You are encouraged to visit our new Flood Data page. Anyone with reliable 'rain gauge' data for anywhere in Ngamiland is encouraged to send it as either a text or spreadsheet file to tnt@info.bw - your theories on the flood are also welcome and will be published. If anyone has flood/rain data from the catchment area in Angola, this would be most helpful.

ISSUE 304, March 3 – 10, 2006

The camel, known  “ the ships of the desert” gave these  youngsters from Kealeboga Pre-school nursery and day care centre in Boseja, Maun, a wonderful opportunity to see the animals at the Camel Safaris farm near Maun. The camels were brought to Maun from the Kalahari desert for tourism purposes.

Tourism Air Fuel Crisis
By Khonani Ontebetse

The tourism industry faces a major crisis as the supply of aviation fuel (avgas) dries up. Senior aviation company sources in Maun said this week: “We face a catastrophe. The effect on the local industry and local economy will be dreadful if things don’t change quickly.”

The industry was alerted this week when a meeting to discuss the matter took place at the airport. Another meeting of air charter companies was held on Wednesday with a further emergency meeting on Thursday. “We have all had extremely good bookings for the season and we will be shot in the knee if the fuel problem persists,” said a pilot.

Avgas, which comes from a refinery in Durban, South Africa, is used to power 42 aircraft such as Cessna 206s based at Maun that ferry tourists to luxury bush camps inaccessible by road in the Okavango delta and the Moremi Game Reserve.

Major tourism-related businesses and suppliers in Maun are bound to be affected and there are fears that some employees may lose their jobs because of an inability to ferry tourists and supplies into the delta. Game flights will be carried out by aircraft using Jet-A fuel, which is not affected.

It is claimed that the avgas shortage is “a worldwide problem” and is affecting airports throughout the southern Africa region. This has been confirmed by the BP Botswana’s Aviation Business manager, Goabaone Mokabiri.

“BP is experiencing supply interruptions to all airports in Botswana due to technical problems with the supplying refinery in Durban,” she said, and appealed to all aviation customers to abide by emergency rules to minimise the impact.
BP is limiting each customer to 50% of normal requirements and is also not refueling private aircraft not involved in the tourism industry.

According to Mervyn Palmer, managing director of Air BP Spectrum Aviation based at Maun airport, air charter companies and other tourism related businesses in Maun have agreed to adhere to the rules.  “Agreements have been reached on how best to handle this situation so that the effects on our town are minimised,” she said.

The local operation will not be refueling light aircraft from Gaborone - “as this affects the whole of southern Africa, most countries have banned fuel sales to foreign aircraft based in other towns,” she said. Palmer told The Ngami Times that “the situation may last until mid-May” but her company was seeking supplies from elsewhere in a bid to alleviate the problem.

5 die as train hits taxi

FRANCISTOWN - Five people died instantly on Tuesday afternoon when a taxi driver attempted to cross a level crossing in the face of an oncoming train.

The accident, which took place next to the Central police station here, drew hundreds of people to the scene. Police said they were still investigating the incident.

It costs a lot more to live!

A rise in the cost of education is largely to blame for record inflation figures for January. Inflation jumped by more than 5% over December’s figure, the Central Statistics Office has revealed.

This is the biggest rise in inflation in more than three years and follows on a steady upward trend since May last year when it stood at 6%.

According to the statistics, the rural and urban village inflation rate recorded increases of 6.9 and 5.4 percentage points.  Maun is regarded as an urban village. The national cost of living index rose by 5.2% between December and January.

The figures show that education costs went up to 16.6%, food by 2%, transport and communication by 1.1%, and health and personal care by 1%.

The rise in the education index has been brought about by the Department of Education’s cost recovery exercise which involves public secondary school fees being introduced coupled with an average increase of 23% in school fees for private schools.

The rise in food costs is attributed to increases introduced by the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) that upped the prices of cattle from producers by 40% during December last year, while a 1.1% rise in the transport and communication group is due to an increase in the vehicles section index that moved from 243.4% to 253.9% in the same period.

Individual food and other items in Maun have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. During the December 2005-January 2006 period, maize meal (12.5kg) was P26.52 compared to P23.07 in November 1996, while sorghum meal doubled in price to P14.33. White bread flour increased from P12.19 for 5kg to P20.86, and beef brisket from P11 per kg to P13.59.

Tomatoes have gone up four times in price to P8.41 per kg compared to P2.83 in November 1996, onions P5.33 per kg (P2.70), red apples P9.80 per kg (P4.28), a 1kg tin of Nespray powdered milk from P22.60 to P51.75, margarine from P1.90 for 250g to P5.78, white sugar from P5.67 per 2.5kg bag to P12.53, tobacco (100g) from P2.60 to P22.35,  Rothmans king size cigarettes (20s) from P3.75 to P14.97), and  washing powder P10.44 for 500g compared to P5 paid 10 years ago..

Diarrhoea cause investigated
By Khonani Ontebetse

A considerable number of parents are taking their young children to Maun General Hospital for urgent treatment to combat diarrhoea. This is despite claims by the Department of Health that the situation nationwide is under control.

Maun Hospital’s chief medical officer Dr Philip Wangia, declined to comment saying he could only do so at the discretion of his seniors.

According to North West Public Health Specialist Dr John Makuka, the situation is “not yet pleasing.”  Makuka revealed that the first outbreak of diarrhoea in the North West District Council area was detected at Sehithwa in early January.
“The figure recorded was 1 127 cases in the region, with 43 deaths reported. There were many children admitted at Maun General Hospital this month,” he said.

He pointed out that from research and laboratory tests, the result was that the water samples from a reservoir and a stand pipe was contaminated with faecal coliforms - bacteria which is normally found in stools.

“In our efforts to see if the organism will grow, we have not isolated any offending micro organism to help us beat the bacteria,” he said. He said water contaminated with stools, careless handling of containers, and unboiled water could have also triggered the problem. The use of drugs to treat diarrhoea is secondary, adding that the disease needs a special manner of treatment and qualified staff to carry it out.

The best solution, he said, is rehydration through the restoration of fluids.
Asked if the same cause from their findings in the North West District could be inter-related to the outbreak in other parts of the country, Makuka admitted that there was a possibility of stool contamination in some reservoirs.

“When stools were found to be the main cause of this outbreak, measures were taken to clean up the water by the Water Unit,” he said. However, the recent rain could also be one of the factors which triggered the problem. Some of the contributing factors were that some parents brought their children too late to the hospital and at times, parents were given traditional herbs by unqualified people and by the time they sought medical help, the patients would have lost a lot of fluids. Makuka appealed to the public to adhere to the advice they would get from their staff which would be dispatched in an effort to raise community awareness.

Meanwhile the NWDC Chairman, John Benn raised concerns at a full council meeting this week about the outbreak.Benn said the outbreak was throughout the entire district with more emphasis at Sehithwa and Maun. Benn told councillors that water samples have been taken to laboratories and results were awaited.

The world is reading your newspaper!

The Ngami Times electronic online edition is continuing to be popular with readers around the world.

After a slow start in December 2005 when 9 930 hits were recorded, the newspaper’s impact became more noticeable in January, when 18 707 hits were recorded. The number of people who entered the ngamitimes.com website then jumped to 24 921 in February.

An average of 31 visits a day in February has been recorded, with the figure on some days more than 50.

The highest number of hits was on February 16, when 2 120 hits were made on the site. On February 20, a further 1 868 hits were recorded. The main story on the front page of that particular week’s edition was the misery brought about by the rain.

Congratulatory messages on the website’s content are being received from all over the world with people in New Zealand, the United States, Netherlands, Germany, Britain and Asia taking an interest in Maun and The Ngami Times.

Many messages are from people who have visited or previously lived in Maun.
There have also been advertising enquiries from various countries and these are being followed up by the Advertising department.

The website, which went operational late last year, can be accessed directly from the leading Yahoo! and Google search engines of the world wide web (www) in addition to others to which it is linked, such as Inktomi Slurp, AskJeeves, MSNBot, psbot, wikipedia.org, and worldpress.org.

Expats targeted by night robbers

Two leading Indian businessmen and their families have been attacked in their home in Riverside ward, Maun, by a gang of five men who are believed to have earlier in the day gone to the house on the pretext of looking for part-time work.
The house is protected by a wall and an electrified fence as well as dogs.

According to eye-witnesses, the men smashed down part of the wall in a night attack with a vehicle and entered the house. The occupants retaliated but the robbers – all of whom were masked and were carrying various weapons including guns – demanded money and other property. One of the men carrying a gun threatened to shoot a businessman.

They grabbed a 911 neighbourhood watch radio and escaped with the house occupants throwing objects at them. It is understood that one man was arrested this week and police are hunting the others. The attack on the Indians is the latest in a series against members of the community, including citizens and expatriates. 

Last week, an Italian woman, her twin children, and staff at the house where she was staying were tied up and their mouths taped closed. The occupants were severely traumatised and had to receive medical attention.

It is understood that one of the attackers was carrying a 911 radio receiver. The house is owned by a safari operator who is understood to have arrived home an hour or so after the attack and found the victims.

There is now concern in the safari community that members are being targeted as there have been numerous attacks on offices and homes over the past 12 months. “It would appear that these attacks are following a pattern and therefore they are being planned,” said one operator.

Cattlemen accuse BMC of unfair business practice

The powerful Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has been accused of unfair business practice and is being challenged by the Botswana Cattle Producers Association.

This was said to a Namibian government agricultural delegation that met with cattle producers and other stakeholders in Maun at the weekend. Philip Brown Wright, the chairperson of the Hainaveld Farmers’ Association, acting on behalf of Ngamiland farmers, said that persistent drought and farming in a foot and mouth declared area made it difficult for farmers to make a living out of farming.

Coupled to this was the BMC monopoly over the beef industry “that has affected competitive pricing of beef and beef related products such that the farmer loses even after trekking his cattle to the BMC.” Cattle producers had formed their association “to engage the BMC on fair business modalities.

“It is not only the World Trade Organisation that is exploiting the poor nations - even in Botswana, farmers are being subjected to unfair beef pricing structures to such an extent that even after trekking cattle to the BMC abattoir, the indigenous farmer can still not settle his overheads expenses,” said Wright.

Earlier, he briefed the Namibian delegation on the situation regarding cattle farming in Ngamiland, and in particularl on the devastating outbreak of cattle lung disease in the 1990s that resulted kin 350 000 head of cattle being slaughtered.

Herds of Brahman, Beef Master, Charolais, Simmental, Jersey, Sussex and Tswana cattle are now being built up for beef production. There was now a strong disease control support mechanism to ensure that farmers are protected from foot and mouth, anthrax, cattle lung disease and black leg disease, with the government supplying  and administering vaccines free of charge.

All set for the Maun infrastructure development
By Bright Kholi

The North West District Council has awarded the construction tender to a Chinese company for the Maun development project which will cost over P78-million. The contract has been awarded to China Jiangsung International for a period of 24 months.

The project will include the construction of a new bus/taxi rank at Mabudutsa ward, the tarring of the Disaneng-Boseja road, which passes by the new district hospital, traffic lights,  and the erection of 20km of street lights.

NWDC chairman John Benn told a full council meeting this week that the project will start with phase 1 costing over P45-million, adding that a project addendum has been submitted to the responsible ministry to augment the difference. NWDC secretary Paulos Nkoni told The Ngami Times that the tarring of the Disaneng road would get first priority.

 “We want to make sure that the road gets finished well before the completion of the new hospital,” he said. The hospital is now scheduled to be completed in October next year. He said street and traffic lights will also be installed during phase 1.

According to Nkoni, while the actual Mabudutsa relocation process takes longer than anticipated, it “would only be logical” to start off with those projects which need to be done urgently.

Mohembo bridge assessment to start

An environmental impact assessment is to be made of the proposed site for the proposed bridge over the Okavango River at Mohembo.

The consulting engineers and planners, CPP Botswana (Pty) Ltd, said in advertisements published in Gaborone newspapers that the bridge would be a kilometre in length.

Mohembo has been served by pontoons for many years, bringing complaints from residents and transport operators of long delays to travel from one bank to the other.The consultants says that positive impacts of a bridge would include easy transportation of goods and services, increased traffic volumes, reduced travelling time, promotion of socio-economic development particularly in villages on the east bank of the river, and a potential to increase tourism opportunities.

Increased employment during and after the construction was also a positive point and an opportunity “for the construction of the Kaukwi to Seronga roads which is in a deplorable state.” On the negative side, there would be noise, water pollution and air pollution during construction, the clearance of vegetation for over 1km, and the possible loss of medical plants on the river banks, loss of farmlands and residential properties, potential spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and road transport safety.

Meetings are to take place with the general public and stakeholders at Shakawe kgotla on March 15 (9am), Mohembo East kgotla on March 16 (9am), Mohembo West kgotla on March 16 (2pm) and at Seronga kgotla on March 17 (11am).

Editorial Comment
Sad waste of money

There must have been many who shook their heads in bewilderment when reading about how vital medical equipment, some very important in the fight to overcome the HIV/AIDS scourge, is allowed to stand idle at Maun General Hospital.

The Ministry of Health doesn’t seem to be doing much about it, the Medical Officer of Health has his hands tied, and the donors are wringing their hands in frustration at what amounts to gross negligence.

Looking ahead, if this is the manner in which expensive, state-of-the-art equipment is also likely to be handled at the new Maun District Hospital, once it eventually reaches completion, then we are in trouble.

It is time that the Ministry ensures that operators of the equipment know how to install it, how to operate it, are well-trained in order to do so, and take some pride in what they are doing. If this is not done, it will amount to a sad waste of money both from the taxpayer and the donor nations.

The Maun Shuffle

This is a story about a fly – you know, the old common-or-garden fly that somehow mutates into a “stable fly” when exposed to the cattle kraals of this land.

The pesky fly has been irritating thousands of people and animals during this rainy season and in particular irritating veterinary officers who have had to reply to inane questions about why there are so many and how do they move from one part of the district to the other!

To answer the first question, said one prominent veterinary official, it has been raining quite heavily and therefore the flies have multiplied by the thousand. To answer the second, flies are, well, natural fliers (not that they hold Frequent Flier cards) and therefore are quite capable of moving with relative ease from one side of the country to the other, or from your knee to your nose, or to the kitchen table whenever there is, or is not, food about . . .

Woe betide the stable fly that decides to hitch a ride to the quarantine stations at places like Makalamabedi. They will be clouted with an insecticide product that is actually called “Clout” and will therefore never see the inside of an abattoir at Francistown or Lobatse (hurrah! for that).

But, if you want to feel sick, you can see them hovering over and on the “fresh” meat at a tree butchery right in the middle of Maun if you go to a plot of land next door to the Tawana Land Board’s offices (Shuffle was once in Madagascar and swept his hand over the meat on display at an open air market – something like 20 million flies took off! Ate chicken for the rest of the stay, obviously before bird flu was even thought of!).

Years ago, a newspaper ran a competition for the largest number of flies that one could kill, and store, as proof of success. Maybe this publication should try it – the first prize is a bottle of “Clout”!

We can invite the people who ask veterinary officers these inane questions whether they would participate. Wonder how many of those we can clout?

The only time these stable flies are actually stable is when they have been whacked with a rolled up copy of a newspaper (of course, not The Ngami Times) or a fly swatter! That will stop them falling into Shuffle’s odd glass of beer . . .

**

Maun doesn’t only have the prettiest girls but also the brightest young man in the country.

Recently, this little desert outpost has produced a Miss Botswana and a Nokia Face of Africa winner, and now in our midst is the country’s top student!

Obviously the desert air does wonders for the offspring of this town.

Well done to Paul Rambacal, who attended Matshwane Primary and then Tsodilo Secondary before moving on to Mater Spei College in Francistown for his final years of education.

We look forward to hearing more about him as he goes through university and, who knows, he could become a mathematical genius if, as his father told us last week, he could “solve problems at the age of three!”

Move over, Einstein!

**

A question was asked the other day about how cosmopolitan Maun really is.

The town is regarded as having so many nationalities we can form our own United Nations!

Shuffle et al mulled over the question and came up with the following countries:

Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Switzerland, Argentine, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland., Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Congo, Kenya, Italy, Spain, Tanzania, China, Mozambique, Cuba, Austria, Nigeria, Angola, Malawi, Greece, Cyprus, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ghana, Mauritius., Sierra Leone, Iran, Guinea, Cameroon, Lesotho, Sudan, Bangladesh, Russia, and Philippines.

That’s 51 so far, and if anyone has other countries to add, please advise Shuffle.

**

Here’s a message to the thieves who regularly target the Etsha 6 Co-Op.  There have been about 15 robberies over the past 12 months, not only at Etsha but also at branches in Sepopa and other panhandle areas.

Malcolm Thomas, the general manager, is pleading with the robbers “to choose someone else and give us as break!”

**

Out of sight, out of mind. That seems to be the motto of a business in Maun that has published a list of organisations which helped it in staging a soccer match featuring the national Zebras side against a Maun Select .This newspaper, which did much of the pre-publicity for the game and which co-operated with free advertising and many free column centimetres 14380 centimeters of copy and picture of editorial space throughout the build up, has been ignored in the “thank you” list, published in another newspaper. Even the promised after-match advertising has gone in the other direction.

Oh well!

Running a car on LPG - it's a gas!

One of the only two vehicles which runs on LPG gas (cooking gas) which drives on Maun’s streets. Fitted at the back is the gas tank
By Jan Possemiers

Autogas (LPG or cooking gas) is being used worldwide by over nine million vehicles, two of which drive on Maun’s streets – and as far as I know, they are the only ones in the country. Running a vehicle on gas brings its advantages – fuel savings, for instance 10% for personal use and 18% for business use.

The petrol conversion performs exactly the same as running on petrol, whereas diesel delivers 25 to 30% more power with the additional autogas and diesel consumption has dropped from 13 litres to 8 litres per 100km and 48 litres of autogas will last about 1 000km.

The dual-fuel car has done 14 000km. The engine oil looks still as clean as the day it went in and will do so for at least another 20 000km. Spark plugs will last for at least 60 000km.

This is all because the LPG does not contain ANY additives to foul up anything inside the engine. There is no unburnt fuel to run off the cylinder wall and mix with the oil. It burns much cleaner than petrol. After 1 000km running on autogas, I could feel and hear the difference. The engine runs smoother, especially on idle.

By far the most difficult item to fit is the gas tank. It will cost loading space, no matter where you put it. Some vehicles are easy, other are not and you don’t want to do away with the conventional petrol tank for the simple reason that should you run out of gas you an carry on with petrol.

Filling up with petrol invariably leaves a good splash on the garage forecourt and on the car’s paint but not so with autogas. The tank can only be filled to 80% capacity and not more (to allow for expansion). The whole system is sealed and closed, and the tank and contents are protected by excess flow valves and should a leak occur, the engine will cut out and all valves will close.

The tank is much stronger than an ordinary fuel tank and will withstand impacts of more than 3 tonnes! In the event of an accident or fire, the most likely thing to survive intact is the gas tank, still with gas in it!

It is also impossible to siphon off, completely eliminating petrol theft. Filling a tank anywhere in Botswana has proven to be a mission and a half. When I travel I carry a small handpump along to decant from small gas cylinders into the tank.

It’s quite as spectacle as well as curious onlookers flock to watch the refilling. Laughing also invariably stops when the fuel line is pulled off the carburettor and the engine carries on running!

Prospective autogas filling stations are already dotted around the country even though they don’t know it, and with a bit of persuasion they could invest in autogas filling equipment. Following the recent discovery of gas in Botswana, it will only be a matter of time before we can turn it into liquid and product of our own fuel.

It is not so much the savings that prompted me to convert (it will take about 18 to 24 months to recover the installation costs) but the difference I know I make to our environment. It gives me satisfaction to know that my car produces up to 90% less toxic emissions than when running on petrol, doing its tiny little bit to combat climate change and the general air quality around us.

Autogas has many advantages over petrol as fuel, more so since worldwide awareness about pollution has increased dramatically. According to an estimate from Ford Motor Company, over a 20 000km driving cycle an LPG vehicle should  emit around one tonne less carbon dioxide into the air than a comparable petrol powered vehicle. Since carbon dioxide has been identified as a major contributor to global warming, this is a significant saving to the environment.

LPG as a vehicle fuel has been around for quite a while (since 1912 to be exact) but not until the last decade have major improvements on the system made it a viable prospect. The global Autogas Industry Network published in 2004 says that “Ford, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Daihatsu, Vauxhall, Proton, Volvo, Renault, Peugeot, Opel and Fiat have introduced vehicles and new engines specifically engineered to run on clear, efficient autogas.

Some models also support dual fuel systems which allow drivers to effortless switch from autogas to petrol, almost doubling driving range. Several vehicle manufacturers are also beginning to produce autogas dedicated vehicles.

Seven die in road accidents

GABORONE – Police headquarters says that seven people have died in 257 road accidents between February 12 and 19, bringing to 44 the number of those killed so far this year.

Police are continuing to clamp down on motorists making calls from handheld mobile telephones while driving, with 37 people having been arrested. Twenty-one people were also charged for drinking and driving while under the influence of alcohol out of 316 who were asked to take a breathalyser test.

Three murder cases were reported, with one suspect committing suicide while there have also been 34 armed robbery cases during the period in which cash amounting to P6 000 and property valued at P33 000 was stolen.  Three of the robberies involved hand guns, 21 knives and the rest a variety of weapons.

So far there have been 196 armed robberies this year compared to 188 for the same period last year. Forty-one rape cases were recorded, with the arrest of 20 suspects.

'Crisis' denied at top secondary school
By Onkabetse Tsaro

Claims by Maun Senior Secondary School students that they have “been starved” at lunch-times because of a lack of cash to buy food have been dismissed out of hand by the school authorities. The students say they have not had an explanation about it, fuelling concerns among them that the school is faced with “a financial crisis.”

Some students said since the controversial educational double shift system started this year, it has been either they had lunch or not, or they have been “sent home early so we could eat at our homes.”   However, the school matron, who declined to reveal her name, described the allegations as “outrageous” that the school had not been providing lunch to students since the double shift commenced.

