heard that Banda allegedly entered the shop with an intention of stealing. He then stole sliced polony valued at P6.90. Banda pleaded guilty to the charge of theft.

In his mitigation before the sentence, the accused told Chief Labanye Meno that he is a Malawian national and his parents were not in Botswana. He pleaded with the court to be lenient with him, as he is looking after an elderly woman including a minor. He was sentenced to five strokes.

SPORTS

Golfers battle it out in Cresta Open

Participants in the tournament.

By Delphin Koma

KASANE - The President’s Day holiday weekend proved was a busy one for golfers who battled it out for the P20 000 Cresta Hotel Open title at the Mowana Safari Lodge golf course here. The tournament attracted competitors from Jwaneng, Selebi Phikwe, Orapa, Gaborone and Victoria Falls, and they were able to take advantage of discounted air fares, accommodation and food from Air Botswana ands Mowana Lodge. Tom Sisolo, a Zimbabwean now based in Kasane, won the title. For  Sisolo 56, winning the tournament – his first success - was a big achievement and he described it as “very exciting” He said commitment and hard work were the keys to his success. His passion for golf dates back to 1962 when he caddied for his idol Peter Matckovic who is now working with the South African professional golfer Dale Hayes.

Top anglers in thrilling competition

Anglers from Botswana and South Africa competed last weekend at the Invitational July Bream Classic competition held at Sepopa Swamp Stop and hosted by Malcolm Robinson, of Orient-Express Safaris. The catch and release competition, in which no fish were killed, is to promote the sport and to create awareness of catch and release to preserve fish and the environment.

Twenty-nine teams of four persons each and representing the top anglers competed. A total of 230 bream was caught.The competition was overseen by the Department of Water Affairs’ B M Majatsie.

Prizes totalling more than P80 000 were offered, with the first prize an aluminium boat with a 30hp Mercury motor on a trailer which was won by the Babazonki team captained by Mike Botha followed by The Tribe (Malcolm Robinson), Triton (Brendan Claassen), Maxi Fish (Reggie Varkevisser), Out Backs (Chris Blignaut), African Anglers (Greg Thomson). Swamp Stop (Phil Potter), Team Mascom (Vlado Pribil), Batsumi (Rod Bateman) and River Rats (Mark Tucket).  The Open heaviest fish (weighing 2.258) was caught by Pribil (Team Mascom) and the junior heaviest (1.912) by Lee Robinson (The Tribe).

Robinson thanks the sponsors for their assistance - Deloitte & Touche, Ngami Marine, Aliboats, SF Game Ranching, PAAM, Rapala SA, Ngamiland Diesel Engineering, Shell Filling Station (Gumare), Mulbridge Transport, Lepopo and SA Mercury.

Pledge for sports development

A sports development programme initiated by Lesley Boggs and Dr “Tico” McNutt, of the Botswana Predator Conservation Programme, and sponsored by Ashley Hammond in conjunction with Football for Life, is bearing fruit. The programme concentrates on school children and has already produced some bright future aspects by attracting over 90 schoolchildren from four schools. Football for Life director Lesley Boggs told The Ngami Times that four schools -  Matshwane, Leapotswe, Letsholathebe and Shorobe primary - have participated in a six-day coaching clinic where children are taught basic skills development exercise with heavy emphasis on fun, competition and teamwork.    

This programme is by now working closely with the committee and the members of the Delta Football League, which has been running for the past 10 years under the guidance of Delta Sports but has found itself lacking guidance and sponsorship. The main aim is to improve the standard of the league, and create the standard of football in Botswana.  The Delta League has been doubled to the size of 16 teams, divided into two groups. They have so far improved the pitch, provided soccer balls, kit and offered a referee training course which is being sponsored by the National Referees Committee.  Ashley Hammond, who is the Director of Ashley Soccer Camp based in New York, USA, said the main reason for the programme is to engender a sense of community and self respect among participants. He also said that through sports, children could make a choice in life. The  coaching department is being facilitated by Jordan Scott, who is a professional coach and also manager of Ashley Soccer Camp. Scott told The Ngami Times that “this just the beginning as we are going to visit other schools to join the programme.”

All training equipment used was given to participating schools while the students received t-shirts from the Ashley Soccer Academy.       

Biggest defeat in decades

BRISBANE – Australia handed South Africa’s Springbok rugby team its biggest hiding in decades at the weekend when crushing the visitors 49-0 in a Tri-Nations match here. The Springboks, celebrating 100 years of international rugby under the Springbok badge, play New Zealand on Saturday (July 22).

School expects to do well in national boxing

The Northern Region will again be represented at the Botswana Integrated Sports Association Boxing nationals in Gaborone over the weekend. Maun Senior Secondary School (MSSS) has sent a team of six, including Mofenyi Goitsemodimo and Kebautile Kebalipele, both who represented Botswana at the SADC games in Namibia. One of the team, Katjipanda Kaputuare, will not be travelling with the team, after being involved in a car accident on their way to Lobatse for the BISA regional event. None of the boxers were injured. Tony Makula, the northern region co-ordinator, said that he is confident his boys will do well as they are defending a trophy for the under-19 and 19-plus categories.    

Edition 323 July 14 - 21, 2006

Exclusive interview . . .  Zimbabwe’s Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, in pensive mood as he speaks in Maun about his regret that SADC leaders are sitting idle and watch the problems in Zimbabwe getting worse. He gave an exclusive interview to The Ngami Times in Maun at the weekend.  

 

TOURISM ANGER OVER ‘LAND GRAB’

By Bright Kholi

 

A recommendation that land in concession areas should be excised and used for other purposes was given a stormy reception in Maun this week. The tourism sector - which plays a major role in the use of land in the Ramsar site covering the Okavango delta and Maun - says it was never fully consulted on the Land Use Planning and Management component of the Okavango Delta Management Plan Project.

The component is being handled by the Tawana Land Board, which  held a consultative workshop with tour operators this  to discuss the report by consultants on the component.

The consultants said extensive consultations were held with all stakeholders, but this was refuted by tour operators. They said they should have been part of the process from the beginning as the major investors in the site.

They maintained that having been using the Ramsar site for years, they knew the issues on the ground and were better placed to help planners with the relevant information. Keith Vincent, chairman of the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB), said the tourism sector was not against “any good planning” for the use of the Delta but was “rather unsure” whether they (the industry) was wanted or not.

“This is a group of investors who are now feeling unsure whether they are part of developments in the Delta or not, as they were not consulted,” he said. It was “by chance” that they had been told. They also said that while most people feel that investors in tourism were foreigners, this was not true as a large number were citizens.

Among recommendations made by consultants engaged by the Board were that the Molapo crossing should continue and that Gumare, Nokaneng and Tsao areas be designated as communal areas. Lake Ngami is recommended to be zoned as a non-hunting photographic area.

The report also recommends that parts of NG 25 and 26 be zoned for commercial wildlife utilisation and areas bordering Moremi Game reserve as commercial photographic areas.

Tawana Land Board has still to adopt or reject the report.

 

‘Golden Tooth’ shown the open door

By Golang Raditsela

 

Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane, a suspect in the Open Door Bureau de Change robbery of December 2004, has been given bail. The magistrate, Nsikelelo Moyo, took the decision this week even though Maphanyane and co-accused Phaa Ndiweni and George Themba Bhebe were told they have a case to answer. A fourth accused, Karabo Khango, was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

According to evidence led in court, Maphanyane was seen at the scene of crime trying to prevent a mob from further attacking another accused, Patrick Gwebu, who has already been sentenced. Maphanyane was also seen opening the door of their taxi and calling his other friends to get in. He later telephoned the police and handed himself in.

Maphanyane has denied all the allegations, saying he was just passing the scene “like anybody else,” and his attention was drawn by people who were shouting “thief”, referring to a certain man who was then beaten by a mob.  He felt pity for the man and decided to help him.  When questioned about money which was found in his possession, he maintained that he used to work as a mechanic and had been paid a few days before he was arrested. He said it was possible for him to have such an amount as he repaired trucks “belonging to Maun’s richest people.”

Metlha called a witness to prove the point that he was indeed a mechanic but the witness said he knew nothing about it. The trial has been postponed to December 1.

 

Shopkeeper’s screams bring help during attack

The screams of a man desperately fighting for his life woke hundreds of people in Maun this week when he activated his 911 neighbourhood watch radio.

A colleague of the owner of Archein hardware, the Maun business where a security guard was found dead a fortnight ago, fought off three robbers who had smashed burglar bars to enter his home.The incident was one of several reported this week – on Sunday, thieves entered the Spar Delta supermarket and rifled the safe, stealing a substantial amount of money, and a family was terrorised by a gang of armed robbers.

Hardware store owner Nikunj Mehta said his colleague – whom he did not want to identify for fear of further attacks - was hit on the head and required seven stitches to the wound.  Mehta himself was slightly injured. During the fight, the man dropped his radio, cutting off communication. However, members of the Indian community were quickly able to pinpoint the house and raced to it along with others.

Mehta said this week: “We take every precaution to prevent burglaries but that doesn’t seem to stop these people.  We don’t keep money at the house, we don’t interfere with anyone and yet we are targeted. It’s three times now.”

He added that previous burglaries at other businesses had followed the same modus operandi, with the businesses being “visited” twice and then the homes of the owners -

“these people are not being caught. I think that by their actions they are baiting the police and inviting them to try and catch them.”

It is understood that police have not made any arrests and that one of the gang is thought to be a man who recently escaped from the magistrate’s court by swimming across the Thamalakane River and disappearing into bush in the Disaneng area. It is not known whether the burglary has any connection with the killing of the security guard, who worked for BOSS Security.

On Sunday, thieves gained entrance to Delta Spar through an unlatched back door, leading to fears that the robbery may have been “an inside job.”  Police are investigating and so far it is understood that an arrest has been made and the person involved is apparently assisting with enquiries. Also on Monday night, a family was awoken in their Segongwana home in Maun when an unknown number of men entered the house.  All were armed with a variety of weapons, the family said. A 26 year old member of the family received injuries to his head before the robbers escaped with a cellphone, a DVD player and cash. Police this week appealed to the public to take care at their businesses and homes over the four-day holiday weekend period celebrating President’s Day.

 

Tour operator disrupts Delta meeting

By Bright Kholi

 

A consultative workshop organised by the Tawana Land Board was this week disrupted by a tour operator who showered government officials with heated words before storming out of the meeting, banging the door in the process.

The row resulted in the meeting’s facilitator dissolving into tears and being unable to continue as chairman.The meeting had started smoothly with the presentation of the Land Use Planning and Management Component of the Okavango Delta Management Plan Project (ODMPP) to tour operators. Randall Moore, of Elephant Back Safaris, demanded answers to questions before the presentation was over and did not, not agree with recommendations that a marginal amount of land will be taken from concessions surrounding Moremi Game Reserve.

The land will apparently be used as a buffer zone and turned over for use by commercial photographic purposes and to prevent hunting in the reserve. However, although emotions were raised at this juncture, some operators were mainly concerned about the issue of re-zoning these areas.

When the situation seemed to get out of control, with some operators saying they were not consulted on the issue, ODMPP co-ordinator Portia Segomelo tried to explain that the meeting was also part of the consultation process. Segomelo said the aim was for all concerned to come up with “something that will be good for the Okavango Delta.” No one should be seen to be protecting his or her interest and called for a holistic approach to the issue. She regretted to learn that some tour operators were not consulted.

Moore then stood up and said he could not be expected to sit back and watch his concession being rezoned and described the meeting “as disgusting as a recent tourism pitso in Gaborone”. He had invested in Botswana for 15 years and worked hard, currently spending over P3- million in Botswana annually. He objected to be told “by government officials” of what to do with the area in which he had invested - “you guys can just sit in your office with your epaulettes and do nothing,” he said.

The facilitator, Shimane Mongati, asked him to sit down and he was also asked to apologise for some of the words he had used. Moore responded by saying he had “not said anything”, picked up his bag and walked out saying “It’s high time one does something about you.”

He stormed out and banged the door on his departure. Segomelo took over the chairing of the meeting as Mongati was unable to continue in the position. The chairman of the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB), Keith Vincent, apologised for Moore’s behaviour. Moore later returned to the meeting to apologise.