She did not deny, however, that lunch had been late on some days because meat supplies had not arrived, prompting students to go home without first having their meal when they could have stayed.

There have also been allegations that the school is in debt, something which headmaster Galesengwe Mohube has vehemently denied it, saying the allegations were without foundation - “since we are approaching the financial year, financial constraint is something common in every government school.”

He denied a shortage in the supply of meat. “Yes, we placed a tender advertisement in the press but that does not necessarily mean that we are doing that as part of financial recovery,” he said.

Lion issue, water problem for villagers
By Lets Open

PHUDUHUDU – Lions have been terrorising Basarwa settlements near Gweta, it has been confirmed by the Department of Wildlife.

Phuduhudu is situated between the Makgadikgadi Pans and the Nxai National Park on the Maun-Nata roads. Villagers have told how lions from the two parks have been entering livestock areas and killing off cows and their calves, goats, sheep and horses.  In some cases, domestic dogs have also been attacked. “We are losing livestock in large numbers but are not allowed to shoot lions inside the parks,” a villager said.

There are also complaints about the “low compensation” being paid for livestock that  had been killed. “We are also angry that developments are taking place inside the parks but without our input which means that the government regards the animals as more important than us,” said another villager.

The Wildlife department’s co-ordinator in Maun, Sibangani Mosojane, said that the shooting of lions inside the parks was not allowed. “We are aware of lion attacks in the Phuduhudu area and currently the government is installing boreholes for Basarwa livestock to be relocated to the BLDC Farms near Makalamabedi.  The choice remains with the Basarwa to move their castle to the farms as soon as the water becomes available as Phuduhudu is a settlement with limited infrastructure.

“There are no schools at the settlement and children need to go to school.” He said any relocation would be voluntary as there were no plans for forced relocation of people.

Motor road show labelled a success

Potential customer James Evans of PR Motors with Naledi Motors Sales Manager Saeed Pretorius

By Khonani Ontebetse

The success of a road show held by Naledi Motors in Maun recently may mean that the company will open a showroom in the town.

Sales Manager Saeed Pretorius said the event was aimed at bringing the business to the people instead of the people bringing business to the company. There were many road tests and customers were competing to have a test of the products.

Pretorius described the event as successful, adding that the response was very positive. He confirmed that three vehicles which were on show at Maun Lodge had potential buyers, which, according to him, showed that Maun really needs their business.

“I’m quite happy with the response and the feedback I got from promising customers in Maun” he said. “Our cars are 2006 Mercedes Benz and Mitsubishi models which change every three years,” he said.

Prominent local businessman John Wellio thanked Naledi Motors for choosing Maun for the road show and urged the company to do more business with local residents. “It is good for people to test things which they had only heard about and never got a chance to test them, and obviously people are going to come back for more,” he said.

Botswana misses 'Face' final

The Nokia “Face of Africa” finals are to take place at Sun City in South Africa, dashing the hopes of the finals being held in the Okavango and Chobe areas.

However, Botswana is to host the so-called “boot camp” from where the 10 top challengers will be chosen for the Sun City event. Maun’s Kaone Kario won last year’s “Face of Africa” competition.

Poor roads continue to haunt district
By Bright Kholi

The North West District (NWD) has more problems with roads than in any other part of the country and there is no fuel to allow roads to be graded. This was evident from comments made by different councillors at a full NWD Council meeting this week. Some councillors described gravel roads as having turned into small streams while tarred roads in the district had more potholes than anywhere else.

NWDC chairman John Benn said the grading of 200km of roads, including 77km of Maun’s internal roads, had been delayed due to the Council running out of fuel. Benn said recent heavy rains and frequent equipment breakdowns also played a major part in the delay.

He told councillors that tenders for gravelling portions of the Nokaneng-Qangwa and Qangwa-Xaxa roads had been awarded, adding that construction was in progress. On central government roads, Benn said that while casual labourers were engaged to work on the Etsha 6 access road by filling potholes, the road needed reconstruction.

He said the Department of Roads plan is to seal the Sehithwa-Tsau road, which is marred by potholes, will be undertaken in the next financial year, pending the availability of funds. He said a permanent unit has been assigned to “patch” roads.

“Like the Etsha access road, the Tsau access road has reached its terminal design life. It is totally bad. We are planning to reconstruct it in-house but persistent breakdowns of machinery hamper our work,” Benn said.

Councillor Gospel Mokotedi said that many roads in Maun have long been ignored and as a result had turned into streams, adding that villages such as Sehithwa, Toteng and Tsau have no internal roads at all.

Councillor Mbathera Ngundura charged that there was a situation in the council whereby funds where being “misused” and wondered why all the roads in Maun were sub-standard.“Who inspects these roads which last for less than three months? If this is not looked into, we will appear to be misusing public funds,” he said.

Ngundura brushed aside comments made that there was no suitable material to make high standard roads. “The right material is there. We can get it from other places or even from Tsodilo,” he said. Other councillors charged that if the NWDC  concentrates on cheap materials and tenderers in the short run, the same will prove to be very expensive in the long run as projects will need to be maintained after only a very short period of time.

Children in the Wilderness Botswana has hosted its first follow-up programme session in Maun. The pilot session got off to a bright start with the participation of children – selected by the North West District Council’s social and community development unit - who had been at Jacana Camp in December last year.2005 The bi-monthly follow-up visits are an integral element of Children in the Wilderness Botswana’s expanding goals: building on the learning experience of the initial camp session; providing mentoring and support through regular contact; and allowing evaluation of the impact of the programme, officials said. Each follow-up visit has a theme, the first one being “Who Am I?” James Dodington, representative of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps in the United States, attended the first follow-up as a guest mentor. He said it was informative “and more importantly it gave the children the opportunity to see each other again; to reminisce about their favourite times at camp; and to work with their mentors again. This provides an excellent support structure and continuity of the mentor/child interaction.” Angela Morgan, the Executive Director of Children in the Wilderness Botswana, thanked local sponsors Ngamiland Adventure Safaris, Wilderness Safaris, Lesedi Motors and Air Botswana.

Rains brought disaster, says NWDC

The North West District Council’s chairman John Benn says torrential rains have left some people homeless in the district.

Addressing a full council meeting this week, Benn said the most affected areas were Chanoga and Maun, where 68 and 78 households respectively were damaged. About 78 households have been assisted with tents for a period of three months.“The disaster committee is continuously receiving reports from those in need and assistance is provided,” he said.

Meanwhile damage caused by rain have also been reported in other areas. Councillor Lefetogile Nxowe, of Qangwa, said there was a disaster in his area where houses fell and that a number of cases of people dying as a result of sleeping in houses which collapsed had also been reported. He said roads were badly affected, adding that vehicles spent days stuck between Nokaneng and Qangwa.

SOCIETY IN ACTION

Man at work... DJ Christos giving revellers a taste of his new house album at Trekkers Nite Club.

That way Sir...! Modibedi of Botswana Life Insurance directing JS Wellio where The Big Tree is after the insurance week launch

Journo at work.... Ngami Times reporter Khonani Ontebetse (left) pictured in action interviewing Naledi Motors Sales Manager Saeed Pretorius

Fish Sizzler... well known comedian Eliajah aka Legwaila preparing a fish braai at The Big Tree

SPORTS

Game of war... Cubs striker Kenneth Katjizu (20)   moving away from the scene after fouling Tigers defender Seelilo Casalis, Helping him is Boikaego Mokadi.
By Cobrie Kgaodi

The second round of the Nhabe regional league kicked off over the weekend with Maun Tigers taking over the leadership of the log after getting two wins from their encounters with Zungu and Cubs.

Tigers mauled league rookies Zungu 8-0 and went on to beat Cubs 6-1 on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Tigers and Terrors both have 37 points but the goal difference gave Tigers the advantage over Terrors. Makgabisa is third with 34 points.

The match between Tigers and Cubs had nothing much to offer to the spectators at the beginning as strikers from both teams failed put their sides upfront in the 3rd and 4th minutes of the game.

It was not long before Welcome Patrick corrected his side’s mistakes when he finished a cross by Tshepo Simon who sent a nice pass from the right flank. Tigers, who piled on more pressure, were rewarded two corner kicks in the 23rd and 24th  minutes but could not utilise them as they were both cleared by the Cubs defence.

Patrick scored the second goal for his side after slicing through Cubs defenders who thought he was offside in the 29th, followed immediately by Simon’s goal in the 31st minute, a ball many thought was scored from an offside spot. Patrick came back to increase the lead to 4-0 from a powerful shot in the 51st minute. Cubs’ combination of Phorano and Odirile cost their side as the latter failed three times to reduce the score margin much to the disappointment of the crowd. Simon and Patrick scored the 5th and 6th goals for the side.

Cubs got a solo goal through Phorano from an indirect kick that completely beat Tigers goalkeeper.

Terrors win but go down
By Cobrie Kgaodi.

Maun Terrors who finished first at the end of the first round of the Nhabe regional league were on  Saturday  brought down to earth despite winning their encounter with Maun United in the second round league.

They may have won, but Maun Tigers had two games over the weekend, both of which they won convincingly to lead the pack.

United, who started the game at a slow pace, exposed Terrors defence as they equalised each time Terrors took the lead.

Terrors scored first from a penalty spot through Business David after Chuku pulled down Poster Tshwaolesele inside the box in the 14th minute of the game. Dimbo later sliced through the United defence to score the second the second goal for Terrors in the 34th minute. Tembwe scored the first goal for United just before half time.

After the first half, Business scored the third goal after a pass by Dimbo. Tembwe capitalised on Terrors poor defending to make it 3-2 in the 60th minute.

United managed to steal an equaliser through Keoagile Mosupiemang after a corner kick in the 72nd minute.

However, their joy was short lived when Business again scored the fourth goal for Terrors, and almost immediately he made an excellent volley that gave Terrors a 5-3 lead, completely silencing United’s fans.

Super 14 rugby matches

Matches to be played in the international Super 14 rugby competition between teams from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand this weekend are:

Friday (March 3): Chiefs v Reds (Hamilton); Brumbies v Cats (Canberra).

Saturday (March 4): Waratahs v Sharks (Sydney); Crusaders v Blues (Christchurch); Stormers v Highlanders (Cape Town); Cheetahs v Hurricanes (Bloemfontein).

EDITION 303 Vol.7 FEB 24 -  MARCH 3, 2006

Key Medical Equipment Lying Idle
By Khonani Ontebetse

Equipment vital in the fight to beat HIV/AIDS in Ngamiland – which has the country’s highest incidence of the disease - is lying unused at Maun General Hospital because it was incorrectly installed. Nothing has worked since late last year, and nothing has been done about it.

The specialised equipment is only one of several key pieces gathering dust – one is a body scanner and another is equipment used in the dental department. Patients invariably have to be sent to Gweta Primary Hospital for the latter two procedures.   

Investigations by The Ngami Times revealed that the CD4 counter, which was provided by the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP), is not being used four months after it was acquired.

The machine – known as a flow cytometer - was supplied to the hospital by ACHAP in an effort to assist the government and the private sector to develop programmes designed to combat HIV/AIDS. It is used to measure the number of blood cells in the body in order to see how a patient is responding to treatment for HIV/AIDS and also when doctors should start treatment. ”It is an incredibly sensitive and expensive piece of equipment,” was the comment of one senior health worker. “Anyone who has an immune problem is compromised by the non-use of equipment that while it is specifically for HIV,  can also be used for other similar tasks.”

The problem was confirmed by Leonard Manthe, senior programme officer of ACHAP, who said “a lack of commitment” on the part of those tasked with ensuring that the equipment was properly installed had contributed to the problem.

“Firstly, the cables which were used were not the appropriate ones because they were not fitting well,” Manthe said, adding that ACHAP had been discussing the matter with the Ministry of Health.

The Chief Medical Officer at Maun General Hospital, Dr Phillip Wangia, confirmed the problem but said he couldn’t comment further as the “situation is being dealt with at a higher level of management.”  At the time of going to press, the Ministry had not responded to a set of questions sent to it by this newspaper three weeks ago

The questions were:

· What is the MoH doing to help in dealing with the problem of patients who need their CD4 count to be undertaken at government medical centres?

· Does the Ministry have any measures in place that can be used in the meantime by patients?

· Does the government only give one set of equipment  for each medical centre?

Wet days bring misery as houses flooded

Storm clouds gather over Maun – a familiar scene over the past three weeks as thunderstorms batter the district, bringing the highest rainfall for many years (Picture: Onkabetse Tsaro)

Maun recorded one of its wettest days of the year  on Monday and Tuesday when heavy rain swept over the town and district.

Several houses were flooded as storm water drains were unable to cope with the deluge. On Monday, the Botswana Meteorological Services recorded 33mm while at Boro Prison 64mm fell with 33.4mm more at the Met office and 30mm at the BMC on Tuesday.

Residents in the Matlapaneng and Disaneng areas reported falls of more than 55mm for the 24 hours from 8am on Monday.

The rain brought misery to householders in the Thito area, with water rushing through their homes due to overflowing storm water drains. Drainage canals in nearby streets were also flowing but in some, refuse  had piled up, stopping the water and resulting in streets becoming dangerous.

A resident said he had asked the Department of Water Affairs on January 27 to clear the drains but engineers only responded on Monday when piping was dropped off, with residents around the Mogobe store facing Tsheko Tsheko Road being told to “put these in place”.

There was also heavy rain during the week at Gumare (56.4mm), Shakawe (53.5mm), Sepopa (33mm) and Kang (30.8mm), with steady rain at Nxaraga, Kuke Corner and Etsha 6.

The Okavango delta also had heavy rain, with some camps being isolated. The water volumes entering the Okavango River at Mohembo has shown a slight increase and this is expected to become stronger as the days go on.

An unusual “wedding car” took a young Maun couple on a quick honeymoon last week – they flew in a Cessna 206 to Stanley’s Camp in the Okavango delta soon after marrying at the District Commissioner’s Office in Maun. David Sautereau and his wife, Melissa (nee Reed), were given the flight and accommodation as a present by friends and the A&K safari company. They flew off in a Mack Air plane that had earlier been bedecked with ribbons, balloons and the traditional tin cans tied to the tail, and the cabin filled with confetti and rose petals. “My wife and I would like to thank all our good friends in Maun for giving us such an awesome time that was most unexpected,” said David, who works at Services for Africa. His wife is with Wild Lifestyles, a Maun travel company.

Trial date for 'Golden Tooth' case postponed
 By Bright Kholi

The trial date in the case in which Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane, Mathews Matsaudi, Gosego Sebati, Polite Motswaiso and Thamani Masunga are alleged to have broken into and stole rifles, ammunition and a safe from the Wildlife and National Parks offices at Moremi Game Reserve has been postponed.

Maun magistrate Milidzani Beja postponed it from February 24 to June 19 and 20.
The new trial date was set after Charles Tlagae, of Chadwick Anderson and Partners, Maun, who is now representing Matsaudi, told the court he was not familiar with the case and therefore needed time to go through the documents.

Tlagae said that since the accused had the right to legal representation, it was only logical for him to go through all the records and be a better position to represent his client.

Maphanyane told the court he had acquired the services of a lawyer to represent him, adding that the trial date should be postponed so that his lawyer can manage to be in court. He also asked to be furnished with records of the case to clear up “some confusion.” He said no one collected him from prison for the previous mention, adding that he therefore was not aware of the trial date set then.

Postponing the trial date, Beja said that the accused persons should use their right to legal representation reasonably. She said the accused have been aware of the case and that they needed legal representation, adding that they could have long arranged that.

She also said that records of the case will be made available to both Maphanyane and Sebati before the next mention date, which will be March 21.

Slaughter cattle to keep moving despite flies

Livestock would continue to have free movement throughout the district even though there is a major infestation of flies.

This has been stated by the Principal Veterinary Officer for the North West of the Department of Animal Health and Production, Dr L Oarabile, in response to questions from The Ngami Times.

The flies are being found throughout Maun and surrounding district as a result of the heavy rains which are conducive to an increase in the fly population and it would not be advisable to quarantine all livestock.

He said that stable fly (lethobo) can be treated with pyrethroid such as the insecticide “Clout” , and that the department had also embarked on insecticidal spraying of kraal fences in the Sehitwa area in an effort to beat the infestation.

Oarabile said  “it was not surprising” that flies had been noted at Makalamabedi quarantine station as they are found throughout the district, but advised farmers who are sending animals to BMC for slaughtering purposes to treat cattle with the insecticide. “Veterinary officials have not observed any case of stable fly infestation on all cattle presented for inspection at entry kraals (at quarantine stations). Had we observed any, we would have advised farmers to buy Clout to treat their cattle,” he added.

In a bid to defeat the flies, farmers are being encouraged to move cattle from kraal to kraal  overnight.

Primary schools hit by equipment shortage

There is a major shortage of books, pens, pencils, desks, chairs and classrooms for primary schools. Letsholathebe Primary School principal, Obusitswe Tlhapi, confirmed a shortage which is put down to an increased number of pupils.

Tlhapi said there are now 1 100 students at his school instead of the 880 budgeted for – the 22 classrooms each have 40 pupils. He said help had been forthcoming from the North West District Council (NWDC), which was supplying the school with books and desks.

He explained that there was a general shortage of notebooks because when a student is transferred, the school does not ask for the books to be returned.

Newly-introduced subjects such as Environmental Science and Creative and Performance Art do not have reference books.

Tlhapi had also asked for the loan of furniture from sister schools such as Moremi and Komana primary schools. Ten classes are being taught under trees at the moment and the only way new classrooms can be built is if these were double-storey structures as space was at a premium.

The Principal Education Secretary, Kaporeingi Patropus, said it was “not true” that there was shortage of stationery and furniture in primary schools.

He said they have been delivering books to schools since January and that the delay is caused by suppliers. He was only aware that pens, pencils and A4 24 page notebooks have not arrived.

Patropus said they have books in their storeroom and were busy with deliveries.
The department is to tender for furniture after April. Schools affected by shortages include Shashe and Matsaudi, both of which have problems of classrooms and furniture.

Patropus said the problem that is faced by Letsholathebe is that they have absorbed a very high number of students and the school management needs to solve it.

He suggested that they should adopt the system of double shifts if they want all their students to use classrooms as the department cannot build more classrooms at the school.

Diarrhoea continues to be major problem
By Khonani Ontebetse

The government’s warning that diarrhoea is rampant in some parts of the country – particularly in the Gweta and Nata areas – seems to have fallen on deaf ears as families continue to stream into hospitals and clinics with seriously ill small children.

So far, 140 young children have died throughout the country out of 7 245 cases reported to health authorities. The highest infection rate is in the Serowe/Palapye areas, where 42 deaths have taken place, followed by Kweneng with 20 deaths.

The Department of Health says the situation “is under control” and also warns the public to boil all water in order to control the outbreak, brought about by excessive rain and flooding.

Maun General Hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Philip Wangia, said he couldn’t comment but did say that the situation “is under control”. Some babies from Nata, Zoroga, Gweta and Maun were in the past six weeks admitted at the hospital for medical attention. There had been several deaths.

According to hospital staff in Maun and Gweta, the total number of infected children aged below 5 years admitted daily at Maun General and Gweta Hospital come mostly from Nata, Tsokatshaa and Zoroga villages has not reduced.

Any visitor to Maun General can see mothers with their youngsters crammed in beds in children’s wards which seems to be unable to cope. “Six babies were been admitted at our clinic,” said a nurse at Gweta. According to officials of Tutume Health Team, there were 32 reported cases of diarrhoea this week. However, officials were adamant that some patients were able to fight off the disease and some were recovering.

The disease now affects all age groups, the officials confirmed.

In the same week that a young woman is admitted to hospital after allegedly being raped and left tied up in horrifying fashion, three young men who have been appearing on rape charges in another case are released on bail by our courts.

Rape is in most countries regarded as a capital offence.  In Botswana, rape convictions carry very heavy sentences – often, the death sentence. Yet, magistrates continue to hand down decisions that ensure the liberty of alleged perpetrators.

Obviously, women’s rights organisations protest vigorously but justice seems to turn a blind eye to their arguments, claiming that the courts cannot deprive a person of his or her liberty until found guilty as charged. This goes for murder, attempted murder, threat to murder, armed robbery, rape and all the other crimes that have troubled our community these past few years.

It is perhaps no wonder therefore that criminals are having the last laugh.

Enough's Enough!

Rain is always very welcome, but now that we have had a large amount, maybe it is time for the taps to be turned off!

We know we ran an Editorial the other week saying, in effect, that the rain should continue, but now that we are well and truly soaked, maybe we can ask for a little relief!

After all, we don’t think the idea is to make people suffer as a result of houses falling down, roads inundated and our lives disrupted

- The Maun Shuffle -

The disturbing news that foreign governments are taking an interest in our crime situation in Ngamiland (and more particularly, Maun) should make the government sit up and take notice.

Our police force is trying to do a good job in curbing crime, and in association with the splendid 911 Neighbourhood Watch organisation, there is a definite indication that criminals are being apprehended.

But it is hard work and often the thieves win hands-down because of a lack of manpower on the part of the authorities.

Shuffle enjoyed the suggestion from the floor at a crime prevention meeting last week that police, troops and the Special Services Group (SSG) should be engaged in a swoop through every yard in the town one night. If nothing else, that should clear out our illegals and our criminals!

Of course, in a democratic country, this is not quite the way to act as people do have rights (well, some rights) but nevertheless, the suggestion may be worth following up.

Shuffle liked the style of Philip Makoba, the Officer Commanding Police District 5, who made no bones about it when he said that Maun needed to be made much safer than ever before insofar as tourists were concerned (of course, he also meant the local population) and urged that the community should stand together.  Hear, hear!

Too often in Maun we are bedevilled by people who go their separate ways – colour-wise.

There is a definite need for better interaction between the local population and expatriates. It is certainly much improved than, say, five years ago, but the divide remains and this was brought home by speakers at the crime prevention meeting.

One said that 911 was known and admired by the local community but was also perceived to be for “them” (ie the expats) and by implication therefore it was a racial them-and-us situation.