 

EDITORIAL

 

A time for reflection

The President’s Day holiday weekend gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on this nation’s achievements under the patronage of our first three presidents – Sir Seretse Khama, Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus G Mogae. In a few months time we will be celebrating this nation’s 40th anniversary of independence.

Botswana has made enormous strides under the three presidencies. The discovery of diamonds of course turned our land on its head, bringing with it much needed wealth to vastly improve the infrastructure that we inherited from the protection received from the British prior to 1966.

There are still many aspects of development that have still to be improved upon but our remarkable achievements of the past 40 years cannot be challenged.

There is of course still much to be done – such as continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS,  defeating animal diseases, improving our agricultural outputs, broadening the industrial and commercial base, exploring for more minerals, providing better lives for the poor, the destitute and our increasing number of orphans, and developing even greater pride in our country and its culture.

It is a challenge we have all to meet in the years ahead.

 

THE MAUN SHUFFLE

As we are well into the tourism season, Shuffle is as usual throwing a curved ball into the arena. The national slogan calling for low volumes, high input for tourism to our premier tourist spots is causing concern in some circles, Shuffle learns. People down in Gaborone and even here in  Maun and Kasane are apparently saying that the many 4 x 4 tourists from South Africa and Namibia who throng this land in mid-year should be stopped from entering the Moremi Game Reserve and other game reserves during June, July and August because “too many are crowding available camping areas.”

Apparently one of our senior tourism officials did a helicopter swoop over popular areas and was most unhappy to find camping sites “crowded out”. Shuffle finds a problem with this because if it were not for the 4 x 4 tourists purchasing their supplies – food, fuel and the like - in Maun, for instance, the economy of this town and the region will die much quicker than it is at present.

Our shopkeepers can’t wait for the three month holiday period and for the tourists to spend their cash. They do not and cannot rely on the safari industry in general to sustain them.  The argument that most of these tourists bring their own food and drink for the safari is a moot point but even so, they do stop to buy goods and fuel.

Shuffle understands the official viewpoint and the desire to keep the parks people free as far as possible, but to stop hundreds of self-catering tourists from coming into our parks will surely backfire and work in favour of Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia, and more particularly beautiful Zimbabwe when that country resumes normal relations with the rest of the human race.

In any event, families from the two countries mentioned are simply unable to meet the high cost of spending a few days in our safari camps, costing as these do upwards of US$300 dollars a night – that translates to about P1 800 minimum per person.

The reason why so many South Africans make the long trek to Maun is also probably because their own parks are akin to Disneyland – literally theme parks with tarred roads, supermarkets in small shopping centres, even more astronomical entry fees than our own, and a desire to see and photograph the Big Five in natural surroundings rather than at Pretoria Zoo.

Our parks may have abysmal facilities for tourists, filthy latrines, disinterested parks staff, poor roads and so on, but the great advantage is the natural habitat of Africa. Shuffle thinks we should ponder long and hard before slapping a ban on these people. Maun and Kasane will not thank the powers-that-be for making it even more difficult to earn a living.

 

**

 

Winter plays strange tricks on people. Maun doesn’t really have a very cold winter, or does it? 

The security powers-that-be at the local airport recently astonished air charter companies and others by decreeing the main and side entry/exit gates remained locked until 8am “as it is too cold for the staff to get to work earlier.”  And down the road at a fast food place in New Mall, the business is only opening at 8am for the same reason!

This has come to Shuffle’s attention after tourists who were looking for a quick breakfast arrived at the door of the take-away only to find staff climbing out of a taxi and being told they open at 8. So much for “we open early”, which seems to be the slogan for the same establishment in other countries.

The tourists had to amble around town, stomachs rumbling, while waiting for the magic hour to approach. The airport closure is even more puzzling as the local facility is deemed to be “international” even though that word doesn’t feature in its official name.

Maybe the staff is getting fed up with working late due to airlines not keeping to official timetables and forcing them to work overtime and therefore depriving them of their well-earned rest!! Surely there must be someone there who will come to his or her senses and realise that the world does not come to a dead stop in Maun because “it is cold.”  Heck, if that were the case, no one would go to work until the sun is high in the sky and the usually non-existent frost is melted!

Just imagine what officials would do if Maun was part of the northern hemisphere – no one would get out of bed to issue orders!

 

**

 

Shuffle wonders whether anyone has thought about the damage that could be done to tyres when vehicles drive over the pieces of wood stuck upright on the surface of the Disaneng gravel road which is now being improved.

One would think that brain power could have been brought into play to find a way to demarcate the surface due to be cleared – old drums are used in other countries as well as colourful ribbon.

Sorry! We have been rapped over the knuckles for daring to criticise “development” but goodness sakes, surely the use of sturdy upright sticks is an obvious destructive tool for expensive tyres?

 

SADC is ‘failing Zimbabwe’

Zimbabwe’s Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai being interviewed by The Ngami Times Chief reporter Bright Kumbulani Kholi

By Bright Kholi

 

Zimbabwe’s Opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, says it is regrettable that SADC leaders are sitting idle and watching the problems in Zimbabwe getting worse and worse.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Ngami Times in Maun over the weekend, Tsvangirai – president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) - said the situation in Zimbabwe had reached a catastrophic state, adding that it is “nothing miraculous.”

Tsvangirai said the current economic crisis in his country was self inflicted by the Mugabe regime. He said currently inflation and unemployment rates have reached unbearable levels, adding that there are over four million Zimbabweans in Diaspora. With such a  large number of Zimbabweans in foreign countries, it is a blow to the economy. “Most of these people are young and productive who would contribute immensely to the economy of that country,” he said.

Tsvangirai feels it is high time for Mugabe to own up to his problems and leave office.“Otherwise the longer Mugabe stays in power, the more Zimbabweans will be exposed to further suffering,” he said. The MDC has a vision of a new Zimbabwe, which includes good governance, a better economy and a land policy that would be better for all.

He said the integrity and dignity of Zimbabwe needs to be restored and that can only be achieved if Mugabe leaves power. “The leadership of Zimbabwe can never be changed through elections since all the elections have been rigged and will continue to be rigged by the ZANU PF,” Tsvangirai said. He maintained that his party has won all the past three general elections, but never took power because Mugabe “stole it” from them. He brushed aside allegations that his party was not popular in rural areas.

“Rural areas are where most election rigging and intimidation take place because Mugabe knows that most people there do not realise many things and the places are quite far. We have complained to SADC on many occasions about election rigging in Zimbabwe but to no avail,” he said. He cited an incident in which the results from a rural area were formally announced after nine days.

He said Zimbabwe was a member of many organisations which have some basic terms and principles on elections but “Mugabe keeps on making skewed electoral reforms and laws to suit himself.” Zimbabwe now needs assistance from its neighbours at diplomatic level (and) SADC should put pressure on Mugabe to respect the rule of law and for democracy to prevail in Zimbabwe.

Tsvangirai says Botswana should use its SADC chairmanship status to help the situation in Zimbabwe - “the perception that Zimbabweans should solve their problems alone is vague because there is no strategy or a platform at which all the concerned parties can solve the problems in Zim.” The world should know that the problem of Zimbabwe is not necessarily between that country and Britain, but mainly stems from the illegitimacy of Mugabe as the president.

“A fresh, robust and more focused look at the situation in Zimbabwe needs to be taken urgently to restore the dignity of that country,” he said. “Quite diplomacy that some leaders in the region prefer is just a fallacy as it will compound the problem. More and more Zimbabweans are spilling into these neighbouring countries and this alone means the problems in Zimbabwe are being felt in those countries.” Tsvangirai however regrets that the choosing of former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa as a mediator “is quite suspicious as he was chosen under the wrong terms of reference.” This comes after Mugabe told United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan on the sidelines of a recent African Union meeting in West Africa that Mkapa would mediate in Zimbabwe. Annan had wanted to visit the country for mediation purposes. Tsvangirai was in Maun for a week and although he said he was officially on holiday, it seemed he was engaged in long talks with members of his delegation. Tsvangirai was accompanied among others by the MDC Secretary for Information and Publicity, Nelson Chamisa.

 

Security at schools a concern

By Bright Kholi

 

It became apparent last week at a ceremony to donate a computer by Mascom Wireless to Bonatla Primary School that security at primary schools in the region was below standard. The chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Gaeiphiwe Sebati, aired his concerns about security in the school to councillors who were present.

Sebati said North West District Council authorities were failing the school in that on numerous occasions, the school had held events and although having  invited the Council  no official had attended apart from the area councillor. Sebati said it was regrettable that while teachers and parents work tirelessly to source computers, the NWDC was also not helping with proper security measures for the computers.

“If people give us such computers, it would be a shame when tomorrow they are stolen because there is no security,” he said. Sebati called upon Councillor Mhapha to plead with the authorities at the NWDC for proper security at the school. The Principal Education Officer, Kenneth Habana, agreed with Sebati.

He said security in schools was very important as it would ensure that school equipment was safe. He also called on the NWDC to consider installing air conditioners in the buildings in which computers are kept. Meanwhile the NWDC’s Principal Education Secretary, Kaporeingi Patropus, who arrived at the event late, responded to the complaints, admitting that the NWDC had problems with security in schools in the region.  The NWDC is currently considering giving private security companies contracts to provide security services at schools.

School head Dorcas Sethoko said the school has an acute shortage of books for the new revised syllabus and that Standard Six pupils had been without books since January. These students will be writing their final examinations next year and is concerned  whether they will pass.  

 

Youth projects given funding

NKANGE – The government has allocated P26-million to the Department of Youth and Culture for various projects which it is hoped will keep young people engaged in meaningful activities and away from crime.

This was disclosed here this week by the MP for Tonota South, Pono Moatlhodi, when speaking at an Out of School youth crime prevention workshop. He told participants they had “uniquely valuable talents and set of abilities” they should nurture to develop themselves.

He urged parents and teachers to identify with a child’s potential, offering encouragement to take their talents seriously. He urged young people to take part in social activities, particularly focussing on community building. He said unemployed men and women were forced into sexual activities to earn a living and that this increased the risks of contracting ands spreading the HIV/AIDS virus.

 

‘Extend crime prevention beyond homes’

GABORONE – Gaborone West neighbourhood watch chairman Victor Mongae says that the public should extend crime prevention measures beyond their homes. He made the comment when addressing a Royal Swaziland Police delegation.

Mongae said “all human beings need a certain degree of territorial space which they defend and over which they exercise their influence or control.” He added this could be achieved if it were realised that crime prevention is not confined to an individual homestead but a “neighbourly affair” that calls for collective responsibility.

While appreciating the value of security measures such as security walls, electric fences, alarm systems and so on, these are insufficient to guarantee safety as soon as a person steps out of his or her home’s front gate.

 

Pastry chef killed in Zim crash

The death has taken place in Zimbabwe of a Maun woman, Nontokozo Ncube, who worked as pastry chef at the Bon Arrivee restaurant in the town. She was killed in a road accident during a visit to Harare on which she was to collect her new Zimbabwean passport following the theft of her previous passport and other personal documents on an earlier visit to the country.

 

Abandoned baby is buried

A second abandoned baby found in Maun in recent months has been buried. She was known as “Baby Lesedi” and her burial follows on that of “Baby Naledi”. Pastor Jana Lackey said this week that the burial took place after a short graveside service at the Sedie cemetery.

Lion researcher Kate Nicholls wrote in a poem read out at the graveside that “an unidentified mother gave birth to this little star. She was hurting more than her heart could bare; she is Africa and womanhood.

“This baby – her baby – can change our world if we let their love and pain shine through our days and teach us.” A woman was admitted to hospital after police were called to the scene  where the baby had been abandoned.

 

Youth urged to quit alcohol, crime

GABORONE – The country’s youth have been urged to engage in various assistance programmes to create businesses instead of indulging in alcohol and criminal acts. The call has come from the acting co-ordinator of the Botswana National Youth Council, Thatayaone Gabositwe, when speaking at a youth crime prevention workshop here. He said young people are mostly vulnerable to criminal acts such as thefts, armed robberies, rape and passion killings. “Youth should realise they have a significant role to play in the socio-economic and political development of this country.”