A good suggestion made was that a 911 radio should be provided to residents in particular areas of the town so that neighbours can be alerted at any given time when emergencies arise.Whether this would work in a moot point as Shuffle is sure that criminals may try to take advantage.

Right now, about 600 people are roused from their beds when the radio crackles into life but can you imagine what thousands of people going out on to the streets to beat the criminals can do? It will stop crime.

**

Everyone Shuffle knows likes to have a good time, but when people start to walk rough-shod over personal liberties, many get upset.

And so it is happening right now as Botswana and Britain decide to limit bar hours in the former and smoking in the latter, where incidentally, bar hours are unlimited.

Shuffle is at a loss to see what it has to do with anyone else if someone wishes to take a drink during the day or have a smoke in a public place.

The medical fraternity is of the opinion that smoking causes cancer etc and that smoke from cigarettes is harmful to those around you if you are a smoker. This has been prattled about for years and is even written on to cigarettes packets.

The political fraternity is jumping on the bandwagon in both countries.

They are so keen to fall over themselves in limiting your rights that one of these days those who cherish liberty, and know how to look after themselves whether they drink or smoke, will be following in the footsteps of the Muslims of this world by demonstrating against the erosion of civil rights.

We do not live in a perfect world.

Huge numbers of people smoke (be it cigarette, cigars or the weed), huge numbers of people take a drink of alcohol (be it beer, wine or spirits), and huge numbers of people don’t actually care what people do with their bodies.

Shuffle recalls that a newspaper he was once employed by decided to hold a referendum among staff about whether or not to ban smoking in its cavernous building.  Shuffle was one of those who led the pro-smoking lobby (Shuffle does not smoke, incidentally) on the grounds that the habit didn’t affect him so why take away a civil liberty of others who did.

The medical doctor who was employed by the newspaper smoked – and drank. He is a good guy and as far as Shuffle knows, is still enjoying himself smoking and drinking.  There are many other doctors known to Shuffle in many countries who also smoke and drink, and they’re alive and walking this earth!

The funniest public sign Shuffle has seen is on the beachfront of the English town of Bournemouth. It reads: “This is a non-smoking beach for 500 metres”. Presumably after 501 metres you can light up and smoke to your heart’s content!

Now, can someone tell me how one can limit smoking on a breezy southern coast of Britain facing France, where the French don’t care a toss about who smokes or who doesn’t?

The British have now voted (let’s say, their MPs) to ban smoking in pubs and clubs and wherever else. That’s a nonsense and if those ladies and gentlemen manage to get back to parliament in a future general election, then they will be very lucky because the British working man in general doesn’t like his habits to be interfered with by nosey MPs.

In Botswana, politicians are going to be hurt the most when the pub hours law comes into effect in April.  Their pubs will be affected, their profits will be affected, their employees will be out of jobs, and their constituents will be unhappy.

There is still time for a re-think and still time to tell their bank managers not to worry.

**

Now that we have got over those heavy subjects, how about some light relief from that admirable little book “Funny Ho Ho and Funny Fantastic”?

·           Before the verdict was rendered this morning, Miss Mexico told interviewers that if the court freed her, she would become a nut.

·           Baby show – Best Baby under Six Months; Best Baby under Twelve Months; Best Baby under Two Years; Best Baby under Three Years. Rules for exhibitors: all exhibits become the property of the Committee as soon as staged, and will be sold for the benefit of the Hospital at the termination of the exhibition.

·           Jack’s Laundry – Leave your clothes here, ladies, and spend the afternoon having a good time.

·           Breaks both legs turning over in bed – headline

·           Mrs Raymond Hackett and Miss Evelyn Fothergill gave a surprise pink and white shower for Mrs Mahlon Owens on the Eaton lawn, attended by 33 people. One of the features of the programme was a Caesarean operation which proved amusing – story in US newspaper.

Forest reserves opened up for tourism ventures

KASANE - Six protected forest reserves in the Chobe district are to be de-gazetted to relieve the over-utilisation of resources inside the Chobe National Park and along the Chobe riverfront.

The current under-utilisation of the reserves, as well as alleged illegal tourism operations, have exerted pressure on existing tourism operations and paved the way for eco-tourism activities in the reserves.

The Senior Technical Officer, Lesika Basalumi, in the Ministry of Environmental Wildlife and Tourism, said here that the under-utilisation and allegations of illegal operations prompted the plan to utilise prime sites for conducting tourism related business in the forest reserves.

Communities in the area had perceived the forests to be “a white elephant as they were not benefiting them,” said Basalumi.

He said there is no restriction on access to the forest reserves but there was a need to update the Forestry Act in accordance with the national eco-tourism strategy. There is a need to develop appropriate plans that combines conservation and development in forest to become economic viable to compensate surrounding communities.

Basalumi said there were several methods of forest management, and eco-tourism was one that suited the sites due to natural and cultural resources as well as the enthusiasm of local communities to take part in tourism ventures.

This would enhance citizen expansion into the eco-tourism industry and which will offer a new product that will lessen pressure in the Chobe National Park and create more jobs

He said areas identified are at present largely under utilised because they are not commercially zoned.

It will also be an opportunity for “tourist adventurers” to explore nature and cultural sites which would lead to further diversification of Botswana tourism that is very dependent on wildlife, he said.

Tourism activities would also have a positive impact in the socio-economic status of villages such as Pandamatenga, Kachikau, Mabele, Kavimba and Satau by creating jobs in those areas - such as guiding and culture exploration related activities. He said the plan would also allow village and township expansion as tourism activities and development have been concentrated on the Chobe riverfront, with fears being raised that these could lead to land degradation.

The Chobe district is the only area that has forest reserves.

'Kgotla expo' brings tourism, culture to city people
By Bright Kholi

The District Wildlife Coordinator, Ngamiland, Sibangani Mosojane says that lodges operating inside Moremi Game Reserve will be allowed to remain open despite the high water level that has left the roads and tracks in the park inundated.

In a letter written to lodge operators, HATAB, and mobile operators, Mosojane said that the department felt it is necessary to take steps aimed at minimising the damage to roads and tracks.

The conditions laid out include the closure of the reserve to all self-drive tourists until the situation normalises. The restriction of access by registered local mobile operators to those groups with bookings, who will be allowed access only with standard 4x4 vehicles and no heavy vehicle, may cause unnecessary damage to the roads and tracks.

Lodge operators in the reserve may continue to fly in clients, adding that the use of game drive vehicles should be limited and the alternative use of boat trips encouraged.

All mobile and lodge operators should inform guide staff to avoid extended driving on roads and tracks in the floodplain areas. He also cautioned that the three major routes in the reserve remain closed.

The routes are the Dombo hippo pools to the T-junction on the Maqwe–Xakanaxa road, all inundated roads and tracks on both the Khwai east and Khwai west floodplains and all routes in the 4th bridge area and on the Xini floodplains.

Mobile operators are urged to make use of the old HATAB 14 site. Meanwhile, the pole bridges at 3rd bridge, 4th bridge and at Khwai remain closed.

Water Affairs claims victory over Salvinia
By Bright Kholi

The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) says it has successfully managed to clear salvinia weed that was threatening to kill pools and lagoons in the Ditshipi areas. In an interview with The Ngami Times this week, DWA station coordinator in Maun Jonas Ramosalagadi said the project was successful.

He said that they introduced salvinia weevils into the pools that were infested with the dangerous weed early in 2005, and by August the same year the weed had been cleared. According to Ramosalagadi, salvinia weevils are the biological control of the salvinia weed. The weevils feed on the leaves of the weed thereby killing the plant instantly. He said that the department had constructed a bund in the area to stop water flowing further down stream, as that would have spread the weed. “The bund was opened early this year as we were convinced that the weed had been successfully eradicated,” he said. Residents of Ditshipi have been complaining about what they claimed was DWA’s “deliberate move to kill the river” as they no longer had water in their river. At various meetings addressed in the village, residents condemned the construction of the bund, saying it starved them as they had no way to fish. They had also called on the department to consider applying the traditional methods of controlling the weed.

Pay up time at Maun Educational Park

It is now official. Anyone wishing to visit Maun Educational Park from April 1 will have to pay at the gate. This will also apply to other educational parks around the country.

The decision comes after the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism decided to put into use the 3rd Schedule of the Educational Game Reserve Regulations. This includes the Maun educational park, which according to the department will start charging people as of April 1.

The charges as per the schedule indicate that individuals aged 8 and over will be charged P10 per day, and groups comprising of less than 30 persons will be charged P75 while those with 30 to 50 persons will be charged P100 per day.

Picnic sites will be charged at a rate of P5.00 per individual aged over 18 years and P2.50 for persons over 8 but below 18. Educational groups will be charged P50.00 for a group of 30 persons or less and P75.00 for groups of a maximum of 50 persons per day.

Camping fees for individuals will be charged at P10 per night for persons over 18 years and P5.00 for those over 8 years and under 18. Educational groups will be charged P120.00 for a group of 30 or less per night, while groups of more than 30 to a maximum of fifty will be charged P150 per night. The visitors centre facility can be hired out at P75.00.

Fixing a broken window fixes our crime problem

Maun should take a leaf out of New York City’s “broken window” anti-crime campaign that helped the American city go a long way towards getting rid of criminal elements that once virtually ruled it.

This is the suggestion from people who attended a recent crime prevention meeting arranged by the 911 neighbourhood watch committee with the Botswana Police. The “broken window” concept came into being when the Mayor of New York decided that his city needed to look spic and span – something that Maun certainly lacks and which can be tackled more aggressively and energetically than right now.

The underlying message at the conference was that people should take a pride in their town, and whenever one sees someone littering, urinating in public, stealing and so on, they should be apprehended or at the very least reported to the police. “In this way, the fight against crime begins,” was one comment from the floor.

Philip Makoba, the Officer Commanding Police District 5, was in full agreement with the sentiments. “The big question is how can we police ourselves?” he asked. “Things that are stolen end up in the community, a community that does not realise the items have been stolen. A community that does not understand the term ‘neighbourhood watch’, which is of such importance in the fight against crime.

“I believe the community should become closer to neighbourhood groups, such as the 911 neighbourhood watch committee operating in Maun and other similar ones on a smaller scale in other parts of the village. “If we see someone with a laptop and trying to sell it on the streets, it destroys tourism because that theft could escalate into something bigger.”

Makoba said that criminals were now employing more sophisticated methods of gaining entry into buildings, such as oxy-acetylene torches to cut through tin roofs, lying and waiting for residents to return to their homes and then overpowering them, using explosives to blow open safes and keeping a watch on people who leave their motor vehicles unlocked or with parcels in full view of passersby.

“It is no longer safe to leave money in safes,” he commented, adding that there had been a surge in conmen operating in Maun, an increase in fraud, and an increasing usage of false cheques – such as those stolen from the Revenue Officer  recently.

Makoba is of the opinion that closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras would go a long way to eliminating crime in business houses but to introduce these on Maun streets would be a prohibitive cost. Instead he suggests that people should indelibly mark their property for easy identification if stolen, and not leave their homes unoccupied, particularly over weekends and holiday periods. There is a particular worry about the safety of tourists.

Maun is regarded as the tourism capital of Botswana and as such is a Mecca for the international tourist keen to see the beauty of the Okavango delta and marvel at the ancient Stone Age paintings in the Tsodilo Hills.

Parents' pride in a bright young Man!
By Onkabetse Tsaro

When a student excels in any examinations, it is always the teachers who are credited with the success, but for 2005 Botswana General Certificate of Education (BGCSE) top student Paul Rambacal, his father, Elmer, pats himself on the back.

Paul, who lives in Maun, who completed his BGCSE at Mater Spei College, Francistown, obtained seven grade A+ and two As, to beat all other students countrywide. His father told The Ngami Times that he had played a major role in moulding Paul to what he is today.

“When he was three years old, he was able to solve any mathematical formula that I gave him. I would give him some numbers to add on his own, and then secretly plant a video camera in his room to see how he was doing, and to my surprise, he used his fingers to add up the answer,” Rambacal senior said.  His life’s hard work had eventually borne fruit as Paul beat the entire country in last year’s exams.

Rambacal senior said he was not surprised at all by his son’s excellence. “As Roman Catholics, we have our standards of education and all my kids have gone through that phase of schooling. We provide special training for children to prepare them for their studies, so it was not a surprise but I was humbled when my son passed his examinations. He has also been top of his classes from Matshwane Primary School to Tsodilo Junior Secondary and now at Mater Spei,” Rambacal snr said.

Paul’s mother, Mel, is equally proud of Paul’s excellent work.  Rambacal says their son was brought up in a Christian environment and was involved in church activities, which kept him focused spiritually and emotionally. While his father was a pastor in the church, Paul would also hold lessons with his peers and other younger kids and teach them about the church. He urged parents provide a good environment for their children to study without any distractions if they are to expect good results from them. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Paul says he was under a tremendous pressure from the school to pass.

“The school was expecting nothing less from me as I was always doing well there. This placed pressure on me to do well in my final examinations. I studied harder so that I do not disappoint my school and my parents,” he said.

Now he is making application to study at foreign universities. “These people have to have protection and that’s where the whole community can become involved,” he added.

Best of the Best  - Paul Rambacal

SPORTS

Gaojenkabo Bahenyi of Sankuyo dribbles past Kenneth  Katjizeu of CUBS F.C last Saturday. Sankuyo won 2 - 1.

Maun Terrors humiliate 'amateur' Khwai

Maun Terrors have defied the odds and finished at the top of the Log in the just-ended first round of the Nhabe Regional League with 34 points, followed by the league’s “super giants”, Makgabisa, in second spot.

Terrors were on the rampage on Saturday when they thrashed the Gunners of Khwai 12-0, in a game that reduced the Gunners to amateurs.

Terrors scored their first goal in the eighth minute through Shakes Pelontle Dimbo, with the second coming from Boenyane Business David, who in all scored three goals. In the 28th minute, Fredrick Motokwa registered the 3rd goal with a powerful shot from outside the box to beat the Gunners keeper, and a few minutes from the break, fast running Shaka Dimbo outran his marker and laid the ball in the path of David who was in a perfect position to make it 4-0.

Terrors left-winger Mogomotsi Kotomwa registered the 5th just after the break and Gunners’ defender Noah Jacob increased the score margin for Terrors when he made an own goal after he tried to clear a ball from striker Shaka Dimbo and instead beat his own goalkeeper.

A few minutes later, David notched his hat-trick, making it 7-0. Dimbo registered the 8th with a simple dribble past the goalkeeper, and then Mogomotsi made it 9-0.

Boenyane scored the 10th goal in the 78th minute followed immediately by Gaongalelwe Dipateletso who scored the 11th after coming in as a substitute. The final goal for Terrors came in the 87th minute through Opelo Mokate who made it 12-0.

Makgabisa march past Cubs

Makgabisa crushed Cubs 4-2 in a game played over the weekend. Makgabisa’s win gave them three points but could only finish the first round of the regional league on position two of the log.

The first goal for Makgabisa came in through Dunga Seemeko in the 12th minute of the second half after a beautiful cross by Masilo Trompies.  It was a marvellous game to watch, as Makgabisa outclassed the lowly Cubs who had a better game towards the end of the 2nd half.

The game was officiated by Zambian Davis Chibemba after there was confusion with the referees who had been told that the game will be played at the Wildlife Institute ground as the stadium was being used by schools for athletics.

Seemeka was back again, this time with a scorcher from the box that left the Cubs keeper stranded.

The goal brought confusion into the Cubs camp as the strike force of Kenneth Katjizeu and Ogaufi Bathusi was firing blanks as well as poor distribution of balls from the midfield.   In the 30th minute, a beautiful move by Rex and Mambush resulted in a goal.

Seven minutes before the break, a small band of supporters witnessed the goal of the match from Cubs midfielder Madome Serumola who beat Makgabisa’s goalie with a 45 metre drive, giving him no chance at all.

Makgabisanaga banged in the 4th goal from a penalty spot by Spider Kanyeto, after Cubs handled the ball in the box. That didn’t go down well as they were against referee’s decision, but the much-respected Chibemba managed to control the game.

Vol 302, February 17 - 24, 2006

The man who guides the Zebras was with his players who received a tumultuous welcome at Maun airport last weekend when the national soccer side arrived to play a charity match at the local sports complex.  Jelusic Veselin was greeted enthusiastically by these female supporters as his team shook hands with everyone in sight! See sports section for more

Rain Misery For Many
By Onkabetse Tsaro and Lets Open

Many people are homeless after weeks of incessant rain washed away homes or caused extensive damage to property.

There have been at least three deaths reported in Ngamiland while the weather has disrupted communication links, water supplies, and made roads impassable in some districts. The world-renowned Moremi Game Reserve near Maun is closed to the public.

At Xhaxha, two boys died when the hut in which they were sheltering collapsed on to them during as heavy night rainfall. The boys, both unidentified, were buried at Nokaneng this week and a relative, Shishiman Baakanyi, described the storm that killed the boys as “the worst I have ever seen.” A man also died when he drowned in a fast-flowing stream, and is to be buried at Xhaxha.

In Maun, as in other villages in northern Botswana, the more than 295mm of rain recorded this year – originally welcomed as breaking a crippling drought - has now brought misery to many.

The local Disaster Relief Committee says no information about property damage or assistance being given to affected people can be provided as “the President (Festus Mogae) has not seen the report.”

An owner of one damaged house at Mabudutsa said: “My house has fallen down and I have nowhere to sleep. I am not even allowed to rebuild as I have to move to Matshwane. The rain has caught up with me and I am expected to sleep in the open. Our council is not doing any thing to help us.” Mabudutsa residents are being relocated to Matshwane as part of a redevelopment of their ward.

Complaints have also been raised by motorists about the state of roads – since the rains started, it has become difficult to drive, roads are water-logged, and there are potholes all over, some from before the weather conditions set in.

Is help coming?

“Not anytime soon” was the message from an official at the District Development Office. claiming that “assessments are still being carried out” and adding “I cannot provide you with more information on the topic as we have to get authorisation and the assessment is still on progress.

Donkeys have the last laugh on our streets
By Bright Kholi

Donkeys and other livestock that roam the streets of Maun causing traffic disruptions can be removed if the District Commissioner (DC) decides to do so, according to the Pounds Act.

But the donkeys could have the last laugh as passing the buck seems to be the name of the game, with the DC saying she has no jurisdiction over laws except in towns, the North West District Council (NWDC) saying it is up to the DC, the Pounds Act pointing to the DC, and the traffic police tearing their hair out over livestock on the streets.

This is the position after many motorists complained that the animals were a serious danger as donkeys, in particular, have been responsible for accidents in which people have lost their lives.

In an attempt to find out who has the power to take action, an investigation by The Ngami Times has found that the Pounds Act, Chapter 36.05 subsection 3, gives the DC the power to establish animal pounds and mobilise the police and any other junior officers to be pound masters.

The Act states that “The District Commissioner of any district, with the approval of the President, shall establish therein such pounds as may be deemed necessary and appoint and dismiss pound masters.”

In an interview with The Ngami Times on the issue, the North West District Council (NWDC) Secretary, Paulos Nkoni, said the Act was the answer to the problems of livestock in Maun provided those given the powers put it to use.

He said that the council had no powers to establish pounds, adding that all they can do is to give advice - “the Pounds Act gives the DC the powers to deal with that through the establishment of pounds,” Nkoni said.

However, the District Commissioner Bernadette Malala had referred this newspaper back to NWDC, saying the council was responsible for removing livestock from the streets. She said that laws only gave DCs powers in towns.

Maun – one of the three largest urban centres in the country - is officially designated an “urban village” while the other two centres, Gaborone and Francistown, are regarded as cities.

The NWDC’s Law Officer, Kabelo Tebele, also referred The Ngami Times to the Pounds Act. He said the establishment of pounds would mean animals could be taken off the streets and “this will leave the village cleaner.”

Going back to the DC’s office with the Act, an officer there claimed it was the first she had known about the Act although working in district administration for more than 10 years.

The confusion over who is responsible has not only cost motorists their cars when they hit donkeys, it also inconvenienced the police. The traffic police have difficulties in curbing accidents caused by these animals.

Woman 'raped' after reported missing

A young Maun woman in her early 20s who was reported missing for about six days was this week found naked, tied up with wire, and with grass stuffed in her mouth and private parts.

She may have been kept hostage and raped as a large number of used condoms were found at the scene.  She was found after a passerby heard a cry coming from an empty Boseja plot, and alerted the police.

Police station commander, Moitally Thokweng, confirmed that a person found was previously reported missing.

Maun General Hospital confirmed she is receiving treatment.

Choppies robbers want bail 'like British'
By Calistus Kolantsho

The accused in last year’s massive Choppies armed robbery case want bail on the same grounds as granted to British accused over the past few months. Four accused, facing charges of armed robbery, have told Maun chief magistrate Tshegofatso Mogomotsi that they want the same bail conditions as the British accused.

Fortune Mpala (33), a Zimbabwean, said the court was “not willing” to proceed with the trial and the matter did not continue on the date that was set. He argued that since the trial started, only two witnesses have testified in a period of four months.

Ten prosecution witnesses were to be called and the way things are being done, it meant they will be in custody for a long time. Mpala told the court that when one is arrested, he should not be denied his liberty.

He argued that accused from as far as Britain have been granted bail (in other cases) but he was “much better” because he came from a neighbouring country, Zimbabwe.

Mpala said there was no guarantee that the trial will proceed soon and accused Mogomotsi of not using a diary to record dates and that when they appeared at the last mention she was not present. Mpala is charged together with three South Africans - Nhlanhla Meshack Ngubeni (28), of  Soweto, Johannesburg, Rodgers Masibekela (33), of Roodepoort, and Oscar Ndlovu (27), of Hillbrow, Johannesburg, for robbing Choppies  Superstore in November last year. They allegedly stole thousands of pula. Giving evidence, store manager Unni Kristanan Bhaskaran said the gang took P75 856.10 from the Saturday takings which were on the table and P61 853.90 of the Sunday’s shop sales.

Ngubeni also argued that their case is always being postponed and that he was “giving the court the last chance” as at the next mention hearing he would apply for bail. Masibekela said if they are to receive “a hard knock on the head, the sooner the better because it seems like the case is taking too long to be disposed off”

Ndlovu applied for an acquittal because he is being kept in custody for nothing, he claimed.

Inspector Oscar Chingabe told the court that the prosecutor, Superintendent Odirile Badisang, will be in court in February 21. He also said the trial date will be set on that day. Chingabe also applied for the accused’s remand warrant to be extended.

Mogomotsi told the court that when she does not appear in court, there is always a good reason for her absence. She also told the accused that their case was not the only one before court.

During trial in December, the court heard that the police seized P5 000 wrapped in a plastic bag in a primus stove and hidden by Mpala, P500 found in his socks, and P140 from a wallet that was hidden under a mattress as well as two cheques, P20 and receipts in a washing basket.

The accused have been remanded in custody and will again appear in February 21 to set a trial date. The reference in court by the accused to bail begin extended to British accused arises out of two trials currently before court involving a threat to kill and, in the second, an allegation of possession of harmful substances.

Young girl points out her rapist
By Calistus Kolantsho

A witness in a rape case has told the Maun Magistrate, Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo that the 8- year-old girl who is the complainant was able to identify the accused.

Sergeant Alfred Gabaake testified that when he asked her if she could, she agreed she could do so.He told the court that he received a radio call on July 30 last year about a suspected offence.

When he arrived at Sedie Ward, Maun, he met the complainant and her mother who told her that her daughter has been sexually assaulted. Gabaake said when the accused was arrested, he was still putting on the same clothes he had been wearing when he allegedly committed the offence.

When he confronted Tibidikwe Monnaatlala about the allegations, Monnaatlala denied any involvement. Gabaake said in his evidence in chief that he saw struggle marks and the accused‘s shoeprints at the crime scene.

The girl had earlier told the court in her evidence that she was raped in the bush and that the accused was wearing a multi-coloured T-shirt and grey trousers. The clothes and shoeprints casts were exhibited in court as part of evidence.

The court also heard that the shoe prints were cast by Detective Constable Doctor Mandau.

Gabaake said he also noticed that the accused’s trousers had blood stains and when he questioned him about the stain, he said, “ke dilo tsa majalwa” (he was drunk when he got them). The girl was bleeding and her dress was dusty. She was taken to Maun General Hospital for medical attention.

Monnaatlala, 33, also of Sedia ward, argued that Gabaake was not telling the court the truth and did not deny having been with the complainant and her brother the same day prior to the incident. He also said the police did not hold an identification parade.

He told the court in his defence that the complainant did not tell the court the correct colour of the clothes he was wearing and that she was not telling the truth.

The matter was adjourned while the court inspected the crime scene. Monnaatlala has been remanded in custody and the case continues.

Okavango, Chobe bid for Face of Africa
By Calistus Bosaletswe

KASANE – Kasane and Maun have been assured that the 2006 Nokia Face of Africa bid by Botswana is being considered. The initiative to bid is expected to enhance the marketing and promotion of Botswana tourism worldwide if they win.

Botswana was successfully considered after it was left out as the organisers thought the government was “too slow in decision making.” There are three countries bidding for 2006 event - South Africa, Mauritius and Botswana.

The organisers were in the Okavango area and Kasane over the past two weeks evaluating the sites of which some are of international importance. Last year’s title was won by a Maun woman, Kaone Kario, originally from the Okavango panhandle.

The Botswana Guides Association   (BOGA) was assured at its annual meeting here last weekend following a series of complaints that  local companies were unable to market themselves as it was to expensive.

Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) representative Sandra Seretse said the board is engaged in a series of negotiations with the organisers and that the bidding process was already at an advanced stage. She said “we are hoping that we will be considered. Why not us? Livingstone in Zimbabwe was considered for Nokia Face of Africa photo shoots.”

Mosquito for Delta communities

Mosquitoes have brought misery to many communities living on the banks of the Okavango River and in the Okavango delta.

People at Khwai village say that health workers make infrequent visits to treat patients, many of whom have come down with malaria and other ailments caused by rising water. Heavy rain has fallen regularly over the whole of the delta.

A Khwai resident, Maipelo Kgapo, said this week that residents needed to be taught more about hygiene and ways to prevent being targeted by mosquitoes as many did not understand the symptoms of the disease, and some subsequently died.

“The hospital at Maun is too far for us to reach and health workers only visit from time to time, often just once a month,” she said. There are now fears in the delta region that incessant rain, the heaviest since at least 1978, coupled with flood waters from the Angolan eastern highlands will cause major flooding with attendant hardships for communities there.

Already the Okavango delta’s Moremi Game Reserve has been closed to the public due to impassable roads and some safari camps inside and out of the game reserve are considering closing altogether as the water rises, making it difficult for mokoro rides asnd game viewing.

Animals have also been driven to higher ground in some areas. Meanwhile, more rain has fallen over the Maun, Ngamiland, Chobe and Central District regions.

The official rainfall figure for Maun for the period January 10 to February 9 is 147.1mm. Unofficial figures recorded by residents on the Boro and at Disaneng indicate a much heavier rainfall – 515mm so far this season at Disaneng and more than 625mm on the Boro.

The latest statistics from the Department of Meteorological Services show that 38mm was measured at Maun BMC, on February 9, with 16.5mm at Tsau the day before.

Maun had a heavy downpour on Monday and again on Monday night with more rain forecast for the next few days. Heavy rain has also inundated the Ghanzi district south-west of Maun, with more than 100mm being recorded on February 5.

Kazangula has been receiving a large amount of rain all summer, with 21 mm registered on February 8 while in the Central District, Letlhakane received 35.3mm, Rakops 31mm, Rakops Police Station 25.5, and Dibete 24 on the same day.

There has however been steady rain over the Central District. Gweta has had falls ranging from 7mm to 24mm almost daily. In Ngamiland, Etsha 6, Shakawe, Nxaranga, Toteng, and Sehithwa have had regular falls, reaching as much as 47mm.

The years during which there were similar rainfall patterns for Maun during the period January 1 to March 31 were 1971 (504.7mm), 1973 (730.6mm), 1980 (379.8mm), 1988 (440mm), 1991 (434.2mm), 1994 (331mm), and 2000 (469.7mm).

Small tourism bussinesses 'not losers'
By Calistus Bosaletswe

KASANE - The Botswana Guides Association (BOGA) is worried about impediments that deter citizen participation in the tourism industry.

The BOGA executive chairman, Kenson Kgaga, told tourism entrepreneurs at the organisation’s first annual general meeting that they should not view small medium business in tourism as losers.

Kgaga said small business in tourism can play a vital role if they are supported by existing companies.
Kgaga said that marketing of a tourism service in Western countries was a challenge which needs a holistic approach among tourism business owners. He said it was too expensive for beginners to market themselves worldwide.

He said the government should consider a strategy to market tourism outside the country for the survival of citizen companies. Kgaga said it has shown that citizens were unable to market themselves due to the high cost and was also worried that land allocation was encouraging failure among entrepreneurs who wanted to venture into tourism.

The association has received a series of complaints about the delay in the allocation of land and he encouraged the development trusts to give small medium enterprises a chance rather than concentrating on big companies. Tourism businesses and trusts had to work together in order to foster and promote small medium enterprises in the industry.

He said a working relationship will enhance and create a link which can benefit them. He urged CEDA to consider a proper channel when financing tourism business. Kgaga said participation in the tourism industry will only survive if financial institutions were aware of the challenges affecting the tourism industry.

The Botswana Tourism Board (BTB) representative, Sandra Seretse, said the board has not done much regarding issues pertaining to the industry since its inception.

Seretse said their aim is to try and develop tourism throughout the country. ”We have realised that most Batswana are having difficulty in marketing their companies,” said Seretse.She said the board is trying to raise funds to subsidise Batswana companies to market themselves as it had come to their attention that established businesses were penetrating the market.

The board will inform businesses in the near future on strategies that will be used to market worldwide. She said the board will take over the marketing and development of tourism while the Department of Tourism would concentrate on policy-making.

Death of the babies

Reports have been coming in from throughout the country about the large incidence of diarrhoea and other childhood diseases brought about largely by below-standard drinking water supplies.

Villages in this area are also seriously affected with, it has now been revealed, more than 190 babies aged between six months and a year being treated at rural clinics and hospitals.

This newspaper had a very difficult job in finding out the real information about the outbreak. Understandably, nursing staff at various hospitals and clinics were laoath to provide details for fear of victimisation and possible dismissal for daring to go public with the information.

However, the information was finally provided by senior officials of the District Health Team at Tutume. For that the public should be thankful.

Villagers have also been quick to point fingers at untrained people who dabble in medical matters – particularly in the churches that have sprung up in village after village.

Well-meaning ministers, no doubt assisted by congregants who have little idea of good medicine, have persuaded their flock to use methods that do not always save lives.

Perhaps the Health ministry should intensify its efforts to educate rural people about the dangers of listening to the dabblers (or quacks, as they are better known as). It could save many lives in the future.

Strange view

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila, seems to have got the wrong end of the stick with his criticism in a magazine that “self-drives and day-trippers” are ruining our national parks.

Certainly there are one or two who may overstep the bounds, but generally most are well behaved and visiting our parks to view the natural beauty of our flora and fauna. And, above all, they provide a sizeable chunk of the revenue for parks and for the shops and businesses of Maun, in particular.

The minister may well have facts and figures at his disposal, but if these sorts of visitors are to be curtailed, the message will quickly do the rounds in southern Africa that Botswana is closing its parks to the private visitor and catering only for the rich who can afford to live in the lodges of the Okavango delta. It should be noted the so-called rich do not even come into Maun to spend their money!

Not even Batswana can afford to spend their holidays in those establishments and therefore regularly enjoy a “day tripper” excursion to the parks. The department’s experts need to go back to the drawing boards if this is the sort of advice they are giving the minister

Everyone has a story to tell about the invasion of flies this summer. Brought about by too much rainwater, according to the experts, the flies have been swarming all over Maun, on farms and along river banks, much to the annoyance of all concerned. The plague of flies is just one of a number that from time to time visit Maun.

We have over the years had thousands of translucent spiders (who cares what the scientific name may be, they are scary!) crawling over lawns and desert sands, swarms of flying ants, Matabele ants (those of the large variety), house ants, the usual snakes, Christmas beetles that thud against your windows, frogs, other awful-looking creepy crawlies, and so on.

Perhaps readers can provide other examples.

The flies this year have been getting into everything – glasses of wine and beer, eyes, ears and wide-open (and snoring) male mouths! Who said living in Africa – be it Egypt or Botswana or elsewhere – is not for the faint-hearted? There are no sissies in Africa if you can live through this lot!

**

It is always a pleasure to wish another publication well when reaching a milestone.

Shuffle this week offers congratulations to the Johannesburg “Sunday Times” which has turned 100 years old and has billed itself “the paper for the people” for so many years it can truthfully be called that.

There are not many newspapers in Africa that can claim to be a century old.

Shuffle worked for the Sunday Times under the editorship of Tertius Myburgh, reporting on southern African and political affairs for several years.

And while on the subject of congratulations, we also wish the new “Weekly Independent” newspaper here in Maun the very best for the future.  Having competition is always healthy and we look forward to it.

**

Shuffle notices that a lot is being said about a proposed law that will regulate the hours of business for bars and liquor restaurants.

This newspaper was the first in the country to report on the proposals (last year) and we waited with bated breath to see whether the media down in Gaborone would pick up on the story. Of course they did not – waiting instead for His Master’s Voice to tell them the bad news.

Right from the start, we predicted that there would be a huge outcry for, after all, liquor appears to be the one outlet after soccer that draws most people to a social gathering. And most Members of Parliament own bars and restaurants, or else the bars and restaurants have been established by the so-called grace and favour method – in other words, I’ll help you if you help me!

Along with an increased cost of living, school fees, heavy fuel prices or outrageous air travel fares,  taking away a simple pleasure such as visiting a bar whenever you may want to, is perhaps taking too much of a liberty with a person’s freedom.

Businesswomen who thrieves on success

A Maun businesswoman has been featured in the latest edition of the magazine “Hotel and Catering” as one of the successes of the CEDA finance scheme.

Betty Toteng, who opened Discovery Bed & Breakfast and Betty’s Business Services, is described being a credit not only to Maun and Botswana “but also to the legions of entrepreneurs who have started their business with funds advanced by CEDA – and paid it all back well within the stipulated loan term.”

Toteng is quoted as saying that going into business had afforded her the opportunity to learn what kind of person she was in the business world – “if it were easy, everyone would do it but you quickly find out what kind of constraints you come up against. It is always easy to point a finger and say something should be done this way,” she said. Toteng says that every Motswana can get what they want “but most of the time all we are doing is receiving. We don’t reaslise how lucky we are “Sometimes I hear people say Batswana are lazy and I have to admit there is some truth in that. But this should not be the case as we have everything going for us – the government helps with money, we have the opportunity given by a superb climate, and we have the drive to do it if we put our minds to it.”

Private sector comfortable with budget

Local business people who met at Maun Lodge this week to analyse the Budget speech by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Baledzi Gaolathe, seemed comfortable with the budget.
The meeting was organised by local company Meyer and Associates and the analysis were presented by Craig Granville, of PC Business Services.

The business people expressed their pleasure that the development budget for the year 2006/ 2007 was P5.8 billion, which they said meant that the private sector would be involved as there will a lot of projects done.

They however showed concern that while there are big projects to be completed, the jobs may all be given to international companies. They were also relieved that the economy of the country was not as bad as some quarters said it was.

The meeting also welcomed the move by the government not to increase the value added tax, and instead exempt some more goods and services from VAT.

JOHANNESBURG - The high cost of fuel brought about by rising oil prices has resulted in many attempts to find alternative fuels.

The first large-scale commercial production of biodiesel in southern Africa is now coming on stream at Bethal, in Mpumalanga province in South Africa, using soya beans. It is expected that the demand for diesel will help thousands of farmers throughout southern Africa to grow soya beans as millions of tons will be required for the production of biodiesel.

This could result in a multi-million pula industry being created to supply fuel to every country in the southern African region, including Botswana.

Biodiesel is commercially produced in large quantities in Europe, the United States and India while the European Union is blending biodiesel into mineral diesel as well. Pioneer research into biodiesel started in South Africa in 1979 and the product went into commercial use in Austria in 1989.

A joint venture company, Evergreen Biofuels, whose partners are SA Biodiesel and Kalahari Biodiesel, is the driving force behind the South African operation which is designed to use 65 000 tons of soya a year with biodiesel production of about 10-million litres annually. It is anticipated that to blend biodiesel with mineral diesel currently sold will create a market of about 300-million litres for biodiesel.

The biodiesel will have no effect in normal engine warranties of vehicles in which it is used according to an agreement reached with South Africa’s National Association of Motor Manufacturers. The product is being manufactured to strict regulations laid down by the SA Bureau of Standards.

New bank opens for business

The latest player in the country’s banking industry has just been issued with a licence by the Bank of Botswana. The new Bank Gaborone opened its door as a commercial bank on February 1 and expects that during the second half of the year will be offering retail banking as do other commercial banks in the country.

The managing director of Bank Gaborone, J L J van Vuuren, says they are “delighted with the issue of the licence which enables us to attending to the many set up and implementation issues which can only be dealt with subsequent to licensing. “Our management team and staff are working very hard to complete this process in order to offer retail banking products and services to the public.”

The bank intends to soon offer products asnd services to the wholesale market. Bank Gaborone, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Capricorn Investment Holdings, is expected to offer a substantial shareholding to Botswana investors.

Debswana, miners sign agreement

GABORONE – The diamond mining company Debswana and the Botswana Mining Workers’ Union branches at Jwaneng Mine and the Orapa and Letlhakane mines have signed a formal agreement on the implementation of a performance management system (PMS) and its accompanying performed based pay system for employees in the bargaining unit.

This followed lengthy discussions between the management and the union and after extensive consultation with stakeholders. The process was facilitated by the Botswana National Productivity Centre.

The PMS will allow employees in the bargaining unit to be paid bonus on the basis of their individual and or team performance.

Tourism boss 'not encouraging self-drives, day trippers'

Self-drive tourists and day trippers in Botswana’s national parks are not being encouraged. This has been said by the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila, in an interview published in the magazine “Hotel and Catering”.

Thousands of 4x4 self-drive tourists visit the country’s parks each year, many of them from South Africa and Namibia, and are regarded as important for the economy by the tourism and commercial sectors.

However, the minister says during the interview that he is worried about the increasing number of self-drives and day trippers within national parks. “These are not encouraged as they pose a danger to the environment,” he is quoted as saying. He said that “simply because there are many people who want to visit Botswana does not mean we have to rush to open the floodgates and let in as many tourists as possible. There is a fragile balance that has to be maintained between the number of tourists that comes in and the preservation of the environment,” he said.

Mokaila said that in line with this was a decision by the government to improve the quality of the product by privatising all government tourist establishments – “we have campsites which we don’t have the capacity to maintain hence the ongoing process to lease them out to citizen private owners to ensure that we are able to offer a top quality, exclusive product that sets itself apart from others in the sub-region.

Asked how a low volume high value tourism policy would cater for local tourists, he is quoted as saying that the government regularly talks to different tourist establishments “to set tourism accessible rates for Batswana because it would be a pity for them not to enjoy this country’s amazing beauty.”

The interview also touched on racism, and he is quoted as saying that “there is also a great need for an education campaign to sensitise Batswana to realise that when a lodge owner complains about rowdy and drunken behaviour it must not always be misconstrued to be racism but rather a demand for respect of the lodge owner’s guests who normally would have paid a lot of money for the peace and quiet.”

Crime fright for tourism industry

Foreign governments have warned that their citizens need protection from criminals when travelling in the Maun and the Okavango delta regions.

This emerged at a crime prevention meeting called this week by the Botswana Police to strategise crime prevention in association with the 911 neighbourhood watch organisation.

Karl-Heinz Gimpel,Germany’s honorary consul for Ngamiland, Okavango and Chobe, shocked the meeting when he read out a letter to the government and the Botswana Police from the German Embassy noting “with rising concern an increasing level of crime in Maun. So far, the victims of assaults and burglaries were mainly local residents. “It is known that Maun and the Okavango delta are visited by a majority of German tourists . . . should tourists be harmed in the future by criminal activities, it will certainly have a negative impact on the flow of tourists and on the Embassy being forced to report it on its travel recommendations to Botswana.”

Earlier, it had been revealed by Patrick Penstone, chairman of 911, that the British High Commission had also inquired about the crime situation in Maun and its effect on British citizens.

“There is concern for the tourism industry and this needs to be stressed,” Penstone said. “We still need a lot more done to make Maun safer. It just needs one tourist murdered and that will kill the industry.”

Senior Superintendent Philip Makoba, Officer Commanding Police District 5, said the meeting was called to “close the gap and save tourism from crime in Maun. “Maun needs to be a very, very safe place for tourists,” he said, adding that “it is my intention to save tourism against crime so that people can come freely to see the area and meet our people.”

He said that crime statistics have been in decline in 2005 compared to 2004, particularly burglary and theft (night crime), housebreaking and theft (day crime), robbery, and store break-ins. “The police cannot manage to fight crime alone as we are few on the ground. We need the assistance of the community,” he said, praising 911 as the best such organisation in Botswana.

There are now 139 police officers and 35 special constables operating in Maun compared to 60 four years ago.

Elderly missimg woman found
By Khonani Ontebetse

GWETA- This village had another scare this week when an elderly woman went missing but was eventually found – just a few days after another woman who had also gone missing was found dead in the bush.

Motsetse Mudongo, 80, of Maditsa ward, was reported missing on Friday but eventually was found on Thursday at a cattle post, said village chief Steven Maditsa.

According to Gweta police’s Assistant Superintendent Vusimusi Jorowe, Mudongo lost her way back to the family home while herding calves at the cattle post. “She was found exhausted and admitted to Gweta hospital for treatment,” said Jorowe.

Zebras triumph over Maun's best

The Vice President of A to Z Mica Brijesh Vora (far left),pictured with the Zebras  just before their encounter with the Maun select team. A to Z Mica were the sponsors of the charity match over the weekend. 
By Cobrie Kgaodi

What excitement! What a thriller!

That was the verdict of the crowd of about 3 000 that packed the Maun sports complex for the big soccer game of the year – the Zebras national team up against a Maun Select. The A to Z Mica sponsored charity match saw the Zebras run out 3-1 victors. There was so much excitement that many people didn’t know which side to shout for – their Zebras heroes or their Maun heroes

The start of the game was delayed until just after 4 pm as there were still a lot of people queuing outside the stadium.

The Maun Select managed to hold the Zebras for 35 minutes before the first goal for the Zebras was scored. The Select side’s defence kept the Zebras strike force at bay despite Ronnie Sebako visiting the Zebras goal area first with a shot that went wide. Zebras made a couple of frightening attacks that were not rewarded until ‘Talk Talk’ Motlhabankwe found the back of the net from a pass by Pontsho Moloi.

Zebras took full control of the game after the goal and went on to register their second through Monametsi Kelebale, who released a shot while marked by a Maun Select defender, a ball which hit the bar before pivoting right into the net in the 42nd minute.

At this point, Maun’s strikers, Monnaatsheko and Walter Kololo, were nowhere to be seen as they were dwarfed and dispossessed easily by the tall Zebras defenders. After half time Zebras made changes, bringing in the popular Kagiso Tshelametsi for Modiri Marumo between the goalposts, a move that sent the stadium into a frenzy of applause. The national team side also introduced three more experienced players. The Maun Select goal keeper then had the worst moment of his life when he accelerated Michael Mogaladi’s header into the net while he was trying to palm it out. The goal came after a corner kick, taken by Tebogo Mothusi in the 61st minute. Maun Select was then awarded a penalty after Motlhabankwe handled the ball inside the box after a free kick. Select’s goalkeeper Omphemetse Kanyeto came up to take the kick, and found himself face-to-face with Tshelametsi whom he sent the wrong way, finding the back of the net to make it 3-1.