The Station Commander of the Old Naledi police station, Superintendent Waboraro Ramaja, said last year 1 244 youth were involved  in criminal acts, with 599 having been booked so far this year. Since the implementation of the stop, question and search initiative, some offences have declined.

 

Onks Times Beat

Some women change to please mates

I cannot believe the impact this column is having. The other day a young couple, “seemingly in love” approached me and said: “Thank you Onks. Your articles are valuable. We now communicate especially in regard to pregnancy and sexuality.” SMS and e-mails have also been flooding in. I will share some of the messages with you in the up coming columns. You will excuse me if my topic for today hits where it hurts most. - “some women change to please mates.”

Many times women in their quest to be ideal partners find themselves losing their identity and shaping themselves to suit their partners. They do this in many ways, some sacrifice what they believe in, some lie, some agree with their partners opinion so that they may be thought as of as “clicking.” Why?

When a woman meets a man that they are sure they want to keep, they want to try by all means to end up spending the rest of their lives with him. They want to live their true colours and present themselves as the angels that the man is probably looking for. Whether this will impact on them in the future or not is not a problem but their main focus is on getting the man to say “I Do”  Do the following scenarios sound familiar?

You meet a man who obviously understands. You come into the relationship with dreams and goals that you want to reach. Be it career, a family, a social life. Say your dream career was nursing, and it happens that during a conversation he comments that he hates nursing and prefers accounting. Although you feel disappointed inside, you end up saying “Yeh, I hate nursing too and actually I prefer accounting.”

Why are you lying? You want to appear you like the same things instead of telling him your preferences, period. Should this man marry you, it means your career in nursing has gone down the drain and chances are you end up with no career. You meet this guy at a disco in town and he tells you he is head over heels in love with you. You are an outgoing woman and he knows that. But a few months down the line he points out that actually he prefers his woman to stay indoors.

He puts it politely that he is jealous that other men can notice you like he did. Upon hearing this, you quickly cease going out and you stay at home just to be his ideal goddess. Are you being fair to yourself? You lose your ability to believe in yourself. You lose the ability to believe that you can make it on your own to think you are unable to make your own decisions. You even believe that you are useless. Ultimately, you end up hating yourself. As a woman, learn to go slow in a relationship. Do not try to mould yourself into the ideal partner for someone when in the end you will find that you have compromised your happiness and lost your identity. “Clicking” with the other person should come naturally.

Give yourself time to find out if you are ideal for him instead of making him think you are when you are not. Never lie, always tell the truth about yourself. If you like something, say so.

Pretence and lying are quite deadly because these can catch up with you. The bottom line is: Never change for anyone if you are only doing it for him or her.

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

A woman has the last word in an argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

 

An epic desert ride for conservation

The cyclists who made the long trek to Maun

It was a long, long ride but Daisy Sefara-Hancock and three companions have finally arrived in Maun after 10 days of cycling across the Kalahari Desert from Gaborone to Maun.

The team pedalled along the great Trans-Kalahari Highway to Ghanzi and then to Maun, arriving on Saturday afternoon. In this special report, the team gives readers of The Ngami Times their first-hand account of the journey.

 

Day 1 (Gaborone to Moshupa): The team first meets in a boardroom at the Gaborone International Conference Centre, Grand Palm Hotel and Casino. We are six: Daisy Sefara-Hancock, Zee Mpofu, Noxy Mpofu and Phil Rotz cycling; Peter and Miles Hancock serving as logistical support and backup. It is 12.30pm by the time we finish buying general supplies and last minute items and finish packing the bakkie and trailer that will accompany the riders. We are ready to embark on the longest ride of our lives. The plan was to reach Kanye today, but because of the late start we set up camp just before Moshupa.

 

Day 2 ( Moshupa to Jwaneng): We wake with sore muscles and today face cycling up the daunting hill near Polokwe. Only Phil cycles all the way up the hill, the rest of us walk it! The downhill that follows is lovely though and worth the effort of going up the hill. At Kanye we join the Trans-Kalahari Highway and begin our westward push. Nightfall finds us camped 40 km outside Jwaneng.

 

Day 3 (Jwaneng to Sekoma): After a windy morning ride, the team reaches Jwaneng in time for lunch and reloading of snack food from the petrol station shops. Daisy and Noxy cycle to the mine to solicit a donation, unsuccessfully, while Zee and Phil push toward Sekoma. The first tyre puncture of the trip slows Daisy and Noxy’s afternoon catch-up. After a 75km day, we camp 50 km before Sekoma.

 

Day 4 (Sekoma to Mabutsane): Having fallen behind the itinerary, this morning we start knowing we have to push further each day in order to reach Maun on Saturday, July 8. Zee rides the 50km to Sekoma, with persistent back pain, but has to stop there for the day to avoid further aggravating her back injury. The team manages to make it past Mabutsane before stopping for the night, covering a total of 97km.

 

Day 5 (Mabutsane to Kang): Today is a public holiday, but not for our cycling team. Breakfast discussion revolves around the importance of reaching Kang by nightfall to stay on target for the rest of the trip. The cycling team rises to the challenge, completing the 108km to Kang just before 5pm. Kang Ultra Stop generously provides discounted accommodation and this is a tremendous morale boost as the team gets to enjoy cabins and hot showers. Yay!

 

Day 6 (Kang to Lonetree): From our accommodation at Kang an early start to the day is possible because we don’t have to strike camp. To keep the Maun arrival on schedule, the team targets 120km as the day’s goal. Pacing themselves with the waterline markers the team succeeds in pushing just over 20km past Lonetree, where Pete and Miles pick everyone up and take them back to the overnight accommodation graciously provided at the Lonetree Wildlife APU camp.

 

Day 7 (Lonetree to Ghanzi): Riders shake off the stiffness from yesterday’s ride and set themselves to the biggest challenge of the trip; a 140km ride to Ghanzi. The two valleys before Ghanzi add some downhill/uphill variety to the ride, but dusk finds the team still 16km from Ghanzi. To complete the ride Pete follows behind the riders in the truck, offering headlights to light the way and protection from traffic. The day’s cycling draws to a close at 7pm. We spend the night at Thakadu Camp, where the campsite was donated to us by the management and hot showers were enjoyed by all.

 

Day 8 (Ghanzi to Kuke): Waking in Ghanzi after a rest that was too short, the team members strategise the remainder the trip, how they will tackle the just less than 300km left to reach Maun. Today’s goal is to camp at the foot of the hills past Kuke, a distance of nearly 120 km. The riders set out with willing spirits, but following the arduous ride the day before, bodies are beginning to breakdown, and Phil has taken sick with flu. Exhausted, and a bit disappointed, the team halts for the day after 100km of riding. Since camp had already been set up past Kuke, Pete picks the team up in the truck to transport them forward to fire, food, and rest.

 

Day 9 (Kuke to Toteng): Today’s start begins with riders being transported back to the stopping place from the previous day. This back-tracking makes today’s goal - to reach Toteng - a roughly 120km ride. The combination of renewed energy and flat or favourably sloping road gets the team moving well. A series of punctures lengthen the riding time, and fatigue and saddle-soreness haunt the afternoon, but Toteng is successfully reached before 5pm. We camp among the trees by the riverbed, reasonably assured that our goal of reaching Maun tomorrow will indeed be achieved.

 

Day 10 (Toteng to Maun): The last day! Daisy, Phil, and Noxy leave from Toteng, while Zee, Pete, and Miles pack up the camp and join them later. Excited to be only 70kms from Maun the team had envisioned an easy push into town, but stiff winds make the morning ride a sturdy challenge and the kilometres between Toteng and Komana are especially hard-fought. After the gear is packed, Pete and Miles drop Zee in Komana and she rides on to the bridge, where the riders beginning in Toteng catch up to her just before 2pm. Together we get to the Maun sports stadium and receive a wonderful welcome from the kids oft the Okavango International School. Thanks guys! The team begins a little Tour de Maun, going up to the New Mall and back down to Riley’s circle, crossing the bridge and before concluding the long journey at Maun Lodge where we are welcomed with cool drinks and by the singing and dancing of the kids of Sekgoma Primary School. Home sweet home!

 

Stealing gets sneak thief into trouble

By Delphin Koma

 

Koosaletse Jimmy, a 19-year-old Moeti youth, has been arrested after trying to sneak away with stolen goods from Choppies supermarket in Maun. Security guard Sylvia Masocha saw Jimmy take away a tin of black shoe polish, dishwashing liquid and a bottle of lotion. “He later bought a soft drink and paid for it but tried to get away with some unpaid goods,” she told the customary court.

Masocha asked him about the payment for the goods in a plastic bag.“He looked clueless, and failed to give me the receipt as proof of payment,’ she said. Kgosi Mathiba Moremi told Jimmy that a man of his age should have a direction in life – “stealing is not a solution. You should have asked for some money to buy the goods you have stolen”, he said. When asked in mitigation what he had to say, the accused bowed his head and didn’t say anything. Jimmy was sentenced to five strokes on his back “to learn and since it is his first crime, I hope he does not repeat the crime”, Moremi said.

 

Guard suffocated after being struck

A post-mortem has found that the death of a security guard at a Maun business last week was not caused through strangulation or a bullet wound, as was rumoured. The man was apparently killed when struck across the throat with a piece of wood and suffocated while lying unconscious.

 

The winner of Last week’s spot the ball competition Keratwe  k  Molapisi receiving her prize from the Editor of The Ngami Times, Norman Chandler. There is another spot the ball competition on page 20 today.

 

Public urged to behave over the holidays

Maun police station commander Moitally Thokweng says people should take precautionary measures over the holiday weekend so as to avoid any mishaps occurring. Thokweng told The Ngami Times that everyone should be responsible and maintain their safety. He called for safe driving and called on motorists to ensure their vehicles were roadworthy. Thokweng warned that road blocks will be operating in and around Maun, so people should comply as vehicles found not roadworthy will be impounded.  He also called on taxi drivers to take passengers to their homes to avoid them being vulnerable to any kind of harm. He also says passengers must avoid using pirate taxis.

People away from home should advise neighbours as a safety measure to inform their neighbours when they leave their houses unattended. He also warned business people not to keep large sums of money in their homes and hire nightwatchmen to improve the level of security at their homes and businesses.

 

Electric fencing to surround some camps

By Lets Open

 

Numerous Okavango delta safari camps are being fenced in electrically to stop wild animals from encroaching, and putting at risk workers and tourists. Big game such as lions, elephants, hippos, buffalo, and baboons have over the years visited various camps but ever since the killing of a camp employee last year, the owners of camps have come under pressure from their staff to electrify fences around camps or at best surrounding staff housing areas. Recently a buffalo entered a camp and gored an employee, resulting in her having surgery in South Africa. Among camps with electric fencing are Vumbura, Kaparota, Chitabe, Dubu Plains and Little Vumbura. The voltage is low and is merely there to give the animals a jolt, allowing them to shy away from the fencing without injuring themselves. “We now sleep without fear of elephants and lions,” said one relieved safari worker. “Conservation is not affected by these measures which are purely protective.”

Fences are being erected with the agreement of the Department of Wildlife. “The fences are not being erected to separate people and game,” a conservationist said.  * Electric fencing is a feature of accommodation areas in South African game parks.

 

Banks challenged on high rates

GABORONE – Lands and Housing minister Dikgakgamatso Seretse says that commercial banks should reduce their lending rates to encourage home ownership. He is quoted in the government newspaper, the “Daily News” as saying that the move would enable Batswana to acquire homes at reasonable costs.Seretse was opening the Home Expo 2006 show held here.

He also urged banks to consider giving people loans in order to develop tribal lands as this would benefit a larger bracket of the population. “It is essential to make housing affordable,” he added. “It is only when housing is affordable that the expenditure outside the housing sector can grow and have a positive impact on the economy,” he is reported as saying.

Seretse also urged that the cost of construction materials be reduced to make cheaper and unconventional structures acceptable. He wants banks and insurance companies to be able to insure what he termed “not everyday structures” and called for a regular review of building codes to create affordable housing.