Fund-raiser match a success - sponsor

The sponsors of the charity match played between Zebras and Maun Select expressed their thanks to the people of Maun for having rallied behind them by coming to the match in large numbers.

In an interview with The Ngami Times this week, the vice president A to Z MICA hardware, Brijesh Vora, said the fundraiser was a success as more than 2 500 tickets were sold. According to Vora, the numbers could have been much higher had there not been rumours prior to the game that the Zebras were no longer coming. “During those two or three days, we sold only 33 tickets, but a lot more tickets were sold on the day of the game,” he said. Vora said that more than P26 000 was raised for a children’s park from the sales of tickets and t-shirts. Vora called for more donations towards the project, which will benefit the children of Maun once completed.

The District Commissioner for Ngamiland, Bernadette Malala, has thanked the Botswana Football Association technical team for having responded positively to the fundraising activity. Speaking at an event to award both the Zebras and Maun Select teams with trophies after the match, Malala said the idea was a brainchild of a youngster who was concerned about recreational  facilities  for children in the area.

The proposed park is expected to cost about P400 000, and will have among other things, an open-air auditorium, electronic non-gambling games, arcades, playground equipment, a volleyball court and a tuck shop. 

ISSUE 301, February 10 – 17, 2006

Villages of Sorrow

By Khonani Ontebetse

GWETA – At least 15 out of 193 babies admitted to medical facilities from Nata, Gweta, Zoroga and Tsokatshaa villages have died in the past five weeks from malnutrition and diarrhoea.

Grieving parents say that inadequate water supplies and interference by church ministers on how to treat the children were to blame.

Five of the deaths – a figure which could rise further as parents bring seriously ill children for medical attention - have been confirmed by officials of the Tutume District Health Team, but clinic and hospital nursing staff in Gweta and Nata say the figure is nearer to 15.

The Gweta Primary Hospital’s principal medical officer, Dr Jackson Kikuha, says he is unable to confirm the information although he agreed with some of the details.
Nursing staff are battling to control the outbreak, which also now threatens to affect the adult population. The District Health Team says that it believed the “worst is over” and that the situation is now under control.

Admittances at Gweta hospital were 5 in the first week of 2006, 2 in the second week, 11 in the 3rd week, 16 in the 4th week and 28 in the 5th week. At Nata, 11 admittances to the clinic were confirmed in the second week of the year, followed by 21 in the 3rd, 39 in the 4th and 60 in the 5th week. A small proportion of the Gweta and Nata admittances may be inter-related as babies were brought in for urgent medical attention.

Gweta and Nata – 220km and 300km respectively from Maun - were this week sombre villages as families mourned their little ones. In both villages, news of the deaths of the babies aged between 6 months and a year, had spread quickly and dominated conversation.

It is also possible that other families will soon mourn their children as some parents, with very sick youngsters clasped in their arms, waited for treatment at the hospital for their baby’s diarrhoea.

Hospital staff, who spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said the alarm was sounded when many babies from Nata were in the past two weeks suddenly admitted to Gweta hospital.

It is thought they had contracted diarrhoea from a shortage of running water in standpipes and the use by desperate parents of river water from the fast-flowing Nata River. The Nata clinic immediately referred the children to the hospital.

Kikuha would not be drawn on details, saying however he could not deny the allegations that some babies had died. He said he had not been given the go-ahead to “divulge information to the public.” adding that “I would rather not say more than that because we have sent a report to District Health Team in Tutume.”

Meanwhile, Nata and Gweta residents have told of how effective measures could have been put in place to address the disease.

Mmapula Selebatso said that her sister’s baby, who died two weeks ago, had shown “some signs similar to diarrhoea”, which according to her is characterised by white sores in the mouth and a looseness of the bowels. “Some people used a mixture of water and salt to treat their babies,” she said, adding that such treatment was effective in the sense that it helped to reduce dehydration and they had been encouraged to use this method by their churches.

“I’m waiting for the doctor to provide me with medication,” said Kemotsere Galebotswe, a baby clasped in her arms. She did not agree with health officials that the dissemination of information about the deaths through diarrhoea would cause confusion and panic among some members of the public. She lashed out at health authorities for what she described as a slow response to the situation.

Laone Topani, who also lost her 6 months old baby, doubted the credibility of some members of medical staff who had given her baby “paracetamol which only reduced a bad cold.” The distraught young mother said the pain which she experienced after losing her baby took precedence over everything else.

She cited one case in which a baby was sent to Gweta clinic and quickly recovered after treatment with Oral Rehydration, a medication used to treat the disease. Topani’s version of events was confirmed by a nurse who revealed that health officials at Tutume had ordered extra supplies of Oral Rehydration to address demand.

The nurse, whose name is known to this newspaper, meanwhile claimed that between 30 and 40 deaths due to diarrhoea had been reported to the health authorities since the beginning of 2006. “The disease is on the brink of outgrowing the currently supplied medication due to an ever-increasing number of patients visiting clinics daily.“If we could have got an early warning from health officials perhaps many lives could have been saved,” she said.

Passion killing victim's body in bush
By Calistus Kolantsho

The police have found the body of a woman who was allegedly killed on Sunday in a passion killing. Her boyfriend committed suicide hundreds of kilometres away.

Nata Police Station commander, Superintendent Sebuakgosi Tshekele, said the woman was killed by her boyfriend on their way from Ghanzi. The boyfriend came from Sepako, a few kilometres north of Nata, and worked in Ghanzi as a driver. Tshekele said police  concentrated their search on the Kuke Corner-Sehitwa gravel road as well as on sections of the new Ghanzi-Maun road.

He told The Ngami Times that they had information that the before the man killed himself, he told people that he had killed his girlfriend and buried her in the bush when they were driving from Ghanzi. It appears that when he reached Nata, he shot himself without telling people the exact location of the burial and also did not say what the reason was for the killing.

The names of the deceased have been withheld until their next of kin have been informed. Officer Commanding District NO 5, Senior Superintendent Philip Makoba, said his office had dispatched police officers to reinforce others to help in the search. A Botswana Defence Force (BDF) helicopter was also used.

Meanwhile, a pastor of a Botshabelo church in Maun took his own life last Friday, police said. Maun Police Station Commander, Superintendent Moitally Thokweng, said police are investigating.

Remains of missing woman found
By Khonani Ontebetse and Lets Open

GWETA – The skeleton of a woman who went missing in the Gweta area last December was buried here at the weekend. The remains of Mmaletota Mosome, 45, who died under unclear circumstances, were found by a cattle herdsman who reported the matter to the police.

Mosome went missing on December 14, last year. Her children found her missing that morning and a search was started by police and residents.

According to Gweta Police station Assistant Superintendent Vusimusi Jorowe, the search party failed in their efforts to find Mosome partly due to torrential rains in Gweta. “We gave up any hope of ever finding the woman,” Jorowe told The Ngami Times.

On February 2, a 19-year-old herdsman from Tshinoga cattle post, looking for livestock, found some clothes which apparently contained human remains. He reported the matter to his father who alerted the police. Her children were able to identify her from her clothes. The family did not suspect foul play.

Bad roads close Moremi
By Bright Kholi

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has closed Moremi Game Reserve to the public due to heavy rains that have left all the roads flooded.

All the main roads from South Gate to Khwai, Xakanaxa, Third Bridge and other parts of the reserve are covered with water and are dangerous. The two bridges at North Gate and at Third Bridge are submerged.

The District Wildlife coordinator, Sibangani Mosojane, told The Ngami Times this week that the move was as a result of the heavy rains that have been falling over the region and which have made the reserve almost inaccessible by road. Also stopped are game drives.

Mosojane is of the view that while tour operators in the reserve are still flying in their clients into the reserve; this may have to change that as well. Mosojane said that he would fly over the reserve to assess the situation to see if it is worthwhile for tour operators to be flying in tourists while roads are in bad condition.

“If the situation is bad for any sort of driving, the reserve may even be closed to tour operators as well,” he said. Mosojane said trucks carrying material to repair bridges cannot go in.

Mombo is to be left operating and open to the public as it is privately maintained and the facilities are in good state, Mosojane said. The department is assessing the Baines Baobabs area in the Nxai national park with the view of closing it down as the rains have made the place difficult to drive to.

Mosojane said the rains have also stalled some of their activities like tracking the rhino. He said thick vegetation and inaccessibility of the whole area hampers their progress.

Meanwhile, there is no road link between Khwai and Chobe as the road between the two is flooded.

Spectacular rains flush Panhandle, Boro

Some of the heaviest rains in 30 years have fallen over the Okavango delta’s Panhandle and the Boro areas near Maun. Official rainfall figures for Maun’s weather station, at the airport, record a smaller rainfall than that recorded over the Boro, Disaneng, Sedie and Boseja areas.

The Boro is estimated to have received over 625mm. At Tsau, Etsha 6 and Gumare, heavy downpours of between 30 and 66mm were recorded on Monday. There were also good rains at Sehithwa and Toteng while Shakawe received 12.5mm at the official weather station and 7.2mm at the  police station.

Monday’s rainfall was measured for Maun at 40.4mm. Between January 10 and February 6, Maun’s rainfall was 122.1mm. Unofficial records for the Boro area indicate  well over 400mm in places. 

D’Kar recorded the heaviest rainfall in the country on Monday when 72mm fell while Ghanzi had 62mm.

Many of the older inhabitants of Shakawe say the abundant rains of the past three months is normal, “like it was in the old days”. Most inhabitants of the Panhandle - especially around Shakawe, Mohembo, Samochima and as far as Nxamasere - are astounded at the volume of the rain that continues to pour down in this area ever since the middle of November.

Early each morning people are on the roads, armed with hoes and lunch packets, enroute to their mahango and maize fields. In some fields, the harvest is almost ready but rain has also caused some damage by not allowing sufficient sunlight, or wet soil that has made ploughing difficult.

According to records, the area is supposed to have an average of 500mm per a good rainy season. However, during the past seven years this amount was never reached until now.

Reports of between 650 up to 800mm have been reported at places like Drotsky’s Cabins, Shakawe Fishing Lodge, Krokovango and Bana ba Metsi School. Shakawe and Samochima experienced at least three single downpours, each measuring between 100 and 150 mm, followed up regularly by showers of not less that 20 mm every three days or so.

However, the Okavango River’s annual flood has been slower than in past years and most of it seems to be coming from local rain water. Figures show that the flood is the third lowest for this time of the year since 1984, but as the inflow at Mohembo has started to increase dramatically since the middle of January, the Angolan highlands rains should soon be feeding the delta.

The downside of the continuous downpours in the Panhandle is that some huts have started to collapse, and the puka grass is already falling over due to the moisture. The first malaria cases have also started to be treated at clinics, and the government’s spraying of huts and yards has started. However, most people in the panhandle and other areas agree that the benefits far outweigh the discomforts. Villagers look forward to restock their food stores as well as see their animals enter the cold season in a much better condition and with better prospects for grazing than in previous years.

'Don't put handcuffs on me, my mate!'
 By Calistus Kolantsho

A serving convict says he doesn’t like being handcuffed so he will not be appearing in court as scheduled.

That’s what police Inspector Othusitse Marape, of Gumare, told the Maun magistrate court about Tshimologo Gabathusi  a serving convict who once escaped. There was now no way that the police could have brought him to court without leg-irons or handcuffs. Gabathusi was to have appeared before Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo together with Pule Lekau, of Francistown, for trial last week. Lekau was recently arrested after escaping from custody.

They are facing charges of armed robbery at Gumare’s Engen Filling Station five days before last Christmas. According to the charge sheet, Gabathusi and Lekau allegedly stole goods valued at over P100 000. Gabathusi was found in possession P2 024.60, 2 460 South African Rands, airtime cards and two cellphones. The police also seized P2 193.40 and a shotgun that was allegedly used to commit the robbery. The accused are said to have assaulted Jacob Ntebalang and other employees.

Gabathusi is currently serving a 12 year jail term for robbing Barney’s Bar in Boseja, Maun, of P1 700 and a bunch of keys in February 2004. He has other pending cases of armed robbery, office breaking, providing false information and unlawful possession of firearm against him.

The case has been set for trial in April 5 provided the police can persuade the convict to wear their handcuffs!

Armed robbery case's date changed

An armed robbery case that was expected to be disposed of after more than five years was postponed again last week. This was due to the absence of the presiding officer. State Counsel Kgosi Ngakaagae suggested that the matter be mentioned on February 13 and he would advise the defence counsel.

The case was supposed to be brought for trial in November 2004 but the accused was not fit to stand trial according to the defence. The accused, Onkabetse Motshabi appeared in November to face charges of robbing Shakawe Police Station of over P700 000 in 1999. The money was to have been paid to pensioners. Motshabi was jointly charged with David July, who was sentenced to 23 years with seven lashes, Leemetseng Motshabi was given 15 years with two lashes and Boipuso Ramasimo  20 years with three lashes.

Defence counsel, Phazha Kgalemang of Kgalemang and Associates in Francistown had told the court that he was excusing himself from the case in the interest of justice as the State key witness, Khiro Moyo was his client.

Big reward for info on safe-blowers

Hard on the heels of the recent blowing up of a safe at a Maun foreign exchange, the police have issued a P50 000 reward notice for information leading to the arrest of the safe-blowers.

The reward follows on a spate of break-ins and theft as well as other violent crimes throughout the country, according to the police public relations officer, senior Superintendent S Mantswe.

Police are not sure whether there is more than one gang responsible for the break-ins and theft from government offices, schools and business premises.

Any information leading to the arrest of the whereabouts of the suspects can be sent to the director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at telephone number 364 2300 or via the toll free numbers 0800600125, 0600600084 or 0800600144.

The robberies have been taking place in many areas, including Maun, where explosives have been used on at least three occasions. Recently, explosives were used at a shop in Makalamabedi and at Palapye.

It is believed that the explosives used were of an industrial type and that they may have been smuggled out of coal or diamond mines, although this cannot be confirmed by the police.

Maun robbery suspects still at large
By Calistus Kolantsho

Maun Police Station Commander, Superintendent Moitally Thokweng says the police have not yet arrested robbers who raided businesses last week, stealing thousands of pula and foreign currency.

He said they are still investigating safe-breakers who used explosives to rob a branch of the Sunny bureau de change, housed in the same building as Postnet and The Computer Shop, both of which were also robbed.

The robbery took place early last Sunday and was only discovered when staff arrived for work on the Monday.Senior Superintendent Philip Makoba said the business community should adopt a culture of depositing their money every day when they close and suggested that cash should not be left in the business premises over a weekend or at homes.

He said even at their homes, people should engage night-watchmen and should not leave valuable property in their vehicles unattended. Makoba said even in public parking areas, people have a tendency of leaving valuables unattended in vehicles.

He is to call a meeting at the Maun police station to address the business community on February 15.

Meanwhile a house belonging to the Maun Nissan motor company was robbed over the weekend. Thokweng said police cornered the robbers inside the yard and managed to arrest one. Another fled.

The robbers were armed with an axe, a knife and other offensive sharp instruments. A camera, cash and other household valuables are missing. One of the suspects is on bail for another case which resulted in a man being injured.

Meanwhile, newly recruited Special Constables in Maun do not have uniforms at the moment. Thokweng said uniforms had been ordered.

Environmental assessments vital part of projects
By Calistus Kolantsho

Environmental impact assessments (EIA) were an important factor taken into consideration in terms of the development of the country.

This has been spelled out to stakeholder’s at a meeting in Maun addressed by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tutu Tsiang She gave as an example growing pressure on water resources due to population growth and the demand on the fragile eco-systems as a result of rapid growth in infrastructure development, industries and services.

Tsiang told stakeholders that it is essential that before the implementation of a development activity, an EIA is undertaken prior to allowing the project to proceed or before the issuing of planning permission.

She said EIA is a relatively new technique which has been added to cost-benefit analysis as an aid to project assessment and was testimony to the Botswana Government’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development. EIA guides planners and developers on issues of location, design and size of a project. She pointed out that an EIA does not stop developments from taking place nor does delay them. A representative of the Ecosurv company, David Parry, told the meeting there were no regulations for EIA in Botswana and there was also no screening criteria.

Passion killings road show planned

Concern over passion killings has prompted a local company to launch a road show about youth and passion killings.

Lastkef Modelling Agency’s director  Shampisi Lastido Pheko, says the launch will be on Valentine’s Day (February 14) at the Sedia Hotel in Maun.

The road show gets fully underway on April 1 ending on April 30. It will cover areas such as Sehitwa, Tsau, Shorobe, and Makalamabedi and on the last day will be in Maun.  Pamphlets will be handed out to the communities to spread the message.

The launch will be a joint effort by Dune Fashion Design, Serenica Beauty Parlour, 365 Investments, Touch of Class and Lastkef Modelling Agency. He also said they will be a fundraising dinner at the hotel and which will be sponsored by the hotel.

The objective of the road show is to teach communities and it was hoped to learn from them what could be fueling passion killings in the country, especially in Ngamiland where there are the highest numbers of cases. The road show will comprise theatre, talk shows and singing. Pheko said it was hoped the chairman of the North West District Council, John Benn, and other dignitaries will attend the dinner.

Dinner tickets will be sold at P150per couple. Pheko thanked Desert and Delta Safaris, A and K Safaris, and Wilderness Safaris for their support.

Fostering human-elephant relationships

Living With Elephants Foundation has successfully completed its latest Elephant Outreach Programme. The majority of primary and secondary schools located in the southern part of the Okavango region, the hundreds of children belonging to the six villages officiated by the Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (Boro, Daonara, Ditshiping, Morutsa/Quqao, Xharaxau and Xhaxaba) and children assisted by the Bana ba Letsatsi Trust, participated in the two-day educational programme, some of whom are pictured here. The objective was to improve the human-elephant relationship, one child at a time by offering them an opportunity to touch, approach and interact positively with three elephants - Jabu, Thembi and Morula, and their guardian Doug Groves. The objective was also to raise environmental and conservation awareness to help young Batswana become active in wildlife conservation by opening their eyes to eco-tourism career opportunities. The 2005 programme would not have been possible without the support of international and local partners Peter Luck-Hille Foundation (Britain), Sanctuary Lodges (Botswana), Pont-Scorff Zoo (France), Fondation Nicolas Hulot (France), Amnéville Zoo (France), Foundation Brigitte Bardot (France), Tom Fowler Inc. (United States), Mack Air (Botswana), Kalahari Kanvas (Botswana), Maun Photo Lab (Botswana), Custro’s Safaris (Botswana), and Makila Voyages (France).

Where's John Wayne?

The headline should indicate to most people that Maun is in sore need of a crime-buster in the mould of that veteran film actor, John Wayne, renowned for depicting in the movies how to win the American West.

This is not America, but from what is going on in Maun, we may as well be living in our own Wild West as robbers use explosives to blow safes, people are herded into bathrooms and their homes ransacked, old ladies are attacked in their homes, shots are fired, men are hurt in scuffles with the burglars and people are too frightened to leave their homes after dark for any length of time.

This is happening right here with a police force, a Special Services Group detachment and Botswana Defence Force soldiers all on duty in the town. It shows the contempt for which the perpetrators have for law enforcement and also for the so-called security guards at homes and businesses.

It surely is now time for Maun to stand up and tell the authorities that enough’s enough and to take stern action before anyone is killed either by the robbers or by a very incensed public.

The Maun Shuffle

Every member of the community is or has been in some way or another affected by the unprecedented crime wave that has seemingly engulfed our town.

It is a very sad situation that may, and Shuffle prays this will not be the case, lead to an upsurge in violence as residents get more and more upset with the perpetrators, however petty the theft may be.

The target of many of the crimes appears to be tourism camping grounds, with fences being cut, tents slashed, belongings (particularly those all-important passports) being stolen along with foreign currency, and security guards being beaten up.

Shuffle has heard that some foreign visitors have lodged protests with their embassies and consuls over the situation, and all that Shuffle can hope for in our tourism industry is that no foreign government (in particular the British, American, Italian, French and German) issues a travel advisory warning their citizens about travelling in or to  Ngamiland.

If readers thought that the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States harmed the industry, then they should wonder very seriously what such advisories would do to an industry on which we depend for our survival. Ask Namibia, Bali or Egypt what the results were of attacks on tourists.

The thieves are interfering with our livelihoods – every man, woman and child in Ngamiland would be affected in one way or the other as tourism is the biggest industry and therefore the largest employer in these parts.

**

Joining the world’s media by placing your favourite newspaper on the Internet has certainly led to some surprises.

The World Wide Web (www), to give it its correct name, is quite remarkable in that one can literally track who has read the newspaper, where they live, and how many times they have called it up for perusal purposes.

To give some statistics, kindly supplied by David Young, of Maun: During the month of January, 329 new visitors took a look at our pages out of a total of 18 707 who have regularly checked. Since we first went on the net a scant three months ago, well over 35 000 people have checked!

The Google search engine seems to be the most popular medium through which to visit our pages, with MSN and Yahoo also represented. Links from other websites are also utilised, it would appear.

Our site, ngamitimes.com, has visitors from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Britain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, United States, Canada, Ireland and other countries.

**

The classified, or smalls, advertisement page in any newspaper is usually a rich source of humour.

People advertise very strange things or have odd personal notices printed. In stories, too, the English language is twisted somewhat!

We have had our fair share down the years.

Shuffle has come across a book called “Funny Ho Ho and Funny Fantastic” which includes a number of advertisements, stories and headlines published in newspapers from all over the world.

Here’s a sample to brighten up your week:

* Old-established manufacturer of suspension bridges requires door-to-door salesman.

* ‘Get on with it!’ shouted the crowd, so half-back James paused with his foot on the ball. He did, and it produced a goat.

* Man doing heavy work requires old sports jackets, 38 in, cheap, also dozen babies napkins, 24 in, good condition.

* If two and two are put together the cat comes out the bag.

* Wanted – single room with bath for music lesson.

* A Wisconsin woman told the court in seeking a divorce that the retired naval officer she married insisted that they sleep in a hammock. In 23 years of marriage she had fallen out 16 times and felt she was getting too old for such insecurity. Decree granted.