 

Maun schoolgirl for SA conference

Gorata Seboko … heading to SA

By Basadi Morokotso

 

A 14 year old Letsholathebe Primary School student, Gorata Seboko, has made the school proud by being selected to represent the country at a UNICEF video conferencing event to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the weekend. She says she couldn’t believe her ears when she was called to the principal’s office last week to be told the good news that she and another pupil from Molepolole had been chosen to join other students from neighbouring countries.

Gorata says she and 109 other students from ten districts countrywide received invitations from UNICEF to a mid-term review to discuss issues and any other grievances concerning them as school children. The issues included to see to it that their rights are not being violated as well as seeing  that their way of living is monitored every now and then, and if it’s the right way of doing it. They then had to volunteer to deliver the speech to a government minister. Gorata said Minister of Local Government Margaret Nasha liked their speeches and promised to take appropriate action.

Her teacher, Stephen Tshekiso, who will be accompanying her to South Africa, said he was equally delighted and very proud of his student as she had never let him down. He said the young girl is gifted, confident, and highly imaginative.

 

Razor man lashed for theft

A Botshabelo man, 36, has received lashes at the customary court for stealing razor blades from the Shoprite supermarket. Mbere Maboto was said in court to have entered the supermarket this month and stolen the blades, valued at P12.75.

He was seen by a security guard, who stopped him and found that the blades had been placed in a pocket and had not been paid for. Maboto was charged with common theft. Kgosi Mathiba Moremi said stealing “such small things at of his age” was a serious matter. He advised him to use his hands and mind in order to help himself. The accused said in mitigation that he suffered from migraine. Moremi sentenced Maboto to six strokes and advised him to see a doctor about the migraine headaches.

 

‘Open up or I will break down door!’ – and he did!

A man who wanted to gain access to a woman’s home was told she was asleep and would not be opening up – so what did he do next?  He smashed down the door! Samson Town, 31, thought he could get away with it when Gaeroletse Herry refused to open up.

The customary court heard Town had gone to the plaintiff’s residence at about 9pm, and knocked on her door. She wouldn’t open, and the accused then decided to use a sharp object to break open the door. She shouted out in fear, calling for residents to help. By the time the residents arrived, Town had already disappeared.

The accused was arrested a few days later and charged with destruction of goods. He pleaded guilty. Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe told Town  no one in Botswana was allowed to destroy other’s property and that there was no law allowing one to take revenge.

Town was found guilty. He said in mitigation he had two children to look after with a third at school. He was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for six months, and ordered to pay P120 to the plaintiff within two weeks. The court also awarded him the broken door if he wanted it.

  

SPORTS

 

Maun Judoka’s back from South Africa

Maun’s judo stars have returned from the South African international judo championships with six medals.

Three Maun judoka from The Studio were part of the Botswana team.Tony Caulfield came home with a gold medal in the Masters category, like he did last year, while both Ryan Kays and Maveriq Jubber fought hard but unfortunately fell outside the medals. Ryan did very well to come 5th in his category.The team wants to thank all in Maun who sponsored the local contingent, particularly  Lepopo Wholesalers, The Sports Bar and Restaurant, Spar Safari, Bateman’s Wine, Johan Calitz Safaris and Noeline for all her running around. It is hoped to host a judo competition in Maun in the near future. Local children are invited to have a look at the sport at The Studio on Saturday mornings. Inspiration for the sport is what makes a good judo exponent, such as Advent Monyatsiwa, a former student of the Maun Judo Club and trained by Caulfield, who is now living in the United States and has just been graded to get his black belt. For adults there is a judo class on Thursdays at 6.30pm.

 

BOFWA league draws to an end

The BOFWA soccer league season is coming to an end but the teams are still battling it out for the top position.

The league race is being led by Delta Raiders who have played 11 games for their 25 points.

Raiders shot straight to the top spot after beating Masa Young Stars 4-0 on Sunday. Raiders made their intentions clear when they got their goals through Mpho Ntekang and Kabelo Maphate who each scored two goals and denying Young Stars a chance to step up the ladder. Young Stars are still sixth, with 19 points from 11 games.

Golden Bush moved two steps up the log to 12th place when they beat favourites Boseja Chiefs 2-0 on Saturday.  Gomolemo Ntuelang and Keogile Mathemba were on target for Golden Bush.

The result removed Chiefs from top spot to 4th position with 22 points from 11 games.

Maun Heroes are in second place with 25 points from 11 games after marching past Thunder Stars, who dropped back to 11th on the day’s results. Goals from Keoleletse Ndara and Thaloso Senyemba were enough for Heroes to place them in the title race, while Stars replied through Kebetsho (2-1).

Smiling Boys were not smiling over the weekend when they were outclassed by third-placed Triple Action 2-0. Triple Action is also in a very good position for the title with 22 points from 11 games, 3 points behind the top teams.

Noah Busupang and Simon Busiamisi goals sent Smiling Boys to 11th place from 9th, with 12 points. 

In 5th position are Horizon Stars who went past Amphora with a 1-0 win, moving Amphora to 14th. Horizon have 22 points from 11 games. West United are now 7th after beating Maun Rangers 3-0 over the weekend. Rangers scored through Thuoetsile Omphile and Kelebonye Solomon, who netted twice.

Rangers moved a step down the log from 7th to 8th exchanging places with West United. Bolton Wanderers and Mapalastina shared the points after both sides scored a goal each, the goals were scored by Bankgusitse Lemponye who scored for Bolton while Kerileng Poonyane replied for Mapalastina. Bottom placed Desert Warriors and Interlico were not in action as well as Desert Soccer Chiefs

 

Italy goes bonkers over World Cup triumph

Italians all over the world rejoiced on Sunday night and carried on the party for days afterwards as their team emerged FIFA World Cup soccer champions for the fourth time in the country’s history.

Italy defeated France on penalties during a final in Berlin that saw the French captain, Zidane, sent off for butting an opposing Italian player in the chest and earning a red card for the offence. Zidane said the player had called him “a terrorist” and it was also reported the two had been baiting each other throughout the game, which was watched by an estimated worldwide audience of more than one billion.

The incident was seen by a huge television audience although the referee appeared to be unsighted at the time.

Despite his disgrace, FIFA awarded Zidane – playing in his last game for France - the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player and he was feted on his return to France. Germany consoled itself with third place while the Portuguese lauded as heroes their team that came  fourth.

The World Cup now moves to South Africa in 2010, where already attempts are being made to derail the event by opponents concentrating on the country’s spiralling crime rate and corruption. South African president Thabo Mbeki said in Berlin at the weekend that his country intended to stage the greatest world Cup of all time and one that would do Africa proud.  The tournament is being held in Africa for the first time.

Mangled wreck... This truck swerved to avoid a cow  but hit the animal on the road 27 km on the Nata side from Gweta over the holiday weekend . The driver,  who was admitted to Gweta Hospital,  said his vehicle spun several times and overturned, spilling a cargo of blankets and other goods

 

Security guard found strangled

ROBBERS TURN KILLERS

By Robert Norton and Charlotte Mpho

 

The cold-blooded killing of a security guard in Maun over the holiday weekend has sent shivers of fear through the town. It is the first murder so far reported of a security guard by robbers. Nikunj Mehta, the owner of Archein Hardware, situated on the Sehitwa road in the Thito area, where the guard was employed, found the body after discovering his store had been ransacked.

According to Maun police station commander, Moitally Thokweng, the guard was found at about 8am. The guard had been tied up and it is believed he was strangled.There is a possibility that the guard – who has not been identified - may have recognised his attackers and was murdered to prevent him from identifying them.

The body has been taken to Francistown for forensic investigations and post-mortem. The murderers are thought to have first killed the guard and then broken into the business. The safe was opened and an undisclosed sum of money as well as jewellery was taken. They left behind the tools they had used to open the safe, including an axe.

It is understood that about two weeks ago, the same business was robbed and the safe badly damaged.

In an interview with The Ngami Times this week, Mehta said he arrived for work on Monday to discover that the building had been broken into. “I then continued my search of the premises and found the guard’s body, face down, with his hands tied together,” Mehta said. Mehta said initially he thought the guard was unconscious, but on closer inspection realised that the man, who was in his mid-30s, was dead.

This is the second robbery to have occurred at Archein within several weeks. Both robberies were almost identical. During the first, a large amount of money was stolen and in this week’s robbery, the thieves used the store’s own tools to break into the safe, resulting in a huge loss. The store was also ransacked, with several computers being smashed.

At the time of going to press, police investigations were continuing and no one had yet been arrested in connection with the murder. Police are appealing for help from the community in tracking down the killers. Police say that any information will be treated in confidence.

The murder has shocked the community. Over many months, robberies have been taking place, some by armed people who have fired shots over the heads of householders or shot the family dog. In many cases, various weapons such as knives, axes and machetes have been brandished to keep householders at bay as their property was stolen by robbers, some of whom wore masks while others were not concerned about their identities being known. In some cases, householders were tortured with hot irons and tied up, with some being bundled into cupboards.

 

Local businessman dies in Zim car crash

Brighton Chamupenya

A well known Maun businessman, Brighton Chamupenya, 27, and his wife have been killed in a horrific car accident in Zimbabwe over the weekend. Chamupenya’s vehicle swerved off the road after a tyre burst and hit a tree before catching fire. He was trapped in the vehicle while his wife managed to escape, but died a day later in hospital. The couple’s seven-month-old son escaped injury but Chamupenya’s mother and a brother, who were also in the vehicle, are in a critical condition in hospital.

The accident happened between Chitungwiza and Harare. Chamupenya and his wife were buried in Zimbabwe this week. At the time of his death, Chamupenya and a partner were due to take over the ByteSoft Systems computer company in Maun from its owner, Ronald Ridge, a Maun Member of Parliament. Ridge said this week that they were in the process of finalising the paperwork as he could no longer manage the company while engaged in parliamentary activities.

 

Man’s ‘bum’ is his banker

By Golang Raditsela and Amogelang Segajane

 

Each to his own even if it’s a bum idea – that’s what a magistrate was told during the Open Door bureau de change robbery trial late last week. “Everyone keeps their money where they want, so I keep mine in my underwear,” said    the accused, Phaa Ndiweni, 30.

The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Oakantse Motlhanke, said it was found stashed on Ndiweni’s person “between the bums”.  Evidence was being led Ndiweni was found in possession of P16 000 in his underpants.

Motlhanke said the place where the money was kept raised suspicion that the money was indeed stolen, especially as it was such a huge amount.

When the magistrate, Nsikelelo Moyo, asked Motlhanka where exactly the money was kept, he said the money was “found between the accused’s bums.”  Ndiweni claimed the money belonged to him as he was engaged in the “alcohol business”, and that at the time he was arrested he was on his way to purchase new stock and building materials. Ndiweni said he considered his underwear a much safer place to keep his money as “ladies normally ask money” from him and searched him if he said he didn’t have any.  He maintained his hiding place was not unusual, and that different people kept money in purses, wallets, handbags and pockets, so his he put in his underwear.

Meanwhile, another accused, Karabo Khango, has been acquitted by Moyo. He is the first of the six accused to be set free, with the number of accused now reduced to four after Patrick Gwebu decided to change his plea to guilty, and there was a separation trial for Kitso Mguni for failing to attend at court. Moyo said there was no evidence linking Khango to the offence and that the evidence leading to khango’s arrest had been based on suspicions and exaggerations.

When explaining to court the grounds of arrest for Khango, investigating officer Motlhanke said he was suspected after he and his friend Mguni were seen changing large sums of foreign currency at the ASA bureau de change at Lobatse on December 13, 2004, only four days after the robbery.  It is said that the Lobatse Wood Hall police telephoned Maun police, informing them of their suspicions. The two were later arrested in Maun.

Khango was arrested at his girlfriend’s place in Sedie, where he was found in possession of expensive clothing and receipts for expensive purchases, which also increased police suspicions.

The other three accused persons - Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane, Phaa Ndiweni and George Themba Bhebe - will again appear before the magistrate’s court on July 10.

 

Monnaatlala committed to High Court for sentencing

By Amogelang Segajane and Golang Raditsela

 

Tibidikwe Monnaatlala, who was convicted this week for raping an eight year old girl on July 31 last year, has been committed to the High Court for sentencing after magistrate Nsikelelo Moyo said he did not have the jurisdiction to pass sentence appropriately. Monnaatlala, 34, did not seem to realise what Moyo was telling him in court on Wednesday.