* In 1911, he worried Mrs Laura Little of Montgomery, Alabama. They have three children.

* Motor vehicle safety belts must be installed rigidly enough to withstand a sudden thirst.

* Wanted – Gardener; must be experienced, or useless.

* A firm of paper manufacturers offered me ‘as a member of the catering and hotels profession’, twelve dozen toilet rolls in attractive pastel shades at reduced prices for my guests. I run a boarding kennels for dogs and cats.

* King denies he ate six people – headline

* The Rev Dr Charles Brown’s career has been a striking one. He started life at the age of eight.

* Wanted. Girls experienced, for sticking up on toothpicks.

* Midwife, part-time, night club

* Husband stamped on man who sent love letters to his land lady – headline

* Twenty years friendship ends at Nashville altar – headline

Row over failure to provide exams to students
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Koketso Vocational College failed to provide for 30 students to sit for the secretarial course in their three centres operating in the country last year.

Some students have demanded their money back while others are still waiting for the possibility of writing their exam at the end of this month.

Students from centres in Maun, Francistown and Selebi-Phikwe were unable to write their examination

The management of the institute has revealed to The Ngami Times that students were unable to write their examinations because the examination body, Pitman’s, withdrew the college’s centre number after they were not satisfied how the institution was operating.

The institution has refunded some students, while some have not been refunded but the institute is likely to work with others in order for students to write.

Meanwhile, the existence in Maun of Koketso was not known to the Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) while the Francistown and Gaborone centres were still under investigation after the closure of another centre in Mahalapye last year.

The director of Koketso Vocational College, Patric Sembye, confirmed this week that 30 students from Maun, Selebi Phikwe and Francistown did not to write the secretarial examination.

He blamed Pitman’s’ withdrawal as “encouraging the failure of students.” He was negotiating with Pitman’s to renew their contract and said students were told that they might write their examinations at the end of this month. He said they were trying to use existing institutions, such as Mega Size in Gaborone, and Nthoo College in Maun, for students to sit for their examination.

BOTA’s Abel Modugwa said the centre in Maun was not registered with them and they were not aware that it was in existence. He was aware that students did complain about the matter and BOTA were working to solve the matter, and also investigating the Francistown and Gaborone centres. “It is the responsibility of children and parents when enrolling students in private institutions to seek help from BOTA,” said Modugwa. Parents should be aware of some of these institutions because “they could be cheated.”Some of institutions were taking chances by using the BOTA logo while they were not yet accredited. He said registration of institutions with them does not means that they are accredited and can use the logo.

One Maun student told The Ngami Times that he had lost hope and wanted his money back. He said he has been to the Koketso offices several times but they “did not want to” give him his money.

Road signs are the common man's voice

SHAKAWE - The Samochima road croc is gone.This huge cement animal, which had many a tourist stop with screeching tyres just to note that this is not a predator lost from the river, but merely an invitation to visit the Krokovango crocodile farm near Shakawe, this week crumbled into thousands of sad pieces due to the Roads Department’s insistence that all road signs be 30 metres from the roadside.

The owners of Krokovango, as well as Samochima residents - who already had started using this animal as a landmark, a resting post and bus stop - are baffled by the insistence of the department that the law be enforced.

The croc was 25-m from the road, caused no visual obstruction and if it had to be moved further back into the bush at the roadside, it would barely be visible in the dense vegetation.

It has to be said that the department tried its best to move the crocodile and not destroy it. The department hired a private operator with a bulldozer, but it proved to be too small and shattered the sculpture, the work of local Hambukushu artist Johannes Kamwanga.

Local residents say that although the crocodile might be a case on its own, the campaign of the department to remove all other local signposts which are within what they call “the government’s farm”, raises questions about the freedom of and value attached to local entrepreneurial spirit and culture in Botswana.

“Is it as important to remove harmless and charming token of communication to passersby as important as removing the bush encroachment, fencing off the road or even fixing the potholes?” residents said.

One of the joys of motoring in Botswana has always been these tokens of community spirit, and some are such works of art that tourists photographed them, spread the word and encouraged more tourists to tour the country by road.

“Who, on a 5-hour journey through monotonous scrubland, would not be energised by charming life-size rag dolls that indicate entrances to some cattle posts around the Sehitwa and Toteng areas?

“These have amused endless travellers and brought admiration for the creativity of rural dwellers. The same applies to some of the signposts set up with old tyres, bathtubs, plastic cans,” a resident sasid.“We feel this law is unfair, it makes our country dull and uninspiring and it quietens the voice of the common man. A signpost 30-m from the road might be visible in a bare and open stretch of desert, but in most of Ngamiland such a distant signpost would ask considerable means to be able to erect something of large enough height and size, and would probably cost the lives of quite a few of trees and shrubs, all in the name of advertising. “Is this real progress of just senseless bureaucracy?

Flies cause havoc on farms

SEHITWA – Thousands of flies have been attacking humans and livestock in the wake of torrential rain, and farmers are concerned as a number of cattle and other livestock have died as a result.

Swarms of the stomoxys calcitrans fly, commonly known as the biting house fly, have resulted from too much water flowing over decaying organic matter, veterinary officials  said.

In Sehitwa, at least nine cattle, sheep and goats have been killed while seven have died in the Bothatogo area and four at Bodibeng.

In some areas, the infestation is so bad that farmers and villagers have moved from their homes and spent more money than usual on dipping their livestock and pets.

Flies have also become a problem in urban areas such as Maun, and health officials say that the only remedy, apart from retail pesticide and insecticide products, is good sanitation methods being followed.

VAT stays the same in an innovative Budget

The public breathed a huge sigh of relief this week when Finance and Development Planning minister Baledzi Gaolathe told Parliament during his budget speech that VAT would remain at 10%.

There had been widespread fears that the rate could change to either 12% or 14%.

And to make matters even more appealing, public servants were guaranteed an 8% across-the-board increase – their first in two years.

Prior to the announcement on VAT, there had been widespread fears that the rate would go up to either 12% or 14%. This would have come on top of price increases resulting from the devaluation of the Pula and increases in fuel prices that have severely affected the market over the past few months.

The Minister, who said his Budget speech theme was “building an innovative economy for the 21st Century”, pointed out that in the SADC region, VAT or Sales Tax stood at between 14% and 17.5% but Botswana felt strong enough to peg the rate at 10%, certainly for the immediate future.

“It is not advisable at this point in time to increase VAT”, he said.

Gaolathe told Parliament  that the cost of living graph had gone up 15.6% since 2004 and that therefore it was necessary to meet the aspirations of public servants, who of course prior to the Budget had been demanding far more than the 8% the government has offered. Whether this will satisfy the sector is a moot point but at least it goes some way to off-setting rising costs, and will in fact cost the country P575.6-million to implement.

Sorghum and maize meal remained zero rated in terms of VAT and joining those two products is millet.

There was laughter in the House when Gaolathe said that exempt from VAT goods and services would now include the supply of condoms.

Another decision that has been hailed by many is the decision to increase the tax threshold from P20 000 to P30 000, which means more money in the pockets of taxpayers and which would cost the country about P100-million in lost revenue.

Development work throughout the country has scored heavily in this year’s budget, with drought relief, Botswana Defence Force housing, police facilities, a police air wing, bitumen and other roads, education, justice and health taking a large share of the available funding.

HIV/AIDS, as was to be expected, was also a recipient of a huge amount of money, and Gaolathe disclosed that donor funds would continue to be available until 2009.

The Minister said that P1.6-billion would be spent on primary schools, health, rural electrification, water resources, telecommunications, roads, sanitation, customs and excise and public works with the emphasis on the alleviation of poverty as part of the social safety net put in place by the government.

“A total of 60 000 people were engaged during 2005 in public works projects,” he disclosed.

International confidence in Botswana was heavily reflected in the Budget speech. Gaolathe said that credit rating agencies had observed that the fight to beat the HIV/AIDS scourge had undermined some aspects but that did not stop Botswana being regarded as “the number one in Africa with respect to economic freedom.”

Foreign reserves stood at US$6.2-billion (about P30-billion) which equalled the cost of 27 months worth of imports.

He was scathing of the non-repayment of loans to CEDA and urged those in arrears to play the game in order to allow other people to receive loans.  He also urged journalists to refrain from giving huge publicity to failed businesses and foreign investments.

It was anticipated that during the 2006-07 financial year, the impact of the devaluation of the pula would normalise. This would bring down the rate of inflation.

“The new exchange rate introduced in May 2005 had helped mining and tourism, and this was expected to continue,” Gaolathe added.

A growth rate of 5.3% was expected during the remaining years of NDP 9 and although up until now the gross domestic product from the non-mining sector had shown a relatively low growth rate, with the exception of the transport sector.

Various projects were planned to accelerate growth, such as an increase in the capacity of the Morupule coal mine at Palapye,  an investment of P6.5-billion by the De Beers mining conglomerate, a government development budget of P21-billion, . 

Employment growth has slowed to lower figures – 2.8% down from 3.1%, and he said that the wide range of informal employment that has sprung up around the country will be promoted.

He urged Batswana to accept any job if they want to work and if they did not do so, then non-citizens would have to be employed in what he termed “a selective importation of skills.”

He added: “Our labour has to provide productivity and has to give foreign investors an assurance they are welcome in Botswana.”

Tourism ventures for citizens

Some tourism ventures are to be reserved for citizens from the end of the 2006-07 financial years. This was disclosed in this week’s Budget speech. The ventures are guest houses, motor boat safaris, camping and caravan sites, mekoro, mobile safaris and tourism transfers and transportation.

The grading and classification of tourism accommodation facilities is to take place in Ngamiland, Chobe and North East District during the year following on similar programmes in other parts of the country.

All the country’s 349 tourism accommodation facilities would be graded by the end of the financial year.

Management of wildlife resources and their habitat is to be improved, with management plans for the Makgadikgadi and Nxai national parks, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Khutsi Game Reserve, Moremi Game Reserve and the Chobe National Park.

Traditionally women used to be said to belong to the kitchen, which is doing the domestic work while men went out to look for jobs. Men therefore had a lot of economic power over women and the skills of women were not realized. As life patterns changed due to factors such as divorces, single parenting came to play and women are the most to such as they have to provide financial support to their families. Women then started to participate into fields that were stamped males only. Such a breakthrough compelled the management of all organizations to change their policies to accommodate female employees. However in some organizations there is still little evidence of advancement of women into top-level positions. This leaves the labour department with a lot to do to eradicate the discrepancy and make the women’s rights a practical reality.

Women empowerment refers to the effort imposed in the workplace to enable women to carry out each and every job that they can do with more emphasis on the management positions that were classically meant or reserved to males. It can also be referred to as the removal of the curtains to in the organizational policies to allow transparency and involvement of female employees in decision-making about their work, which will then provide empowerment spirit. There are several ways in which companies can give women equal grounds with their male counterparts. This can entail the following;

Company ensuring that there is equal remuneration packages unlike in the past when males got better packages than females doing the same job. There can also ensure that the social and biological determinants that affect women are addressed by appropriate policies within the workplace. Maternity leave, medical leave, provision of day care facilities for their children are some of the areas that can be addressed to empower women. The company must take out the glass ceiling syndrome that forms a barrier to the full participation of women and take corrective action to eliminate the barriers. There should also be transparency on how decisions are made such as on salaries, promotion and progression. Women must also be recognized as a vital group of employees who have significant contribution to make to the success of the company. They also bring diversity for the company’s growth and prosperity. Some of the variables that can be used to determine empowerment are,

v          Training

v          Remuneration (rewards)

v          Autonomy

v          Promotional opportunities

v          Representation

v          Delegation and

v          Information flow.

The questions that management can bear in mind are; are women fully empowered? What is done to ensure this? Are the policies of the company accommodating the empowerment?

If we are to place our focus on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, each and every individual has to fulfill lower order needs and then proceed to higher order needs. Procession up the hierarchy depends on whether the lower ones have been fulfilled or not. In this case if women are therefore not given the opportunity to utilize their potential to the maximum, then it is close to impossible for them to proceed up the hierarchy.

Villagers told to be cautious on wetlands conservation

Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila
By Calistus Bosaletswe

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila, says people should be cautious on the conservation of natural resources in the Okavango Delta.

He said exploitation of natural resources in wetlands might impoverish people who rely on it for their livelihood. Mokaila said the theme for last weekend’s World Wetlands Day - “In the face of poverty: Wetlands are a lifeline” - recognises the importance of the delta.

He said wetlands are among the key life support systems on earth as they are the most productive environments ecologically and economically. They help regulate regional ecosystems, play important roles in climate stability and people depend on water which is purified by the ecosystem. Mokaila described wetlands as “biodiversity hotspots” as they provide habitats for many species of flora and fauna.

Wetlands are also the livelihood of many rural communities and play a major role in sustaining development in providing water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes.

He said wetland played an influential role in recreational outdoor education for human society and therefore can be promoted as a tourist attraction for water sports, and most of them are a paradise for bird watchers. Mokaila said wetlands account for only 4% of the total land area of Botswana.

He said the demand to extract resources from the environment for use and sustenance of livelihoods continues to grow at an alarming rate. This might result in wetlands being mismanaged, leading to the destruction of environmental goods and services and a subsequent escalation in poverty. The result of mismanagement may lead to depletion and extinction of some species and this might influence the migration of community in search of better survival opportunities.

He said it is the responsibility of everyone to conserve the environmental asset for the future. The importance of international stakeholders should be fully supported by the indigenous conservation of natural resources.

He said the government has committed itself in conserving the natural resources for the benefit of communities through income-generating projects that can sustain their living. Mokaila said a project proposal to develop a management plan for the Makgadikgadi wetlands system has been finalised and its implementation is expected to start during NDP 10, once funding has been secured.

EU-SADC investment promotion to benefit many
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Local existing tourism enterprises in the district are likely to benefit from the EU-SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP).

The programme focuses on the tourism, hospitality and related sectors in the 14 countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region by encouraging international financial, technical or commercial partnerships.

The EU-SADC Tourism 2006 Forum will bring promoters and entrepreneurs from the region where they will present a carefully selected range of new and high quality business development projects in the tourism hospitality and related sectors to interested European, other international and southern African businesses.

The Environmental Consultants Botswana (ECOSUV) director, Dave Parry, has pleaded with interested parties in tourism business in Maun to apply for the opportunity which is aimed at promoting their ventures in the region.

Parry said it is expected that consultants in charge of the promotion will select six proposed projects in each of the 14 countries and he encouraged companies, individuals and enterprises to use the opportunity to make deals with EU investors.

He said major existing businesses which need expansion are better placed to benefit from Tourism 2006.

Targeted are hotels, lodges, golf resorts, tour operators, air, sea and ground transport operations, tourist attractions, game ranches, leisure complexes, marina, and waterfront developments, IT, tourism infrastructure and other service suppliers.

Parry said the meeting will take place in Windhoek, Namibia on October 3.

Tourism in southern Africa accounts for an average of 14 % of regional GDP and 15% of regional employment through both its direct and indirect economic impacts.

Based on the a recently published report on the region, combined public and private sector investment in travel and tourism projects is estimated at about 11% of GDP.

Sports News

World Cup tickets allocated

The Botswana Football Associastion (BFA) has been allocated only 20 tickets per game for the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament in Germany.

The BFA said in a press release on Tuesday (February 7) that anyone wanting to buy tickets had to contact the association by Thursday (February 9).

Ticket prices vary for group matches, the last 16, the quarter finals, semi-finals and the final.

The cheapest ticket for the opening match is about P422 each with the most expensive at slightly more than P2 000.  Watching the final will cost fans nearly P1 000 for the cheapest seat and P4 000 for the most expensive.

The Zebras day is here

Sohum Mehta, whose idea it was to pursuade the Zebras to play in Maun

The national team, the Zebras, arrive in Maun today (Friday) for their encounter with a Maun Select tomorrow in a match that is expected to draw a large crowd. The match, organised by hardware chainstore A to Z Mica, is aimed at raising funds for a children’s park to be built in Maun.

According to A to Z vice-president, Brijesh Vora, the Zebras will travel by air. The match kicks off at 3pm at Maun sports complex.

He said Lepopo Wholesalers will be selling beverages at the match, adding that the profits realised will go to the charity fund for the park. Vora also said that the Maun police will beef up security at the stadium.

Vora said that P20 000 had been spent on football kit and soccer boots for the Maun Select team. It is expected the match will raise more than P10 000 from the sales of tickets.

Vora said the players were in a jovial mood and cooperative. He urged fans to rally behind them by attending the game in large numbers.

Meanwhile, the head coach of the Maun side, Nickey Mokibe, says his boys were ready to take on the Zebras. He told his players to firstly enjoy playing against the Zebras and the results will come with it. Mokibe was adamant that local talent is there, and only needs to be explored. He also answered criticism of the team selection after having been accused of choosing more players from his own club - Makgabisanaga - than from any other team.   “This was all petty talk. I work with my two assistants whom I asked to draft their individual select teams,” he said. Mokibe said that the three agreed on 13 players, with the eight Makgabisa players included. “So how would I have influenced the process, unless those people undermined my assistants,” Mokibe said.    Mokibe said local teams coaches needed to attend coaching clinics for them to understand selection criteria of this nature.

EDITION 300  February 3 - February 10,  2006

The Maun branch of the Zebras Supporters Club was launched at a fun day at the sports complex last Saturday, a week before the natioanl squad makes a rare visit to Maun to play a Maun Select XI in a charity game to raise funds for a children’s park in the town. Leading personalities from the sports world and the national team sponsors, Orange,  attended the launch (See more on the sports section)

Our 300th edition!

You are now reading the 300th edition of The Ngami Times, Maun’s only weekly newspaper and the best advertising medium in the north.

The Ngami Times was first published on Friday, November 26, 1999, and apart from religious holidays and an annual holiday for staff over the Christmas and New Year periods, the newspaper has appeared each week. The newspaper is printed and published in Maun.

Copies are sold in Maun, Gumare, Etsha 6, Shakawe, Tsau, Ghanzi, Kasane, Gweta, Nata, Francistown, Palapye and Gaborone, with subscription copies sent all over the world. It is also published on the Internet.

Dynamite Used In Big Robbery
By Bright Kholi and Calistus Kolantsho

Homes and businesses in several parts of Maun have been hit by robbers and in one case, explosives were used to blow a safe. Thousands of pula and foreign currency was taken.

Foreign nationals appear to be the targets, raising concerns of a breakdown in law and order. In the past few days, the homes of prominent German, Norwegian and Indian business people have all been robbed, while a foreign-owned foreign exchange and two nearby businesses were also burgled. Foreign embassies and high commissions in Gaborone said they were not aware about the crime situation in Maun but local expatriates canvassed by The Ngami Times called for renewed police and Botswana Defence Force involvement in crime prevention as well as a curfew, claiming that “rampant crime” was giving the town a bad name. Safe-breakers used the explosives at the weekend to rob a branch of the Sunny bureau d’change, housed in the same building as Postnet and The Computer Shop, both of which were also robbed, police confirmed.

Detective Assistant Superintendent Stali Phuthego said the robbery took place early last Sunday. It was only discovered when staff arrived for work on Monday.

The explosives were used to break open the safe and a cashbox in what appears to have been a well-peanned attack which was apparently not noticed by security guards.

Phuthego said it is not the first time robbers in Maun had used explosives to destroy cash boxes. He gave examples of previous break-ins at Audi Camp and Northern Building Supplies. Recently, dynamite was also used to open safes at Makalamabedi and Gweta.

Meanwhile, five Indians were locked in the bathroom of their home in Thitoyamokodi ward as robbers ransacked the house. Superintendent Moitally Thokweng said the robbers fled with property valued at more than P29 000.

A house break-in occurred on Sunday night, resulting in a German woman being treated for shock, while a gang of at least four men entered a Disaneng home on Tuesday night, and took an undisclosed amount of property.

The house owner, a Norwegian national, returned home to find his front door broken open. When he entered the kitchen, he was confronted by the men, one with a hood over his head. One of the attackers was holding a heated electric iron. The 911 neighbourhood watch emergency service was alerted and members, with police, rushed to the house.

In another incident, police reported a suicide, that of a 29 year old Maun Technical College 2nd year student from Boseja ward, Mochudi, who was found dead in a college classroom.

Kamanakao burial site illegal

The burial of Wayei chief Calvin D Kamanakao at Gumare in May 2003 was illegal, the Court of Appeal has found.

The Kamanakao Association had appealed and the Tawana Land Board had cross-appealed against a ruling given by the High Court that the burial at the Wayeyi cultural centre amounted to contempt of court but was not otherwise illegal. The Association withdrew its appeal and said it would abide by the ruling of the court on the cross-appeal.

Justices P H Tebbutt, A M Akiwumi and S A Moore ruled that the court order in August 2004 should be set aside and that “the burial of the mortal remains of Calvin D Kamanakao I . . . constitute an unlawful act perpetrated by the appellant” (Kamanakao Association).

The judges said it was in breach of a written lease entered into between Kamanakao Association and the Land Board for 50 years for the reason that it involved a usage change of the land without written permission having been obtained.

The Land Board had been entitled to give a valid refusal for the change of use and the Association was in contravention of Sections 27(2) and 39(1) (b) of the Tribal Land Act. The Association was told to pay the cost of the proceedings.

No order has been made for the remains to be exhumed and re-buried elsewhere. No such order was ever asked for. Once he was buried, the Land Board merely wanted to clarify the law.

This was confirmed by the Land Board’s counsel, Neville Chadwick, of Chadwick, Anderson and Partners, Maun, at the Court of Appeal hearing and the Court expressed their approval.  The burial at the culture centre was controversial even before it took place, with Kamanakao’s family wanting it to take place at Mopipi and the tribe wanting it at Gumare.

A court order was sought by the Land Board to prevent the burial at the cultural centre and said it should be at Gumare cemetery, but the tribe decided to defy the order. A Cabinet minister, top government officials and mourners from all over southern Africa attended the burial. The burial of Wayei chief Calvin D Kamanakao at Gumare in May 2003 was illegal, the Court of Appeal has found.