Moyo explained that he could not sentence Monnaatlala after taking into consideration the fact that rape has a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years imprisonment, as well as the gravity of the offence and the circumstances at which it was committed. The circumstances include the age of the victim and the injuries sustained by her. “It is in my view that a sentence of 10 years would not be an appropriate sentence, looking at the crime with which the accused person has been convicted. I do not have the jurisdiction to sentence the accused to life imprisonment, or any other higher sentence.

“I accordingly commit the accused to the High Court for sentencing”, he said. Moyo added that “it is the duty of the court to protect the society from . . . delinquents like the accused person.” Monnaatlala has at least three previous cases of burglary, to which he was sentenced to four strokes and the prison sentencing was suspended.

In the same year, he was convicted for another burglary case in which he was sentenced to three months in prison or a P50 fine. Monnaatlala was again convicted for house breaking and theft, receiving a sentence of four strokes and three years for each count. His criminal record also contributed to him being committed to the High Court.

 

Students up in arms

By Kesegofetse Sentsima

and Robert Norton

 

Maun Senior Secondary School students were on Monday protesting against issues regarding the management of the school and particularly food and the double shift educational system. The protest followed recent incidents in which four students were raped after double shift classes and a talent show.

It is understood “very angry” students pelted food in the school hall and some employees of the school had to seek cover. The students objected to eating samp at every meal and wanted menus to be reviewed. The double shift system led to more problems this week as a crowd of students gathered to protest against the controversial system, which has left many of them, particularly the female students, feeling threatened. The protest ended peacefully after the headmaster, Gaesengwe Mohube, addressed the students, and despite a number of restless students the protest did not escalate. The police were not called. Students claimed they are in danger due to the increasing number of rapes and demanded that a bus should be made available to take them home after school.

When asked about this, Mohube explained that it would be too costly to provide a bus to take students home after school. The possibility of a bus had been raised at an earlier meeting by teachers but parents had voted against it as it was too expensive. The headmaster expressed his disappointment that the students and parents did not communicate with the school management but rather aired their grievances through the media.

 

Road blocks disrupt business

 

Maun businesses were thrown into disarray this week with major road blocks manned by Botswana Police, Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and the South African Police being mounted on main thoroughfares.

It resulted in many taxis being off the streets and the stopping of private vehicles and checking on vehicle licences and motorists’ identity papers. No comment could be obtained from the Botswana Police as investigations were said to be continuing.

It is understood that the South African Police members are from an anti-car theft unit which operates in the SADC region under an agreement with member states.

Several vehicles which were stopped at the road blocks have been impounded, including at least one that was alleged to have been stolen in South Africa in 1994.

The unit has previously operated in Maun.

 

EDITORIAL

Raping of schoolgirls

Unfortunately, our worst fears have been realised – the rape of another schoolgirl on her way home from second session school lessons.

We suggested some weeks ago that a rethink is required about the project following the rapes of two other girls. There however appears to be a view that children the world over are vulnerable to attack and that the cases happening in Maun are not out of the ordinary.

This is dangerous because it opens up all sorts of situations that could see young men preying on defenceless schoolgirls during our winter months.

We suggest that the times for the second session of lessons during winter, in particular, should perhaps be re-scheduled so that the children leave classes earlier and in the relative safety of daylight. In that way, hopefully, they could escape being assaulted. Maun is a small community and for it to be exposed to horrors such as the rape of our innocent children is unacceptable

 

MAUN SHUFFLE

Maun motorists, not to mention out-of-town drivers, are having great difficulty in understanding the machinations of the four-way stop system recently introduced in our town. The hospital four-way on the road to Sehitwa is a case in point.

There is a sign stating that a four-way lies ahead but no prominent stop signs have been erected on on the main road, with the result that motorists don’t bother to slow down let alone stop.  And that goes for the police as well.

The other day Shuffle, with two colleagues, saw police vehicles (not speeding to the scene of a crime but merely travelling to a local shop, incidentally), a bus and three other vehicles go through the four-way “stop” without slowing down.

People using the junction tell Shuffle that there have already been a number of accidents and that “one day we are going to witness a really big one”. They blame the Roads department for negligence in not providing large stop signs as has been the case at the Northern Building Supplies corner.

The approaches to the hospital four-way has clearly marked signs painted on the tarmac but as Maun is Maun, the paint has faded dramatically and unless one is specifically looking out for such signs, motorists are hardly likely to be able to notice these. Perhaps whoever is in charge is reading this and will take appropriate action?

 

**

 

It doesn’t seem that our sportsmen and women have much clue when it comes to pinpointing where a soccer ball is placed in our Spot the Ball competition. The competition has been running for three weeks, and still no one has pointed out the exact spot where the ball may be!

It’s a case of studying the photograph, working out where the ball is, and ringing the relevant part. Quite simple, one would think! To make it more interesting, we are now offering a football from MultiChoice to the lucky reader as well as a T-shirt and that elusive pizza from the Buck & Hunter pub and grill. Think about it – you can wear your T-shirt and eat your pizza while booting that soccer ball! What better way to relax?

 

**

Every now and again, a leading personality striding across the world stage comes visiting this neck of the woods.We have had the British princes, the King of Spain, sundry royals from Saudi Arabia, presidents and ex-presidents of the United States, the Duke of Edinburgh, Oprah Winfrey (who she?), Uncle Tom Cobbley and all . . . and now Shuffle can report another possible sighting – a well-known politician from the World of Mugabe called Morgan Tsvangirai, or at least someone who looks suspiciously like the Zimbabwean Opposition leader.

No one is saying that it is he, or where he has been staying while visiting Maun. Shuffle saw the man, or so it is believed, on our main street this week but before Shuffle could react, the fellow disappeared. Maybe he was here (if it were him!) to get a change of air and relax far away from the hurly-burly of Zimbabwean politics. After all, we all believe that Maun is the ideal place in which to unwind.

We are leaving him to enjoy his visit in peace and quiet.

 

ONKS TIME BEAT

When can you get pregnant?

Friends, it’s me once again, lets tackle the misconceptions you have regarding pregnancy. I guess you have heard people say that a woman can NEVER get pregnant: the first time she has sex, during her period, when breastfeeding, if she jumps up and down during sex, if she urinates after sex, if the man withdraws before ejaculation, if she does have an orgasm, before she starts her menstrual periods, if she douches with Coca Cola or takes essence of life after sex and the most famous one is that if she drinks a lot of water before and sex. Is this true?

First of all, pregnancy can happen to any young woman at any time if they are having sex. Funny enough young people never think it could happen to them. Young people are well known for taking risks, especially where sexual intercourse is concerned, most of which end up with pregnancy. Many myths cloud their minds and they start believing strongly that they can cheat pregnancy by doing any of the things listed in the opening paragraph.

A girl starts by menstruating which can begin as early as age 9.A woman’s menstrual circle can be of different lengths from about 17 days to 35 days.A woman’s period may last up to 3 days for others as much as 8 days.With others the flow of blood is light while heavy with others.In young girls it is common for the menstrual cycle to be quite irregular for the first few years. However, this does not mean she cannot fall pregnant if she has sexual intercourse.

Ladies, vaginal intercourse can cause pregnancy including touching the vulva (the outside part of a woman’s vagina) with the tip of the penis. How? When a man is sexually excited and gets an erection, the penis can leak fluids that contains thousands of sperms before he even ejaculates. This means that even if the semen lands on the vulva one can still get pregnant. This is why withdrawing the penis before ejaculation is no guarantee, it takes one sperm out of millions to reach an egg for pregnancy to happen. It does not matter whether you are sitting, standing or lying down, you can still get pregnant.

Sperm in the vagina can live up to four days waiting for a ripe egg. A woman usually makes one egg (ovum) about every month. The egg can live up to two days after ovulation. Women do not always know when they will ovulate, but ovulation happens about two weeks befor the next period. Since ovulation cannot be predicted, there is no 100 percent safe time to have sex to be certain to avoid pregnancy.

That is why a woman can get pregnant before, during and after her period. In fact, the most likely time to get pregnant is during ovulation. We can safely conclude that all the misconceptions mentioned in the first paragraph are false and the only best way to avoid a pregnany is by abstaining from sex. It’s okay not to have sex, not everyone does.

Send comments to Onks at 71854142 or otsaro@yahoo.com

 

Extra Johannesburg flights

Air Botswana is to put on an extra flight a day between Johannesburg International and Maun to cater for tourists visiting the Okavango delta and other northern Botswana tourist areas. Flights start on July 26 and will be operative until October 28. BP 216 will leave Johannesburg at 7.5am on Mondays, arriving in Maun two hours later and then BP 215 will depart Maun at11.50am arriving in Johannesburg at 12.50pm. The Tuesday flight leaves Johannesburg at 7.5am, on Wednesdays at 8.05am, Thursdays at 6.25am, Fridays at 5.45am, Saturdays at 7.5am and Sundays at 6.15am.  Return flights from Maun are at 11.45am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, at 11.50am on Wednesdays, and 12.20pm on Sundays.

 

Finding new ways in fight against HIV

By Basadi Morokotso

 

The Youth Health Organisation (YOHO) has over the years encouraged people, more especially the youth, to find other alternatives of combating HIV/AIDS because they are the most affected and infected. A representative from the organisation, Dikitso Letshwiti, says YOHO had earlier made a survey and found out that masturbation was a safer way of preventing AIDS because no two people are involved and as a result no one will be cheating on other party.

A research project is underway to see if people are happy with the method. He called on the youth, more especially those of the ages ranging from 14-24, to involve themselves in partner reduction because he said they contribute to half of the infected people the world over. Letshwiti said in a telephone interview that they had on several occasions made several trips abroad to meet the youth from different countries to share their knowledge.

It was while overseas that a decision had been taken to confront governments and to find funding from United Nations programmes.

Heads of state and government representatives from different countries met for a United Nations assembly special session on HIV/AIDS to issue a declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS, and one of the many objectives of the summit according to Letshwiti was to provide a space where the youth can be able to identify further action to be undertaken by government and other stakeholders.He added a number of high profile adult professionals attended the session to take questions and other related matters from youth leaders.

 

Police find false banknote

A man stopped during a police “stop and search” operation in Riverside ward, Maun, was found to have an alleged fake P100 banknote in his pockets, police said.

Maun CID is investigating and has warned that people should be on the look out for such notes being in circulation and to immediately advise the police. The banknote in the possession of the police is dull in colour and has “a paper-like rough feeling,” with the serial number 29529573G.

The banknote has been sent to the police forensic laboratories in Gaborone for further testing and confirmation. No arrest has been made.

 

Condolences on killing of 4 SA police

GABORONE – The Commissioner of the Botswana Police, Edwin J Batshu, has sent a message of condolences to the South African Police Service commissioner, Jackie Selebi, following the deaths of four South African police officers during a recent shootout with robbery suspects in Johannesburg. Eight robbers were also shot dead.

 

VAT dropped for some foods

Some foods have now been exempted from value Added Tax (VAT).The decision follows a motion on the issue tabled in parliament by Gaborone Central MP Dumelang Saleshando. The foods include millet grain, millet meal, wheat grain, maize cobs, flour, sugar and Setswana beans. Setswana beans comprise the black eye, ER7, and regular red or brown beans. Also exempted are pesticides, fertilisers and tractors required for farming purposes. The assistant Minister for Finance and Development Planning, Duncan Mlazie, said the decision “effectively means a decrease in the price of the commodities” with effect from July 1.

 

No maternity leave for special constables

 By Onkabetse Tsaro

 

GABORONE -  The Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Phandu Skelemani has told parliament that police special constables are not allowed to fall pregnant because the terms of their employment. Skelemani was responding to a question by the MP for Mahalapye East, Botlogile Tshireletso. She wanted to know whether it is correct that maternity leave is not allowed and that if they fall pregnant, they are automatically dismissed from duty.

Skelemani said this is deliberately so because the engagement of special constables is on a temporary basis (six months) and from time to time, they are checked by a medical doctor to determine whether they are fit to work. He stressed that special constables are employed for security reasons and if they fell pregnant, they would be away for long periods and this would jeopardise their work.