The Kamanakao Association had appealed and the Tawana Land Board had cross-appealed against a ruling given by the High Court that the burial at the Wayeyi cultural centre amounted to contempt of court but was not otherwise illegal. The Association withdrew its appeal and said it would abide by the ruling of the court on the cross-appeal.

Justices P H Tebbutt, A M Akiwumi and S A Moore ruled that the court order in August 2004 should be set aside and that “the burial of the mortal remains of Calvin D Kamanakao I . . . constitute an unlawful act perpetrated by the appellant” (Kamanakao Association).

The judges said it was in breach of a written lease entered into between Kamanakao Association and the Land Board for 50 years for the reason that it involved a usage change of the land without written permission having been obtained.

The Land Board had been entitled to give a valid refusal for the change of use and the Association was in contravention of Sections 27(2) and 39(1) (b) of the Tribal Land Act. The Association was told to pay the cost of the proceedings.

No order has been made for the remains to be exhumed and re-buried elsewhere. No such order was ever asked for. Once he was buried, the Land Board merely wanted to clarify the law.

This was confirmed by the Land Board’s counsel, Neville Chadwick, of Chadwick, Anderson and Partners, Maun, at the Court of Appeal hearing and the Court expressed their approval.  The burial at the culture centre was controversial even before it took place, with Kamanakao’s family wanting it to take place at Mopipi and the tribe wanting it at Gumare.

A court order was sought by the Land Board to prevent the burial at the cultural centre and said it should be at Gumare cemetery, but the tribe decided to defy the order. A Cabinet minister, top government officials and mourners from all over southern Africa attended the burial.

Mombo rhinos still being tracked
By Calistus Bosaletswe

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Maun is still tracking rhinos that disappeared a year ago at Mombo in the Okavango delta. At least two have been seen at Kumaga and others at Habu, Nokaneng, Xhoxhao and Gumare. The remainder are at Mombo.

DWNP Coordinator Sibangani Mosojane said the missing animals are from 35 that were stocked in a free roaming area in the delta.

He said the biggest problem is that people are always alerting them when they see footprints which are taken to be those of rhino but turn out to be from hippos. Mosojane said the department was actively tracing the whereabouts of the rhinos.

Car thieves to serve five years

By Calistus Kolantsho

Maun chief magistrate Tshegofatso Mogomotsi has sentenced three accused each to five years in prison for stealing a vehicle, and to compensate the complainant.

Bruce Mokere, Benjamin Motai and Ditshupo Tshere have been ordered to pay Thusanang Ngashe P8 324 each within six months. The sentence will not be back dated since the accused persons have been on bail.

Mogomotsi said the payments should be done through the office of the clerk of court. The accused persons were found guilty and convicted on a single offence of stealing a motor vehicle belonging to Ngashe, a teacher at Kareng Primary School. The incident happened in August 2003, when the vehicle was stolen and was involved in an accident near Mamuno.

Mogomotsi said before delivering sentence that the court had taken into consideration that the accused are “still youthful”, that Tshere had no previous offences and that even though Mokere and Motai had previous offences but they were also treated as first offenders.  Evidence before court was that Mokere was seen in Ghanzi driving a white Toyota Hilux which looked exactly like the one that was stolen from Ngashe. The accused said in their defence that at the time the vehicle was seen at Gantsi, they where in Maun and claimed witnesses were not telling the truth.

Mogomotsi had told the court when passing judgement that there was no way the accused could have been in two places at the same time.

She said that she agreed with prosecution witnesses that Mokere was the one who was driving the vehicle. She also said the state had brought overwhelming evidence against the trio.

The magistrate said Motai did not tell the court the same story that was narrated by Mokere and that the accused were contradicting each other.

Meanwhile, Mokere is facing charges of burglary, stealing from a dwelling house, unlawful possession of firearm, involvement in the Metro armed robbery case, armed robbery, theft and giving false information.

The case was prosecuted by Inspector Vincent Balatlhwa, of Maun Police.

Gweta rape judgement postponed
By Calistus Kolantsho

Judgement in the Gweta rape case has been postponed until the end of this month as the chief magistrate, Tshegofatso Mogomotsi, is not available.

The accused, Kgathatso Eletsang, is charged with raping his cousin at Soso lands near Gweta in 2002. When making final submissions, he took the court by surprise when he said he knew the actual rapist.

Eletsang has been charged with other offences - two murders, an attempted rape, arson and unlawful possession of firearm.

He allegedly shot and killed his grandmother and her common law husband, and he also shot at two police officers. He then set fire to a hut in which five people were sleeping at the time.

Eletsang had accused the police of failure to investigate the matter.

He said in his defence that the complainant did not tell the court the truth, and that what she said was hearsay, which is not admissible in court. He claimed that the complainant was told by some people what she should say and also argued that the witnesses, Badi Nkaigwa and Ontshwanetse Kenyaditswe, should be dismissed.

Eletsang said the Investigating Officer, Constable Oneilwe Kgotladingwe, had told the court that the incident was reported to Gweta police station in July, 2002. He accused the officer of lying to the court when he testified that the complainant was raped on her way to the borehole instead of saying it happened on her way back.

Eletsang also submitted that the doctor who conducted the examination did not detect any injuries to suggest that violence was used against her. The state also did not provide any evidence before the court to show that he was ever at the crime scene.

Eletsang concluded by telling the court that the complainant knew the person who raped her, but she was only implicating him. The accused is out on bail.

No shortage of P50 banknotes

Public perception that there is a shortage of the P50 banknote is misplaced, says the Bank of Botswana.

Public relations officer Chepete Chepete told The Ngami Times this week that the banknote had not been withdrawn from circulation nor is there any plan to do so. “The stock of P50 banknotes has declined in recent months due to its high circulation and, as a result, the demand from the public cannot be fully met at the moment.

“This is as temporary situation and the bank is in the process of replenishing the stock of all banknotes in 2006, including P50 notes,” the statement said.

Building contractors 'corrupting NWDC service'
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Building contractors are feared to be corrupting the services offered by the North West District Council (NWDC). The alarm was sounded after 42 building contractors from throughout the country used Maun addresses to tender for 42 drought relief and other projects.

It is believed that four local contractors were given the work and the 38 others were disqualified. NWDC Council Secretary Paulos Nkoni said he was not aware that the drought relief projects attracted contractors from various districts, saying that if they were using Maun addresses, then it was an illegal practice.

The four successful tenders provided addresses that were found to be legally held by them. “If serious measures are taken, many people conniving with the contractors will face a punishable charge for corrupting the service.” said Nkoni.

He pointed out that the contractors could not be denied the opportunity to tender for some work in the district “but if it is true that they are conniving by using addresses of others, it is a prohibited action,” said Nkoni.

The Ministry of Local Government’s principal development officer, Ronald Molojane, said it was reasonable to give local contractors projects if they were capable.

Molojane said camouflaging addresses would “disturb and frustrate the reasonable consideration of allocating such projects.” He said there is no law that prohibits other citizens to be given work, but only if the nature of the project cannot be handled by locals. He said if the projects were simple ones it would be unfair to deter locals from working on such projects.

It is when the projects are large that a council should be accountable to allocate them to contractors that will be able to deal with it. The Machona Association of Contractors secretary Stalin Moruti argued that most drought and other relief projects were given to outsiders while there were dozens of building contractors in the district.

Moruti said the area was seriously affected by drought and contracting work was meant to help people in the district escape “the poverty that has engulfed the area."

Four schools benefit from regional workers union

By Bright Kholi

Four primary schools in Ngamiland have benefited from a Southern African Clothing and Textiles Workers Union (SACTWU)’s educational project. The four - Matshwane, Letsholathebe, Nxamasere and Bana ba Metsi  - are the first in the country to reap the benefits.

The project, known as Edu-Peg, provides educational material to schools that are disadvantaged in terms of resources. The materials include books which are mainly a supplement to the main curriculum for school.

Speaking in an interview with The Ngami Times this week at a training workshop for teachers from the schools, project manager and national coordinator Liz Swersky said the project started in Botswana at Matshwane Primary School.

“We chose Matshwane because of the resources it has, which can then help to carry out the outreach programme to other schools,” Swersky said.

A teacher who used to work in South Africa and later joined  Matshwane asked them to also consider bringing the project here. “Edu-Peg is a long term project here and Matshwane are our ambassadors and, with resources allowing, we intend to add more schools to the project here,” she said.

According to Swersky, the material that they provide helps in building confidence in children even without teachers. The principal of Matshwane, Andrew Hepburn-Brown, described the project as a blessing in disguise for his school, which he said has benefited extensively.

He said the project started in January last year and the children have shown a positive response to the materials provided - “the books are of relevance to the curriculum and they can be used as additional material in different subjects by all grades,” he said.  The material also helps children to work on their own and enhances self discipline.

Whoops! Man mistaken for a lion

MOREMAOTO – Was it a lion or was it a man?

The Masarwa, according to ancient legend, have the ability to change from a human being into a hungry lion, and this was put to the test inside a kraal at a cattle post near Moremaoto this week. The cattle post owner thought he saw three lions in the kraal and shot at them to scare them away from his herd. One fell, and the other two ran off. When he checked, he found he had shot a Mosarwa man! In local tradition, Masarwa have “a tendency of changing or transforming into hungry lions”, say elderly people living in the Boteti and Phuduhudu areas but this was refuted by more enlightened villagers who asked “how can we be predators?”

Foreign doctors

Resentment over the appointment of foreign doctors – particularly Cuban medical personnel – to our hospitals and clinics has been evident for many months. Now it has boiled over, with citizen nursing staff complaining that Cuban doctors are not keeping appointments because they are not being provided with transport.

It turns out that a bilateral agreement between the governments of Botswana and Cuba makes provision for transport to be provided. However, no one seems to have taken into consideration that there are not always vehicles available to collect the doctors from their homes and the rules appear to be hazy, too, over whether a clinic can ask another department to assist when in need.

Whether one likes it or not, the Cuban, and other foreign doctors, are here to help the people. Some may be perceived to be poorly trained but the point is that they hold a medical degree and therefore can provide a service to patients provided they are not expected to perform intricate medical procedures.

Botswana does not have too many trained medical practitioners, so it is not advisable to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.  We must make the best out of a situation which is difficult for local people to swallow.

The Maun Shuffle

Shuffle’s spies across the road from our offices say there is a lot of unhappiness about the forthcoming relocation of Mabudutsa residents to the Matshwane area.

And they are particularly unhappy with the performance of the Minister of Lands and Housing who came to Maun last week to address the people about how his department operates (is that really necessary as the country has been independent for almost 40 years) and was not here to discuss the relocation!

He was, however, given chapter-and-verse on the issue by disgruntled residents about the problems being faced by the people, in particular the fact that there is no water available at the new site and anger about the amount of compensation being paid to property owners.

Most people who have visited Mabudutsa know that many of the homes are dilapidated. These are old-style rondavels with thatched roofs, and because residents simply don’t have the money, they are unable to repair them. This has boomeranged on the residents, who now find they will not be compensated for “dilapidated houses” (to use the minister’s phrase).

One would have thought that if a government authority decided to move people to make way for commercial development, efforts would have been made to ensure facilities were in place, land had been cleared, assistance given with housing, adequate compensation paid, schools provided, water availability, and so on.

Ronald Ridge, the Member of Parliament for Maun West, hit the nail on the head when he said that village elders “were not engaging themselves in their subjects’ problems”, making it very plain that their apparent non-involvement is one of the reasons why people are unhappy at this juncture.

Ridge is showing himself to be a champion of the people (OK, politicians are known for that) by throwing his hat into the ring. He could be censured for this by his political party, but Shuffle thinks most people would agree with him that the matter could have been handled far more professionally than it has been up until now.

**

The headline in a Gaborone newspaper read “Chinese merchants attack Motswana man.”

It’s the sort of headline that whips up racial motives – and is out of place, even in the xenophobic world that is today’s Botswana.

It is also unnecessary for the race of a person to be trumpeted in a headline.

It turns out that the Chinese merchants in question were apprehending a man who had allegedly stolen goods from their shop. One would think apprehending a suspect is fair, wouldn’t one?

But not, it seems, to the police who handcuffed the merchants . . .

It doesn’t matter whether a merchant is Chinese, Indian, European, Batswana Zimbabwean or whatever, the fact is that a person came into a shop with the express purpose of shoplifting, did so, and was caught and given a good beating.

Maybe the good beating was the problem because in this weird world of ours today, no one is allowed to take action against a thief or a burglar and the law is actually on the side of the said thief or burglar judging from decisions handed down by the courts of many lands.

So what happens if a burglar or thief enters your premises? Do you simply stand aside and say “welcome” or do you punch him in the face and help create similar newspaper headlines?

The answer, thinks Shuffle, lies in the old police advice: “Take him round the corner and beat the daylights out of him and then drag him off to a corner of the road and leave him.”

Blood-thirsty? Sure. But it is effective.

Unfortunately, if one follows the letter of the law as householders in Maun will testify, burglars are arrested, taken to the police station and let loose (even if they are habitual criminals) by police or magistrates.

No wonder we have rampant crime and headlines like that quoted here.

**

Cattle farmers should be rejoicing that at last they have a man in the community who is prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

Shuffle refers of course to local butcher Willie Lewis who has turned officialdom on its head by going ahead with plans to open an abattoir to service Ngamiland farmers, badly hurt by the whole destruction of their herds during the cattle lung disease episode and then by the refusal of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) to open its Maun abattoir which it closed as a direct result of the disease.

Pleadings to the BMC have for years fallen on deaf ears, and cattle farmers have had to stand by and watch their herds placed in quarantine pens for weeks before being transported in poor condition to the abattoirs at Francistown and Gaborone. It is galling to say the least, particularly when the Ngamiland herds are now building up to the standard that prevailed before lung disease broke out.

Lewis needs to be congratulated as it means that we, the consumers, will be able to obtain cuts of meat that would normally be sent to the south for processing. 

Our meat prices here are already among the best in the country, and now these could well be bettered.

Crowded maim graveyard closed
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Maun’s main cemetery has been closed as there is no room for any more graves.

A new graveyard is being planned in the Botshabelo area.

The decision was taken last month when it was found that mourners would have been excavating old graves in order to bury their dead. Plots already fenced in preparation for burials at the old cemetery can still be used.

People are now being asked to bury relatives and friends at other graveyards in the town until the Botshabelo facility is formally established.

The new site was obtained after the North West District Council’s physical planning department refused a request to allocate a site at Shashe wellfields.

The Maun Umbrella Village Development Committee (MUVDC) chairman, Gaaipone Mooketsi, said the Tawana Land Board had now allocated a plot of land in the Botshabelo area for people in Sedie, Boyei, Botshabelo, New Town and Moeti to use.  He said owners of the land had been compensated for its expropriation. The area has been debushed.

Mooketsi advised people to use other existing burial sites in Boseja, Thitoyamokodi and Sedie.

Mooketsi says the committee was considering asking the NWDC to manage the graveyards but local residents said at a meeting that this could mean a charge would be levied on families burying their dead.

A resident, Rodgers Mathare, said he was happy if a new burial site had been demarcated and added that the now-closed cemetery should be fenced because people passing through showed no respect “to our traditions.”

Phologolo Ledimo was worried that the airport would be expanded and encroach upon the road that was to be used to reach the new site. Ledimo disagreed with a motion to give councils the management of graveyards.

No problems with double shift at this school
By Keneilwe Moreetsi

FRANCISTOWN – Form 4 students at Francistown Senior Secondary School have started classes after a week of orientation to prepare them for the new double-shift education system.

The system, which was introduced by the Minister of Education, Jacob Nkate, last year, has created a ray of hope for people since they believe it will create employment for teachers and increase the access of Form 4 students in the senior schools. According to the headmaster, Othusitse Othusitse, there is no feedback as yet to say how the system affects students and teachers but confusion between lessons among students is occurring due to the new system.

The school has divided the Form 4s in to three groups which rotate to morning and afternoon sessions.

Only one group gets to enjoy the freedom of being outside school every session, either in the morning or the afternoon. “So far there have been no complaints from parents or teachers and facilities are also able to assist the movement of teachers and students,” said Othusitse.

Tandem skydivers give Maun a thrill!

South African skydivers Jean Heydenrych (left) and  Niki Maideheim who introduced  tandem parachuting to Maun at the weekend
By Calistus Bosaletswe

South African skydivers with their Botswana participants firmly strapped to their bodies over the weekend gave Maun an exhibition never before seen here.

The parachutists from Cape Town were dropped from a Kavango Air plane 12 000ft above the town and they parachuted to safety at the touchdown spot opposite the Okavango River Lodge. There were many “oohs” and “aahs” from spectators as the parachutes were maneouvred towards the landing spot.

The event had been organised by Kavango Air for people who wanted to have a crack at jumping out of “a perfectly serviceable aircraft.”

The tandem masters, Niki Maideheim and Jean Heydenrych, dropped several times over the weekend. Adventurous men and women living in Maun made the descent. Maideheim said they were planning to offer the service throughout this week before they return to Cape Town on Sunday. “There is no training for this. We merely brief participants for five minutes and let you know what is going to happen,” said Maideheim. “It is not that risky as people think. It is all about fun.” He said they were impressed by the response in Maun of people who were not afraid of heights.

Maideheim added that as Maun was a popular spot for tourists, sky diving could be offered as a tourist attraction.

Defence counsel wants bail for shotgun accused

A Defence counsel, Mompati Taolo, of Ndawana and Taolo Associates, Maun, has applied for his clients – accused of a robbery involving the use of a shotgun - to be granted bail.

He said the prosecution has no reason to remand the accused, Baboluki Ntshime (37), of Riverside, and Keagetswe Oye (32), of Thitoyamokodi, who are alleged to have on January 3 armed with a shotgun, robbed Tshwanelo Madima of a yellow torch valued at P60. The two also allegedly used personal violence against Madima.

The two are also facing charges of unlawful wounding, in that they are alleged to have on the same day unlawfully wounded Khumoetsile Lerayang by hitting him with a hard object on the head. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Maun magistrate Rebecca Motsamai told the court that she had ruled that the accused persons will be remanded in custody until the matter is finalised. The bail application was objected to by the prosecutor, Sergeant Mokiya Mokiya. He suggested that the matter be mentioned on another day because he was not ready to proceed.

A bail application date has been set and the accused have been remanded in custody. Ntshime and Oye are also facing charges, with three others, of robbing a shop belonging to Xiau Song, Zheng Ling Ming and Moyo Moenga in Shakawe, allegedly getting away with P20 000.

Drivers' licence deadline extended

GABORONE – The deadline for motorists with the old Botswana drivers’ licence to change to the new credit card type has been extended until next December. The original deadline was December 31, and during November and December, licence offices throughout the country were besieged by motorists.

Out of an estimated 200 000 drivers in the country, only 137 000 had so far been issued with credit card licences. Penalties will be charged after the new deadline.

Overflowing rivers a death trap
By Keneilwe Moreetsi

FRANCISTOWN – Police at Kutlwano have found the bodies of two young boys who drowned in the Shashe River at Tonota.

According to the officer commanding, Boikhutso Dintwa, the bodies of the two – an 18 year old studying at Shashe Senior School and a 14 year old who was at Letlhabile Community Junior School – were found on Saturday. Police are also searching for another child in the vicinity of the Shashe dam spillover. Dintwa said that members of the public had helped in retrieving the bodies from the river. Post-mortems are taking place. Residents of Tonota have complained before about the dangers posed by the Shashe dam, particularly in the rainy season, saying that almost every year children are drowned there.

Promoter flees with cash, passports

Maun police are hunting for the controversial director of a beauty pageant company.

Known to local people as “Taurai”, he ran a company called New Generation Limited which promoted the recent “Mr and Miss Village” pageant.

Detective assistant superintendent Stali Phuthego told The Ngami Times that the suspect used to work for Koketso Vocational College, Maun, as a teacher and left to form the company. He said the mandate of the company was to look for jobs and for courses at Regent College, in England.

“Taurai” has allegedly taken money belonging to other people amounting to more than P20 000 and also their passports, saying that he was to process visas for them. According to Phuthego, the first group to go to England was expecting to leave in January 1 and 4.

“Taurai” - who was in hot water in December after allegedly failing to give prizes to the winners of the “Mr and Miss Village” event which he had organised - has since disappeared.

Business News

Avaition's 'open skies' comes closer

GABORONE – A one-day seminar on aviation policy took place in Gaborone this week.

The event was convened by SADC and the European Union.

Attending it were officials from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community, the African Union, the African Civil Aviation Commission, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the African Airlines Association, the Airline Association of Southern Africa and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

It the start of negotiations for highly liberalised regional air traffic rights between Europe and East and southern Africa, and aviation industry sources say it is likely to change the landscape regarding market access, competition, national protection and volumes of air traffic.

SADC standardisation projects on line

GABORONE - The second meeting of the SADC Co-Operation in Standardisation (SADCSTAN) has just completed its second executive committee meeting.

The three day meeting was attended by all committee members and observers from Germany.

The purpose was to monitor progress in the implementation of resolutions, prepare for the organisation’s annual meeting in Windhoek in April, and consider reports and recommendations from various workshops and study visits held in 2005.

SADCSTAN was formed in 1991 and is one of five structures implementing the SADC programme on standardisation, quality assurance, accreditation and metrology.

Art & About
Air Botswana staff celebrates

Air Botswana staff in Maun took time off from their busy schedule recently to hold a Christmas and New Year’s party.

They had been too busy over the festive season to even think about having a fun time!

The host of the party and Air Botswana station manager, Isaiah Mampane, said they had to postpone their staff party due “to the busy schedule we were faced with last year and now we take time off to celebrate our success”.

This party is meant to share with you our happiness as Air Botswana employees. The company attributes its success by its loyal and dedicated staff.

“Air Botswana business is and this could be attested to the loyalty and dedication shown by the staff when serving customers respective of their background. The results are also showing with the increase in tickets being bought by local people.”

Mampane said as a staff member he was thankful for the loyal support the company received from the people.