The house then broke in laughter when the MP for Tonota South, Pono Moatlhodi, asked Skelemani to explain if this means that the constables “are not allowed to enjoy the feelings of nature.” He was told: “The police force is not for playing round the desk. If you fall pregnant, you are out of the system.” Tshireletso argued that the Police Act is discriminatory against women and should be reviewed. Skelemani said he was not sure if the government would consider reviewing the Act.

 

Daisy Loo case reaches climax

GABORONE – Six people have appeared in the Broadhurst magistrate’s court in connection with alleged fraud committed against the Gaborone City Council. The case arises out of the collapse of the Daisy Loo company that had been contracted for environmental services in the city.

The six are Frank Molaletsi, performance improvement co-ordinator with the Ministry of Environment, wildlife and tourism, Gilbert Sonkie Sithole, chief technical officer, GCC, Frank Stegling, senior environmental health office at GCC, Daisy Loo (Pty) Ltd, Moemedi Dijeng, managing director of Daisy Loo, and Bitsang Sadi Abbey, senior technical officer, GCC.

It is alleged that they conspired to defraud the Council, fraud, misrepresentation, and supplying false information.

An amount of more than P21-million is said to be involved. The Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is prosecuting.

 

‘Strange sighting’ in the delta

Every now and again something happens that surprises. The Okavango delta harbours many secrets but nothing like that said to have been seen by six foreign tourists, their safari guide and frightened mokoro polers in the Ditshiping area this week. Onkagatse Masasa said they were in an area where there was a lot of mud, which prevented mekoro from getting through. The group had set up camp on a delta island after toiling for several hours through channels which were almost impassable due to mud.  “The South Africans and I were deeply shocked to see something none of us had ever before seen.

The animal, if that is what it was, was like a snake but with a hard shell much like a tortoise. It also had a long, black neck,” the guide said. “It was not a giant tortoise. We didn’t know what to make of it. Really, it looked like something out of this world. We were all very confused and shaken by our sighting.”

 

No one’s safe from robberies

The robbery at a clinic proves that not even medical practices are safe from the recent surge in robberies that have struck Maun. This was proven when Delta Dental Clinic in Mabudutsa was robbed. Victor Ajayi, of the clinic, said his security guard called him at about 7am one morning to tell him the clinic had been robbed.

Ajayi said his security guard told him that he had been asleep but woke up to find four people on the premises. They ran off when they saw him. The guard could give a description of at least one of the alleged robbers, and that person was arrested. Ajayi said the robbers must have known where cash was kept on the premises. They had come prepared, and had ripped out the front door to gain access. A lock was removed from the safe in which the money had been kept.

 

Paving his way to the future

 

Terrence Kgwarae

By Kesegofetse Sentsima

 

Terrence Kgwarae, a 15 year old Form Three student at Tsodilo CJSS in Maun has made his people proud by being nominated to the top five winner’s finals of the My African Dream competitions.

Kgwarae grabbed the attention of the judges with his hip-hop hit that sent the crowd roaring for more.

At 15, Kgwarae beat rivals in the 13-20 years category, gaining him a medal, a Mascom T-shirt, 2 certificates, a My African Dream trophy and a P500 voucher. Like any other teenager, Kgwarae likes keeping pet animals, singing and listening to hip hop music.

His mother, Spar Safari’s customer relations manager, Lalu Kgwarae, was in tears as she this week recalled her son’s performance on stage.

She urged parents to  support and motivate their children to explore their talents, bearing in mind that education is a way. Lalu says she has never encountered any difficulties in grooming her children, who are gifted both academically and talented. “Although some of the participants could not make it to the finals they should never give up and strive for the best in life,” she said. As for now, her son will be going back to Gaborone for the grand finals which will be held on October 6.

 

Wine lovers treated to the best on offer

 

Vivian Kleynhans, managing director of Mia Cara Wines (left) pitured with Maun Lodge assistant general Adriette Meyer and her husband JC.

Maun wine lovers were this week treated to a wine tasting evening by Malibongwe Import and Export at Cresta Riley’s Hotel. Malibongwe is a company that imports and exports leather shoes and which has now ventured into the winery business. Malibongwe is part of the South African Black Vintners Alliance (SABVA), which was established in the 2005 to represent the interests of black wineries

According to statistics given Vivian Kleynhans, managing director of Mia Cara Wines, black participation in agriculture in South Africa only covers 1% of the agricultural industry. The goal is to grow the sector to at least 3% by 2010 and SABVA’s role is to be the mother body to all new emerging vintners, and facilitate linkages to local and international markets.

SABVA is the umbrella body for the entire membership- currently standing at 15 - to advance the interest of the vintners while ensuring fairness and equity in the industry and developing vibrant black owned wine companies.  The wine companies are Mia Cara Wines, Lindiwe Wines, Ses’Fikile, Phumulani Wines, Sibeko, Khysa Wines, Black Grape, Women in Wine, Blouvlei Wines, M’Hudi Wines, Yamme Wines, Kholisa Wines, Vunani Wines and Lathita Wines.

 

SPORTS

 

Early exit for Terrors, Tigers from Coca Cola

It was a quick exit for Maun’s two sides in the Coca Cola Cup soccer tournament over the weekend.Both Maun Terrors and Maun Tigers were knocked out of the tournament, leaving the Nhabe region without representation.

Tigers lost to Francistown second division outfit Eagles 3-1 at Francistown stadium on Sunday while the day before in Maun, Terrors fell victim by 2-1 to Letlhakane giants, Diamond Chiefs. Terrors fielded a completely different squad that bore almost no resemblance to the one that won the just-ended Nhabe Regional League.

Though the defence looked strong, it was Terrors’ young and promising Omponye Kebaitse who did a good job at the back, shuttering out dangerous raids by the Chiefs.On the other hand, there was nothing much to speak of as Terrors missed the striking partnership of top goal scorer Boenyana Business David and Pelontle Shaka Dimbo.

The coach opted for Mogomotsi Kotomwa and Gaongalelwe Dipateletso, who wasted so many chance of winning the game for their team. The home side was the first to threaten through captain and midfielder Ronald Sebako and Alfred Ndawila who combined well in the middle of the park. Ndawila released a thorough ball to Mogomotsi Kotomwa who rounded his opponent Mpho Kebalebale, but instead his shot sailed over the bar with Onalenna Mpedi in goals for Chiefs well beaten. Chiefs’ defence stood firm at the back to deny Terrors any chance of taking an early lead. 

In the 17th minute, Terrors broke loose again from the left side where they played much of their game, but the cross from Ndawila was headed over the bar by Dipateletso who was under pressure from Chiefs captain Baleti Letsie. Chiefs had their chance, catching Terrors by surprise, when a long ball from the goalkeeper found Boemo Keotlhokile, who outpaced Phutego Kelathilwe, and was fouled inside the box by Terrors goalkeeper Barayang Mathare.

Referee Jack Casalis pointed to the spot, and Chiefs’ Kagiso Liso made no mistake when he converted the spot kick to give his side the lead.  Although the home side did not want to disappoint their fans, Terrors shifted the gears in search of an equaliser that never was as the visitors also defended their goal until the half time whistle.

Chiefs dominated after the break and almost doubled their lead.

After 55 minutes in the, Terrors brought in Opelo Mokate to replace Kotomwa who had wasted a number of chances, and that worked well for the home side as they found the equaliser from a goal mouth scramble through Amantle Diare (1-1).  After the goal, both sides played some good football as each of the sides wanted to snatch the lead, but lady luck smiled on Chiefs as they took the lead in the 59th minute from a beautiful volley by Dimakatso Lejena after he received a header from Kebathokile. Terrors brought in fresh legs in the shape of Boitshepo Sekuni and with his first touch to the ball, Chicha nearly found the equaliser but a curling cross from Mokate which he tried to connect first time missed the target with some inches to spare and supporters already on their feet to celebrate.

Nevertheless, time was running out for Terrors as they struggled upfront trying to find the 2nd goal. It wasn’t promising, as Chiefs seemed to have snatched the match. Thirteen minutes before full time, Terrors made their final substitution with Fredrick Motukwa coming on to replace defender Kebaitse as they wanted to add more attack upfront.

That didn’t bear fruit as Chiefs were in full control of the game. Terrors had their last chance in the 87th minute, through a free kick from just outside the box and Ndawila stood in disbelief as his shot went wide.

After the final whistle, Chiefs couldn’t hide their joy as they managed to reach the last 32 were they will play against rivals Orapa Bucs over this weekend.  

 

OrangeKabelano Charity Cup billed for this month

The OrangeKabelano Charity Cup soccer series takes place on July 29 at the National Sports Stadium in Gaborone. The voting for the Charity started last month when all cellphone calls were charged at P2.00, with 25% of the revenue made from voting calls being donated to the Zebras youth team and the Botswana Musicians Union. 

The OrangeKabelano Charity Cup has returned to the standard format of voting for 4 out of 6 Premier League teams, and the selected teams votes were Gaborone United 11 841, Ecco City Green 1 050, Lob Trans Gunners 8 083, Mochudi Centre Chiefs 7 173, Notwane 9 857 and Township Rollers 8 987.

The teams that will play at the stadium are Township Rollers, Gaborone United, Notwane and Lobtrans Gunners.

A total of 46 991 votes were cast for the teams, raising P23 495 50, which will be donated to the Zebras youth team. Botswana Musicians Union will be presented by a total of P 2 462 50, with votes cast numbering 4 925.

According to those votes, Eskimos received the largest number of votes (1 668), closely followed by Vee with 1 645, Exodus 1 133, Maxi 220, Star Luu 184 and Davet 85. 

A draw will be held on July 12 to determine the order of play of the chosen teams.

 

Gearing up for Tri-Nation rugby

 

The annual tri-nations rugby competition involving South Africa, New Zealand and Australia gets underway this week with Australia playing New Zealand. South Africa’s first game is on July 15 when the Springboks clash with Australia in Brisbane, and then go on to play New Zealand in Wellington and face Australia again in Sydney.

The first home game for the Springboks is during August.

 

World Cup finals this weekend

The finals of the FIFA world Cup 2006 competition will be played in Germany this weekend. On Saturday, Germany clash with Portugal and the final itself will be played on Sunday between Italy and France. Both games are being televised on DSTV’s Supersport channel 3. 

Edition 321 June 30 - July 6, 2006

Women marched through the streets of Maun at the weekend in protest against the increasing crime rate in the town. They also protested against abortion, prostitution, alcohol and abuse of children.

Women join in fight against crime

By Golang Raditsela

They marched through the streets, dressed in black and singing gospel songs. Women made their presence felt in Maun at the weekend when, representing various churches, they took to the streets to register a powerful protest against crime.

They decried the acceleration of crime, rape, abortion, abandoning of babies, prostitution, passion killings and alcohol in the area. They wore black as a sign of grief and sang as they asked for divine intervention in the situation and urged for an end to all crime.

This year alone, dozens of people – men, women and children - and homes and businesses have been the targets of criminals, some armed with guns and knives. People from throughout the community have been injured and a large amount of property stolen. In the interview with The Ngami Times, an organiser, Jana Lackey, said as women they feel that they have a big voice in Maun.

Christine Mukhal, from Glory Christian Centre, said as Christian women, they are together in the fight. She said it is high time churches became more involved in the struggle. Fathers must also take responsibility as each time a baby is abandoned, the only parent held responsible is the mother and not the father. Mukhal said that, “if we do not take responsibility for the babies now, they are the very people who will turn into hardened criminals and make us victims of rape and violence tomorrow”.

‘Golden Tooth’ challenges video of big robbery

By Golang Raditsela

Maun’s best-known accused, Metlha “golden tooth” Maphanyane says that video footage of a robbery in which he was allegedly involved was too indistinct for recognition of the alleged culprits. He was in court again in connection with a heist at the Open Door Bureau de Change. The trial  was this week delayed  due to the absence of an interpreter.

One of the suspects, George Themba Bhebe, cannot understand English and Setswana clearly so in order for the trial to continue, an interpreter who speaks Ndebele, English and Tswana is needed. During cross-examination this week, “Golden Tooth” fired challenging questions to investigating officer Sub-Inspector Oakantse Motlhanke.

Motlhanke told the court he received a report about the robbery immediately he went on duty on the morning of December 3, 2004. He said he arrested Maphanyane and another accused, Phaa Ndewenyu, after a reliable source informed police the two were seen at the scene of crime and later got away in a taxi. Two more alleged suspects – Patrick Gwebu and Bhebe - were brought to the police station. Both had been assaulted by a mob.

Later, a blue Toyota Corolla motor car was recovered as well as two bags containing large sums of local and foreign currency. One bag was recovered from the car while the other from the property of the BP Filling Station in the Old Mall Ext, Maun.

The accused persons denied knowing each other. Motlhanke said Maphanyane and Ndewenyu – when searched in prison - were found in possession of P20 000. Maphanyane had hidden P4 000 in pants he wore under his jeans while Ndewenyu hid P16 000 in his underwear.  Maphanyane maintained that the money was his, and Ndewenyu said he was involved in business. Ndewenyu later changed his story, saying he got the money from Gwebu and gave Maphanyane P4 000 to pay for an attorney for their case. The police were then able to view a video recorded at the filling station and showing the beatings and the recovery of a bag from a Corolla car.

Lobatse police later advised that two people, named as Karabo Khango and Kitso Nguni, were seen at the ASA Bureau de Change in Lobatse with large sums of foreign currency. Khango was arrested at his girlfriend’s home in Sedie ward, Maun. The video footage was shown in the court, and all the clothes the suspects were wearing during the robbery, as recorded on the footage, were brought to court.

Maphanyane kept questioning the importance of the closed circuit television camera (CCTV) used to capture the footage because he claimed it was difficult to recognise persons. The trial is proceeding.

Another rape of schoolgirls

By Kesegofetse Sentsima and Robert Norton

A high school talent show turned sour at the weekend with the rape of one of its students. The victim, an 18 year old girl from Maun Senior Secondary School (MSSS), was attacked by two unidentified men after the show had ended.

The men approached the girl as she made her way home. She was alone. The attackers allegedly asked her if she could help them find someone they were looking for. The schoolgirl was then grabbed and dragged to a nearby playground, where the men allegedly raped her.

A few days before, another rape of an MSSS girl took place to bring to three the number now known to have been raped after students leave double-shift classes in the early evening. The attack took place in Thito as the girl was also walking home after classes.

She was attacked by four men, who dragged her into a house and allegedly gang raped her. Police spokesperson Inspector Phuthego said that “people, especially women, should not risk going out at night alone. They should always have a companion.” An investigation is currently underway but no suspects have been taken into custody.

Critics believe the recent surge in the number of rape cases can be linked to the controversial double-shift system, as it leaves students returning home from the late shift vulnerable. The principal of MSSS, Gaesengwe Mohube, says students finish at 6 o’clock, and therefore they are out of school after that hour, but he added: “[We] can’t rule out that the double shift system is a contributing factor.” He added that the school was implementing awareness classes to inform students of the dangers in an attempt to protect them.

Two accused escape from court

By Golang Raditsela and Amogelang Segajane

Two accused have made dramatic escapes from the Maun magistrate’s court. A massive search is underway for 21-year-old Goitseone James Sondane and Kehaletsi  “Press” Moetsi 36, of Sedie.

According to magistrate Nsikelelo Moyo, on the day of his escape Sondane had appeared before Chief Magistrate Tshegofatso Mogomotsi facing charges of theft. The leg irons were not yet in place, which gave him an advantage. He ran out the building and passed the Wildlife offices to the bank of the Thamalakane River.

He was chased by a number of police officers, but eluded capture by leaping into the river and swimming to the other side. Sondane then disappeared into the Maun Educational Park, and is still at large. A Botswana Defence Force helicopter, police vehicles and 911 neighbourhood watch launched a fruitless search. Sondane is facing three counts of theft, break-ins and robbery before different magistrates, and he was granted bail on one of the cases.

Moyo said Sondane is the same man who was once arrested by a mob while stealing and was assaulted. The police are appealing to the public to assist. Any information about his whereabouts can be telephoned to 999 or 6860223.

In a related incident, a man escaped from the same court after being held in custody for common theft. Kehaletsi “ Press” Moetsi 36, of Sedie, was arrested in 2005 after stealing goods worth up to P8 000 from his employer. He was given bail and then disappeared for eight months. He was arrested again by the complainant and brought before court.

When asked by Moyo where he had been, the public gallery burst into laughter when he replied he had been at his father’s funeral for eight months. Moetsi was remanded in custody for mention on June 20, but according to Inspector Othusitse Marape, Moetsi disappeared after the mention just as he was about to be taken back to prison.

“I asked him to wait for me outside the courtroom while I went to collect my bag, only to realise upon my return that he had vanished into thin air,” Marape said. That evening he went to Moeti’s home and while waiting for him, saw the accused arrive.

He asked five men who were on site connecting power to help him arrest the accused. Marape said he went with those men and they waited in front of the Moetsi’s house.  He said the accused came out of the house furious, holding a machete and threatened to kill all of them. The five men ran away leaving him and Moetsi behind.

To save his life, Marape let the accused escape as he was “very furious” and nearly stabbed him with the machete. The accused was caught again on June 22 following a tip-off.

Mitigation plea leaves magistrate fuming

By Amogelang Segajane

A 34 year old Maun man, Tibidikwe Monnaatlala, asked a magistrate’s court this week not to send him to prison as he had a baby to take care of. He was in the dock on charges of having raped a young child.

Monnaatlala infuriated the magistrate, Nsikelelo Moyo, by saying that if he is remanded in custody, his inheritance will disappear and there would be no one to take care of his plot.

In response, Moyo said that he was “very disappointed” with Monnaatlala’s reasons, saying the accused was neither feeling sorry for the girl he allegedly raped nor regretful for causing such horrific physical damages and trauma to the her, but instead was only thinking of his material belongings.

He said Monnaatlala was taking his offence lightly though it is more serious than he thought. He warned him that the possible charge he is facing is a minimum of 15 years to life imprisonment. If the accused is found to be HIV positive, the sentencing minimum can be 20 years.

Monnaatlala, 34, allegedly raped an 8 year old girl on July 31, 2005 at Sedie. According to Moyo the alleged is said to have found the girl and her brother, who is now a standard five pupil, at their uncle’s place selling oranges. He told them that he wanted to buy eight oranges for his kids but he had left the money at home, persuading them to go with him to collect the cash. On the way he held both the kids by their hands and asked them the price of one orange and they answered him. Later the accused demanded money from the youngsters and they gave him P30 after he beat the victim’s brother.

The young boy managed to escape leaving her sister behind and went to report the matter to his mother. The accused dragged the terrified girl into the nearest bushes and raped her. When the young girl struggled to escape, he choked her. He then ran off.

After the mother heard the story from her son, they both went to find the girl whom they met on the way crying and holding her clothes coated with blood. Her face was bruised. The accused was later arrested on the same day but he denied the allegations. Police found bloodstains inside his trousers and he claimed he had had a nose bleed and used the trousers to clean it off. Sentence will be passed on July 4.

    A long ride across the desert

Daisy Sefara-Hancock

By Robert Norton and Basadi Morokotso

For most people, driving to Maun from Gaborone is a daunting task punctuated by donkeys, potholes and the odd villages. So consider the ordeal that awaits Maun’s Daisy Sefara-Hancock and her three companions who will attempt to cover this vast distance for charity.

The group start their 1 000km ride back to Maun from Gaborone’s Grand Palm Hotel on Thursday and will cycle up the Trans-Kalahari Highway, eventually reaching Maun on July 8. They intend covering 100km a day.

Sefara-Hancock, who represents the Maun Tree Planting Foundation (MTPF), is attempting to raise awareness over the plight of indigenous trees, raise funds to purchase trees and cages to protect newly-planted trees. Her companions, Aobakwe and Bonatla, from the Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS), will be raising funds to print pamphlets so as to carry out a campaign to educate the public about the bird flu scourge and to raise money for the erection of refuse bins along the Thamalakane River as well as educating residents on how to keep the river banks clean.

The trio  had earlier approached the Every River has its People Project (E.R.P) to help in the cycling as well as calling on other interested parties to join them.

During the journey they will make stop overs at Jwaneng, Kang, and Ghanzi before reaching Maun. There will be daily updates on the ride on BTV in an attempt to raise awareness about the environment and conservation

Anyone interested in making a donation can do so through the offices of the Kalahari Conservation Society.

EDITORIAL

Speak to others

Consultation between parties doesn’t appear to be a prominent item on the agenda among government and district departments in Maun. Take the case of the destruction of trees on the Disaneng gravel road, now being prepared for tarring.

It has taken the combined efforts of conservationists and residents to convince the powers-that-be that the site falls under the Ramsar Agreement governing the well-being of places like the Okavango delta, of which we are very much a part.

Perhaps unknowingly, the Roads department went ahead and gave permission for the  contractors to rip up the trees in the interests of progress, the Central Transport Organisation (CTO) could not find anything wrong with the idea, and the consultants it turned out were not prepared to discuss the matter with this newspaper.

As for the people who gave the go-ahead in the first place, the North West District Council, that remains a closed book as far as this newspaper is concerned.

The law is very clear.  No trees can be uprooted or cut down without a permit being obtained from the relevant authorities. It has taken the combined might of conservationists and residents to jog official memories of something called the Ramsar Agreement.

Doesn’t anyone in authority bother to find out these things beforehand, or is that asking too much in the haste to give foreign contractors jobs at the expense of local road construction companies, who at least know the rules and regulations?

Maybe the Disaneng experience will be a wake up call to sleepy officials.

THE MAUN SHUFFLE

Carting firewood is an offence. Cutting down a tree is an offence. Picking up as a keepsake elephant droppings, rotted old animal hides or animal artefacts is an offence.Ask anyone who has done so.

The fines are heavy, and the stigma of a prison sentence or a criminal charge hangs low over one’s head. Dried out elephant droppings, empty shells of ostrich eggs, and the like are all classified as “government trophies.” It’s all in the law books.

So what about trees?

Trees are among some of our most important flora.  Anyone who has read about the colossal damage done to the Amazon rain forests of South America will know how important to climate and ecology trees are.  They help give us life and sustain life. They keep our planet green and beautiful.

Shuffle poses these questions because of the damage done to trees by contractors on the Disaneng gravel road, and the potential damage to animals in the adjoining wildlife sanctuary. Take a ride along the road and you will see what Shuffle means.

Swathes of trees and undergrowth have disappeared and red marking tape has been wrapped around other tree trunks, presumably so that the contractors will know which ones to destroy.

Surely someone in authority must have known about something called the Ramsar Agreement that forbids the ruination of the world’s largest inland delta, the Okavango delta, of which Maun is definitely part and parcel.  

In their rush to award lucrative tenders to foreign companies, officials seem to take little heed of their own rules and regulations. You cannot expect foreign contractors to know Botswana law inside and out – all they are interested in doing is getting the job done in the shortest possible time and then going home.

If they happen to be Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Turkish or Korean they don’t necessarily speak or read English. There’s no need to – a JCB is a JCB in anyone’s language.

An aircraft engine assembled in China and delivered to Air Botswana for one of its passenger jets (and this is a fact, by the way) has Chinese instructions stencilled on the cowling – do we who speak and read English understand Chinese writing? Not on your life!

So we cannot blame the foreigners for uprooting the precious trees. We can only blame our own officials. Perhaps the contracts should carry the warning “read the small type” which hopefully will include rules and regulations for the job at hand just so that we can preserve our heritage.

**

One has to take one’s hat off to the intrepid adventurers who tackle places like the Makgadikgadi pans on foot! The most recent venture into this forbidding part of the Kalahari Desert were the walkers supporting the Y-Care Trust. We had a large photograph of them on our front page last week.

The charity group gained the support of many other people for the venture, not least among them the Camphill Community Trust, which does such admirable work.

Pauline La Rose, who walked on behalf of the Trust, tells Shuffle that “the organisation and support given to the walkers by the Y-Care Trust and their assistants can only be described as fantastic.”

The Y-Care Trust next tackles the Tsodilo Hills, another daunting task.

**

If you thought that the cold weather is over, and that Ngamiland’s famous winters last a few days are also something of the past, think again. Shuffle has been perusing the weather forecasters who operate on the internet and can report that they are saying weather prospects look pretty dismal for this part of the world.

It may all be due to climate change but we are in for a regular dose of minimum temperatures overnight – and the days will not be much better either, it appears.  Long-range forecasts tells us that 6 deg C and below can be expected in Maun, for instance, zero in the desert, and the usual 1s and 2s in places like Ghanzi.  Day temperatures are on average 3 to 4 deg lower than last year.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Chips are down for three young women
By Delphin Koma

Stealing a packet that contained French fries has resulted in three women being found guilty of theft.

A security guard at the Shoprite supermarket, Keitshokile Matsadi, told  the customary court this week that Lesego Sebetwang, 25, Keletso Mompati, 18,and Grace Tshenolo, 26, all of Mabudutsa ward and ordered French fries that cost P4.75 and then toured the shop buying other products

He told the court he found them eating the chips outside the supermarket as he had not noticed them paying for the food. “I asked them to stop and I asked about the chips they were eating and if they had paid for the item. The women produced a till receipt which did not show French fries as proof that they had paid”, he said.

Matsadi called the police and the women were charged for common theft. They pleaded guilty. Constable Tshenolo Mophuti held out a chips pack as evidence.

The senior Chief’s representative, Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo, told the trio to pay the amount of P20.00 within three days together with P1.58 each for each share of the chips they had enjoyed.

He then personally handed over P1.58 each, saying he was disgusted by their deeds. He warned them that if not paying up within three days, they would be jailed for two months.

Maun woman unites theatre groups through her book
By Basadi Morokotso

Bontekanyae Baotumile

Nhabe Museum has been a hive of activity as three groups of out-of-school youth meet for rehearsals which recited the book, “The Origins of the Elephant”, a children’s story book written by Maun’s Bontekanye Botumile. The book will be officially launched in August.

The groups are soon to present the drama about the elephants. Dates have not yet been disclosed. Botumile helped unite three theatre groups - Dithapong and Ditswammogo, from Maun, and Tshegagape, from Motopi.

According to Dithapong chairperson Elias (Sparks) Nageng, most of the members are former Sedie Community Junior Secondary School students.  He says it was while there that they became actively involved in the school drama class for five years and Ditswammogo was formed at the beginning of this year.

He says the group has been an eye opener to the youth and has helped them stay off from the streets as well as motivating them and bringing their minds into action. Nageng says they don’t concentrate only on their group but also go out to direct drama groups in other schools. They also work hand in hand with the Department of Culture and Youth and the Youth Council of Botswana.

He said the department provided capital whenever they perform at youth rallies but lamented that the money was often used to hire hotel accommodation and guest houses for the VIPs and that they also are expected to prepare meals and cater for guests. “It’s disheartening because we never know where all the money goes. At least they should always give us our share,” he said.

Another member from Dithapong said they are working with Ditswammogo to help build a house for an orphaned child in the village. He says this will be done after a planned live performance at Trekkers nightclub.

Polelo Masenye, of Ditswammogo, said although their group is newly-formed, they are looking forward to recruiting a co-ordinator to help them. He also encouraged the youth not to rely solely on theory but engage themselves in theatre and arts to earn a living because they have different hidden talents which need to be utilised.

They called on companies and individuals to fund them as they wish to buy their regalia and equipment.

British examine Botswana’s HIV/AIDS problems

LONDON – The influential British newspaper, the “Financial Times”, has been examining Botswana’s efforts to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It says in its edition on Tuesday this week that HIV in Botswana “spreads primarily because of alcohol use, sex with multiple partners and the high mobility of the population.”

The country in 2001 “hit a grim world record” when it recorded an HIV prevalence of 38.8%, the paper reports. Since then, Botswana has been a “trailblazer in its efforts to tackle the epidemic.

Botswana’s four-year-old antiretroviral drug distribution programme “has begun to mitigate the deadly impact” of HIV/AIDS in the country, and Botswana in 2005 was one of three African nations that met World Health Organization (WHO) treatment targets for the number of HIV-positive people receiving antiretrovirals, the newspaper says.

In addition, HIV testing has been routine in the country since 2004, and more people are undergoing HIV tests because they know treatment is available. In 2005, statistics from antenatal clinics showed that the nation’s HIV prevalence had decreased to 33.4% but experts continue to “voice frustration” over the slow pace in controlling the disease.

“We are not seeing a decline in the prevalence rate commensurate with the level of effort by the leadership,” Kwame Ampomah, the UNAIDS country coordinator, said.

“It’s easier to put in place a treatment programme than to have an effective prevention.” It quotes Tendani Gaolathe, co-director of the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, as saying the  remaining challenges include ignorance and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. A 2004 survey conducted in Botswana found that 1-in-8 respondents aged 10 to 64 could name three ways to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. To address this problem, local HIV/AIDS experts aim to increase public awareness about the disease and ways to prevent its spread.

Hippos upset local fishermen

There is concern among local river fishermen that hippos are destroying their nets on the Thamalakane and Boro rivers. They claim the worst area is at the river crossing in Matlapaneng, followed by Tsanokona and the Moremi school boundary.

Fishermen says they have lost bream, tiger and other fish to the hippos - “we don’t harvest much due to these animals as well as fish eagles and other water birds that prey on our catches,” said one fisherman. “We fish for consumption and not for commercial purposes, so we are losing.  Wildlife scouts think we are fishing for commercial reasons but this is not so.”

Meanwhile, a Thamalakane river hippo is said to have chased students from a local school last week, with one student falling but was able to get away in time

BDF promotes senior officers

The Botswana Defence Force has promoted several senior officers. Promoted to the rank of colonel are lieutenant-colonels Innocent Slekea Phatshwane, Gotsileene Morake, Boikanyo Gabriel Addanes and Mabe Rabashwa Gaborone.

Majors who have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel are Lingiliani Joseph, Robert Phetogo, Hendrick Thuthu Rakgantshwane, Mokuedi Sianang, Kagiso Kgaswanyane, Molatlhegi Ntelamo, Simon Motswana Barwabatsile, Mautenyane Magellan Mautenyane and Charles Shilton Oye.

Low temps herald cold period

Ngamiland, like the rest of the country, has been shivering over the past few days as a cold front passes over.

Minimum temperatures hovered at the 6 deg C mark in Maun but in parts of the delta the panhandle, and Kalahari Desert temperatures dropped to zero. Maximum temperatures in various parts of the north ranged from 21 deg c to 26 def C.

Temperatures are expected to remain lower than normal according to long-range forecasts.

Arms quota raffle winners

A number of Maun and Ngamiland people have been successful in a raffle to acquire shotgun and rifle licences. According to a notice in the government newspaper Daily News, they were successful in the 2006 arms quota raffle. The successful owners now have to be fingerprinted and not have any previous convictions.

Reporter turns into a Good Samaritan

By Charlotte Mpho

It was a night I will not forget.

Three little hungry and tired kids were outside their hut because their mother had been transferred to a hospital in Francistown to be with their very sick small sister. I saw the three – aged 6 years, 3 years and 18 months – outside in the cold at about 10pm one night this week. They were hungry and trying to sleep next to their hut.

When I asked the eldest where their mother could be, she told me that the mother had been taken to Francistown to be with their youngest sister. I helped them as best I could – showing them how to make a fire around which they could keep warm and cooked porridge for them.

While they were eating, I set about trying to find someone who could assist further and also told them to go inside the house. The mother is not a friend of mine and so I did not know any of her relatives or friends. I couldn’t sleep knowing the children were all alone, and enlisted the help of a friend.

The next morning on my way to the office, I asked many people if they knew of the children and of relatives who could take care of the children while the mother was away. Without much success, I then went to the Social Welfare department to get their help.

Social Welfare officer Solomon Matlhare listened to what I had to say and we went back to the house, which we found to be in a truly dirty state. He also said the children were in poor health, with sores and rashes on their bodies. By that time, the woman’s landlord had arrived and the old man blessed us for what we had done, but said they too were sickly and could not really assist as much as they wished. I was then asked to take the children to a clinic the following day while Matlhare provided the three with food. A doctor at the clinic expressed alarm about the rash on the bodies.

Finally the mother returned to Maun and took two of the children with her back to the hospital, leaving the three-year-old with me. I have decided to take care of the youngster until the mother returns, and the mother told me: “I don’t know what I could have done without you”. Matlhare said people should learn to help one another and not look for any compensation.“Children, the old and the crippled are the ones we should help. Thanks to Mpho for helping these kids”, he added.The mother said she was proud of my help, and I, too, am proud of it for it has shown me that you don’t know what tomorrow will bring – you, too, may need help. Charlotte Mpho is a reporter with The Ngami Times

SPORTS

Top prizes for clay shot winners

Results of the inaugural Desert Sands clay shoot held last weekend were released this week by the Ngamiland Gun Club. Dave Cohen, of Francistown, won first prize of a wildebeest hunt courtesy of Jossie Engelbrecht, while second was Andy du Toit, also of Francistown, who won a Makita cordless tool set from Aliboats.  Third prize went to Glen Munger, of Francistown, who was awarded with a socket set from Riley’s Garage, Maun, and collector’s whisky from Lepopo Liquor Wholesalers.

First in the top new shooter category was Peter Myburgh, of Maun, who won spotlights from Universal Agencies and a shotgun belt from Markus Trading. Consolation prizes went to Peter Thorneycroft, of Maun, who won a dinner for two at the Sports Bar and Restaurant, and for “falling off the bus,” Wayne Scheepers, of Maun, was presented with a voucher from Delta Meat Deli and a solid stinkwood toilet seat lid courtesy of club members. In the women’s section, Karen Bullock won a night for two at Eagle Island courtesy of Orient Express Safaris and flights by Mack Air, with second prize going to Gabi O’Shaughnessy, of Kasane, who won a night at a Kerr & Downey camp, with flights by Mack Air. The under-18 prize of two nights at Seba Camp courtesy of Elephant Back Safaris and flights by Mack Air, went to Shane Hedges. The club wishes to thank Gill, the sponsors, club members, range officers, attendants and the Dutch Reformed Church, Maun, for supplying meals and refreshments.

Inline hockey’s Tequila Cup in 15th season

When the first Tequila Cup was held at Mukwa Leaf Gardens, in Maun, few realised that history was being made - an inline hockey legacy was being established at the time even thought it was “just a party.”

The first tournament was contested by a few North Americans, Scandinavians, and a few intrepid locals and certainly no women or children. The rink was a quarter of its present size, equipment was hand-made and rules were non-existent.

The game has grown tremendously in the past 15 years and is now dominated by children. Teams are being trained in the 12 and under, and 10 and under categories by Sebastian Kohler, who also plays football for local team Makgabisanaga.

The tournament is used as a training exercise before international competition which begins in August. Inline hockey has also grown in South Africa and Namibia, the Namibians having qualified for this year’s world championships in the Czech Republic and also South Africa has strong teams in all divisions

A few years before there was an inline hockey in our neighbouring countries, the little rink in Maun was contesting the Tequila Cup and although hockey is much better organised, it’s still just a party!

In recent years, the soup competition has become a crowd favourite. Big prizes for the winning soup, and a chance to taste soups from different cultures. This year will feature a musical all singing, all dancing and motor-biking extravaganza just after dark. So get there early and get a seat in the new grandstands and enjoy the show.

Twenty-three different nationalities have played for the Mukwa Leafs over the years, so come and enjoy a most multicultural evening of sport in Maun next Saturday (July 8) from 4pm.

New coach still being chosen

The Botswana Football Association is still to announce the name of the person who will take over from Jelusic Veselin as the Zebras coach.

Veselin was deployed to the lower football teams after his last assignment in the Group B COSAFA games played last month.In a statement released this week, the BFA chief executive Thabo Ntshinogang said the association was at the final stages of recruiting a coach.

“Once we have finalised the recruitment process, we shall inform the public and media accordingly,” he said. The BFA has meanwhile appointed Major David Bright as caretaker coach for the national team until the end of July. Bright will lead the team during the current training camp and the two friendly games against Malawi, all of which will be in preparation for the forthcoming COSAFA Castle Cup.