“The’re are many things the company is involved in – both business and social - as can be witnessed by our involvement in activities initiated by the community that are aimed at improving people’s lives. “Air Botswana last year flew Mmaokwa Mohele to Johannesburg to donate a kidney to her relative, Bakae “BK” Mohemele,” he recalled.

The night’s guest of honour was the airline’s corporate planning manager, Peter Meswele, who also said they appreciated the big support they were receiving getting from Maun, adding “the support from Maun is overwhelming from both the staff and the community, (and) we also appreciate the fact that Maun is the country’s tourism hub and our business is mostly planned towards Maun”.

Sports News

Zebras coach to take a look at local players

Coach Jelusic Veselin
By Onkabetse Tsaro

The Botswana national soccer team coach Jelusic Veselin says he will use the friendly game between the Maun Select and the Zebras next Saturday “to take a look at the local players with a view to drafting them into the national team.”

In an interview with The Ngami Times, Veselin said it was his goal to see to it that the national team includes players from around the country and not only from the premier league.

“Even though it will be more viable to have players in the national team that compete week and week out in the premier league, it will also be a good thing to have some players from other divisions. I will not include a player in the team to satisfy people, but if a player is good and deserves a position then I will select that player,” he said.

He urged Maun teams to aim for the Mascom premier league if their players are to progress as professional footballers.

“The standard of football in Botswana is developing, even the premier league has not reached its peak yet (and) therefore for players from Maun to get a nod for the national team they have to play top flight football. They should qualify for the premier league as it will also be easy for the Botswana Football Association scouts to see the players,” said Veselin.

Zebras supporters launch their club
By Calistus Kolantsho

Maun branch of the Zebras Supporters Club was launched over the weekend at the Maun Sports Complex. Speaking at the launch, Botswana National Sports Council Executive Committee Member, Dr Nomsa Mbere said the launch follows the launch of the Re Ba Bona Ha programme in Maun and the Sports Volunteers Movement in the past years. She mentioned that even though it is premature to divulge any details she confirmed that a full-time Sports Development Officer will soon be appointed to be based in Maun. She said to recognise the growth of sport in Maun, Botswana National Sports Council Executive Committee in 2005 resolved to bring the 2006 BNSC annual general meeting to Maun. Zebras Supporters Club in Maun was formed a year ago and it enjoys increasing numbers in its membership throughout the Nhabe region. Mbere said sport needs a vibrant support base, the support that would not only be about cheering at matches, but also about development projects backed by creative fund-raising activities. She said that she trust that Maun Zebras Supports Club will contribute to the moral regeneration of our society, especially with respect to crime, women, child and substance abuse. Mbere recognised the support that fans put behind the Zebras in their recent campaign in the African Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers. She also mentioned that the Maun Zebras Supporters Club should urge its members to mobilise support for their local clubs. National team coach, Jelusic Veselin said fans support certainly represents an enormous motivation and inspiration for players even during difficult times. He said the help granted by sponsors and directed not only towards the national team but to fans as well, especially to games played outside the country, present an enormous moral support for players.

Maun Select to play Zebras named

All is going smoothly for the charity soccer match between the national squad, the Zebras, and a Maun Select next Saturday (February 11).

The game is being played at the Maun sports complex to raise funds for a children’s park to be constructed in Maun by the A to Z Mica hardware chain.

The 20-member Maun squad has now been selected, and according to head coach Nicky Mokibe started training on January 30.

The original 27 chosen for he first training session included five players who turned out against the Zebras in a match for the AIDS campaign in 2002.

The squad is made up of Spider Kanye, Noapilwa, Keamogetse  Lerato, Kabo (all goalkeepers), Mpho Kgosietsile, Jama Mokumbi, Mmoloki Sekwape, Junior Batista Sando, Baoketsi Boiteko, Omponye Keabetswe, Gomolemo Mathomola, Owen Kelapile (defenders).

Rex Mokgama, Kagiso Moatshe, Zola, Dinonyane, Masilo Trompies Kentshsung, Ronald Sebako, Welcome Patrick, Sparks Pako, Final Machine (midfielders), Boenyana David, Shaka Dimbo, Walter Kololoi, Moses Medupi, Omaatla Momatsheko, Gaojenkabo Bahenyi (strikers)

EDITION 299 January 27 - February 3,  2006

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Abattoir for Ngamiland
Major break-through for cattle farmers, consumers

A private company is poised to open an abattoir to service Ngamiland cattle farmers and consumers. The P4-million facility will be built at Komana, near Maun, on land provided by the Tawana Land Board and the North West District Council (NWDC).

Construction is to start in about four months, and be completed by the first quarter of 2007. Fencing of the property has however started with the drilling of boreholes next on the agenda. A feedlot is also to be established on the 32 sq hectares of land.

It is anticipated by the developer, well-known local butcher Willem Lewis, that the abattoir will be able to initially handle between 45 and 55 head of cattle a day as well as 25 goats and 25 sheep. The abattoir, which will serve the region’s needs in the absence of the re-opening of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir in Maun, includes a refrigeration facility and a meat processing section which will enable cold meats to be produced as well as a cannery to be operated. The BMC facility is not expected to be re-opened.

A top official of the veterinary meat inspection department of the Department of Animal Health and Production in Lobatse has “master-minded the building plans, which meet the stringent requirements of the European Union,” Lewis said. Lewis says he is grateful to the Assistant Minister of Works and Transport, and MP for Maun East, Frank Ramsden, and to the MP for Maun West, Ronald Ridge, for their help.  “The time has come now for us in Ngamiland to start exporting meat to places such as Francistown and Gaborone. We have all the resources at our disposal and need to tap in to this and develop our areas.”

The abattoir is designed to make it easier for Ngamiland farmers to place their livestock on the market and, says Lewis, “we will be removing a heavy load from farmers’ shoulders – such as transport, quarantine facilities, time and the frustration of waiting for their money for the animals sold.” The new abattoir will include facilities for meat inspection will be carried out prior to animal identification and issuing of permits. “One of the most important advantages is the quality and hygiene of meat we will provide. Meat being sold in some butcheries in this region, and being on the menus of some hotels and lodges, is being slaughtered in the open air and transported on the back of vehicles.

Mabudutsa relocation will not be stopped
By Onkabetse Tsaro

A government minister has dashed any hopes that residents of Mabudutsa had to halting their relocation to undeveloped Matshwane – and at the same time slapped down Maun MP Ronald Ridge, telling him to stop complaining about it.

The “No” decision was given to residents by the Minister of Lands and Housing, Dikgakgamatso Ramadeluka Seretse, at a Batawana kgotla meeting. Seretse told the residents his trip to Maun was part of his duties to tell the people what his ministry was doing and that is whay he was coming to Maun as was the case with his visits to Okavango and Chobe areas and not to address the Mabudutsa relocation.

He described the relocation issue as “internal” but as Maun was a planning area, people should expect changes that will affect them. “Maun is a tourism area and a lot of development will take place aimed at uplifting the livelihood of the community,” he added.

Residents immediately challenged the Minister, saying he was distancing himself from the issue “(and) we have no way to go but to succumb to the insulting conditions we have been given.” Residents claimed the terms of relocation agreed with the Tawana Land Board had not been honoured.

“The Land Board and the government should have our interest and welfare as the people of Mabudutsa at heart” the residents complained. “What has been given to us is way below to what our properties are worth. Where we are supposed to live has not even been developed, the schools are far and there is no water. We are being driven into poverty. We had homes but now we are expected to move to Matshwane and stay homeless.”

Seretse said he would talk to the North West District Council and the Land Board for water to be connected at Matshwane before residents move.

The MP for Maun West, Ronald Ridge might have had a brilliant idea for the people of Mabudutsa who are being relocated by calling on the government to construct houses for the relocated residents rather than giving them cash. “The idea was good but the issue was the amount the house was going to cost, residents’ property value differed and it was going to be difficult for others to compensate the government,” Seretse said.

Efforts by Ridge to bring the issue up at the meeting were impeded by the Minister telling Ridge to “stop causing fires” as the issue was under wraps. Ridge attacked the district leadership for not engaging themselves in their subjects’ problems, and he said if the leadership was behind the subject the relocation would have been peaceful.

Former Maun-Chobe MP Gaerokwe Kwerepe  meets the  Minister of Lands and Housing, Dikgakgamatso Ramadeluka Seretse at this week’s kgotla meeting.

Mophane worm almost kills woman
By Calistus Bosaletswe

GWETA – A woman is recovering here after eating mophane worms. It was found she was allergic to the worms, a traditional food that is harvested at this time of the year. Pauline Bapati, who works at Gweta Lodge, was rushed to Gweta Hospital after police and emergency services here could not be raised last Saturday.

The lunch-time drama began when Bapati, who three years ago had also shown a reaction to the worms and had not touched them since, decided to try again – with dramatic results. She collapsed at work and her employers, fellow staff and guests all tried to assist.

When there was no response to emergency telephone numbers, she was placed on a foam rubber mattress and taken by vehicle to the nearby hospital, where two nurses were on duty. They called Dr Jackson Kikuha, who said that Bapati had been under observation for a day before being discharged. She is now on sick leave.

“It is dangerous to eat food that you know you are allergic to,” he said. “If you had reacted the first time then trying it a second time could lead to your death.” In this instance, the allergy had lowered the woman’s blood pressure and brought about restlessness.

Ngami Times - now in Francistown

The Ngami Times has appointed a full-time journalist in Francistown.

She is Keneilwe Moreetsi, who will report on events in the city. She will also assist with advertising enquiries.She can be contacted on telephone number 71537397.

The Ngami Times is on sale at various outlets in Francistown every Friday. 

Government revenue cheques stolen
By Calistus Kolantsho

Maun police’s Criminal Investigating Department (CID) is on the lookout for stolen  blank revenue cheques. Detective Superintendent Mookami Kame, the CID chief, said the cheques were stolen from the Maun government revenue office on January 12.

He told The Ngami Times that the cheques which were stolen had serial numbers: 15349, 15350, 15351, 15352 and 16000 drawn on Barclays Bank. The account number is 0000003714299.

Kame said the person who stole them had merely to write in the amount that he or she feels like cashing. He appealed to the business community to be on the look out for the cheques and if anyone presents one, shopkeepers should immediately inform the nearest police station or phone him on 6860411.

Kame said it was thought that the thief worked at the revenue office  “because it is not possible for a stranger to enter the revenue office during working hours and steal cheques.” No one has been arrested.

Maun revenue office was also robbed in March 2005, allegedly by employees. Christinah Matlapeng (38), who was an accounts officer, stole P500 000 together with Odumeleng Dollah Mosarwa (43), who was working at Gumare revenue office, also as an accounts officer. The two accused are been appearing before the Maun magistrate’s court for mention and are currently on bail.

Dagga accused granted bail
By Calistus Kolantsho

Maun magistrate Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo has granted British national Adrian Pickford (38) bail. Pickford was arrested in January 12 at his Sedie, Maun, home following a tip-off. He was in custody since appearing in court in January 24 for mention.

He is facing charges of unlawful possession of dagga contrary to section 16 of the Drugs and Related Substances Act. According to the charge sheet, Pickford was not licensed or authorised in any manner to possess habit forming drugs and did unlawfully possess dagga weighing 986.5 grams. The accused pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Inspector Isaac Mamadi, submitted that the State was ready to set a trial date and five witnesses would be called to testify. He also submitted that the accused was unemployed and had no assets in Botswana. He also said the accused had no permanent address, not a citizen of Botswana and that if he was given bail, he would abscond.

Defence counsel Charles Tlagae, of Chadwick, Anderson and Partners, Maun, stated that his client has been in Botswana since 1998 and he has a friend who has assets in the country. He also submitted that even if though the accused is a non-citizen it did not mean that he should not be granted bail.

Moyo told the court that it incumbent on the prosecution to set out valid grounds why they think Pickford will abscond. Moyo said the accused should bring two sureties to sign security bonds in the amount of P2 000 each. The accused has to report to the Maun police station every Tuesday.

Buffalo smash through fenced delta areas

GUMARE – Herds of buffalo in the Gumare and Shorobe areas, as well as in the panhandle of the Okavango delta, are smashing through the buffalo fences, farmers say. They are searching for palatable grasses and competing for vegetation with cattle from various areas.

Farmers are terrified by the animals, complaining that livestock has nowhere safe to graze or drink as the buffalo have taken over in large numbers. “Our livestock is shot at by wildlife scouts for grazing inside the fence but buffalo and other game are not shot when grazing in livestock zones,” farmers said.

The Wildlife department’s chief scout in Maun, S Mosojane, said that in Gumare poachers are cutting fences “and we appeal to members of the public to provide information regarding the activities of these people.”

Residents complain about Mabudutsa compensation

Mabudutsa residents have complained to the Minister of Lands and Housing, Ramadeluka Seretse, that compensation paid to them to be relocated is “too little.”

One resident, Gowedicwe Oane, said he was surprised that the Minister had said at a recent kgotla that he had not come to Maun to discuss issues of relocation, but only to inform people how his ministry operated. Oane said residents had thought he would discuss the compensation issue in order to resolve problems residents have with the Tawana Land Board.

Oane said the Land Board had not compensated them for all their properties and the money that they have been given was not enough to build even a one-roomed house. He claimed former Tawana Land Board secretary Andrew Pitse had promised them that everything would be compensated for but they were now surprised to hear that some would not be.

Oane said the Land Board had refused to pay him for electricity, telephone, tuckshop, and a concrete slab he uses for brick moulding and a toilet.

Speaking at a kgotla in Mabudutsa, Seretse said he only came to Maun to inform them how his ministry operates. Seretse however said he was concerned that there were a lot of land transfers taking place between Batswana and non-citizens.

Indigenous conservation plans accepted to protect Okavango Delta
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Pilot projects geared to take place in the Okavango delta, a proclaimed Ramsar wetland conservation site, under Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) are expected to promote indigenous knowledge on conservation of natural resources.

The delta’s pristine and fragile environment is composed of unique aquatic and terrestrial plant species, and this has prompted government and international organisations to protect it through conventions.

Projects in the pipeline include waste management, manual control of the sylvania molesta weed, clearing of small access channels, active use and management of fire by resources users, human-elephant conflict, and tourism and community based natural resources management (CBRNM).

Indigenous conservation  is likely  to maintain the status of conventions governing the use of natural resources of the delta, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)  and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The ODMP project secretariat, in association with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has called on civic society organisations, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and other organised groups to fully utilize the pilot projects which will remain on the hands of community.

The ODMP’s participatory planner, Hannelore Bendsen, said communities requested during focus group interviews to participate on alternative problems that are within the Ramsar site as they rely heavily on the natural resources for consumption, income generation, cultural and religious importance. She said the community had shown interest in coming up with measures to solve problems that they encounter.

There are also some problems such as relations between community and tour operators. Community participation is likely to sharpen the scope of the ODMP as it will address some of the issues referred to as “hotspots” within the Ramsar site at local level with full participation of the community and will test management practices so as to incorporate outputs and lessons in the draft of ODMP, Bendsen said.

The pilot will also involve the civic society in joint natural resources management with government institutions. She said they wanted alternative measures that can be taken to alleviate some of the problems as they felt that there is lack of balance between traditional and modern methods of conservation leading to information and capacity building gap.

The pilot will assist in developing the management plan for better use and wise use of natural resources for the benefit of the community. Some of the management issues are tried in order to find out if they can be implemented.

She said if such projects are successful, they can be duplicated to some areas in the delta. ODMP Public Information Officer, Sekgowa Motsumi, said they are working on plans to allocate responsibility on the management or wise use of natural resources such as fishing and cutting of grass.

He said it was to allocate a simple, practical way in involving the community in “the wise use and reducing conflict by transforming traditional knowledge on conventions that are in place.” Areas have been identified where most of the problems are occurring.

Motsumi said the Ramsar site played an important role in tourism as there are commercial and residential developments within an area which are frequently perceived as providing the public with greater economic benefits.

Always a barometer

It is common cause that a good barometer of a country’s economic standing is the number of new cars registered in a given year.

Botswana has recorded a large number of such vehicles during 2005, even though there is a perceived economic slump rising out of the devaluation of the currency and, according to garage owners, an increase in the price of fuel also affecting their car sales market.

Some garages reported good sales, others bemoaned the economic situation, which if one reads between the lines, it may mean that the latter are not particularly successful car sales people!

As the government newspaper, Daily News, has reported, mid-sized to large vehicles are preferred by Batswana. In a country where distances are vast, this does not really come as a surprise. What is a surprise is that buyers have the money to do so.

Another interesting statistic is in the number of imported Japanese and Singapore vehicles that are now an everyday sight on our roads.  Just over 6 000 were imported in 2004, and last year this had jumped to a whopping 10 000 – half the number of other vehicles registered.

The reason, of course, is that these are much cheaper than South African-made vehicles sold in Botswana and therefore affordable to many.

The Maun Shuffle:

There could only be a major row in the offing over a decision by the World conservation Union (IUCN) that trophy hunting of lions is a good way of saving the species.

Botswana only recently allowed one lion to be shot in each concession area following a four-year ban on killing the animals because it was said that the lion population was declining.

Now scientists and researchers meeting in Johannesburg have endorsed trophy hunting, particularly as they say it could result in a huge inflow of foreign capital for countries where lions are shot by hunters.

There are pros and cons on both sides but Shuffle is merely bringing to the attention of readers what is being said and is not prepared to get involved in the debate, suffice to record that it will be interesting to hear the views of all sectors.

** 

Culture plays a huge role in our traditions, particularly in rural areas where village life is so important but, sadly, is eroding in this modern day and age.

The trend of migrating to an urban area is by all accounts affecting our outlook on time-honoured traditions and cultural activities, such as dances.

Young people unfortunately do not always appreciate what their elders have to tell them, nor do they listen too closely to the stories of yesteryear when their relatives hunted lion and buffalo through the bushlands of old Africa.

So it is with a sense of pride that we should salute any effort to impart our nation’s rich culture to visitors – particularly those who come here from overseas, go into the national parks, take a ride on a mokoro, walk through the Tsodilo Hills and do not have an opportunity to sample village life.

Afro Trek Safaris, attached to Maun’s Sedia Riverside Hotel, is one of the few to have identified a niche market that can be broadened and developed more fully insofar as culture is concerned.

Janet Maruza, the hotel’s managing director, tells Shuffle that as one of the three largest towns in Botswana, Maun needs to conserve its culture – after all, it is 90 years since the wattle and reed Maun of that time was named capital of the Batawana and therefore of Ngamiland.

The hotel has brought in Qani Xiite, of the Qungh tribe of the Basarwa, to play a role in ensuring that cultural links remain, and for tourists to take home pleasant memories of a country straddling the old and the new.

This 22-year-old gives tourists as true insight in her tribe’s culture, describing and explaining San culture, arts, traditional dance and medicinal remedies, and also has a workshop at the hotel where she makes ostrich jewellery and produces San art.

She is also taking visitors on a tour of a traditional village close by Maun to provide an insight into family, marriage and other aspects of village life, as well as explaining the duties of various family members within the family hierarchy.

It’s a splendid idea and Shuffle would like think that this could be the start of a resurgence towards ensuring that our cultural upbringing is safe and sound in a fast and modern world.

**

Shuffle has been hearing a lot lately about how criminals are allegedly being freed by the police even though there is hard evidence against them.

And, in some cases, there have even been occasions when nothing has apparently been done to apprehend the people who make the lives of others such a misery.

One of the incidents recently concerned a group of four men who had cut their way through a fence and were apprehended by security guards on the premises. They were hauled off to the police station, only to be released before the complainants could get there to make a statement!

Another was when security force trackers were called in to trace burglars who had smashed their way into a house.  The trackers arrived, duly did their job, but when they got to the fence of the house which appeared to be the home of one pair of footprints, they apparently, or so the story goes, declined to go further as, it is alleged, they said they knew the occupants!

Now isn’t that dereliction of duty, or is Shuffle living in cloud-cuckooland?

The problem Botswana faces is that the people who get robbed, and get no satisfaction from the police or any other authority, are quick to write to newspapers and various travel and leisure magazines in their home countries, warning people of the dangers they may face in our country.

Many tourists take away good memories about their stay in our country, but it takes just one to complain and we face a problem.  This boils down to bad publicity at a time when Botswana doesn’t need it.

Government ministers have made noises about the crime situation here but once they fly out to their cosy offices in the capital, that seems to be the last one hears of their input.

Maun is supposed to be the tourism capital of Botswana but unless the authorities in Gaborone and Maun wake up to the facts, we will forfeit that title.

BDP Youth boss out of protest

The Botswana Democratic Party Youth wing chairperson Peter Meswele says he will not be eligible to contest the party’s youth hot seat a second time.

Speaking to The Ngami Times last week at a function hosted by Air Botswana in Maun.  Meswele says by the time the youth chairmanship elections takes place in the next six months; he will be “35 years old, making me ineligible to contest”.

Meswele took over the job after defeating the then chairman, Gomolemo Motswaledi, at the Kasane 2003 BDP youth elections.

“Time has passed and we are moving on together as a party towards the same objective of democratically ruling the country. We are addressing the factional feuding within the party and all structures are involved, including the youth wing,” said Meswele.

Meswele says there is a pool of talent within the party (and) “therefore we should give others a chance to prove themselves. As party members, it is imperative that when the time comes to step down you do so.”

Meswele, who is also corporate planning manager at Air Botswana, says he was on the BDP central committee from 1997–1999 before coming in again in 2004 to represent the youth.

He agreed that factions were the main threat to the party and “not the opposition. The opposition we have is bickering and that is their downfall.” Faction fighting within the BDP is now being investigated by a “council of party elders” whose task it is to investigate, advise, caution and refer to the disciplinary subcommittee where necessary those involved in factional activities.

A six-member team is chaired by former specially elected Member of Parliament Jerry Gabaake with former ministers Kebatlamang Morake, Archibald Mogwe, Dr Gaositwe Chiepe, former Maun-Chobe MP Gaerolwe Kwerepe and former Shoshong MP Goareng Mosinyi.

Maun inflation rate goes higher

Maun’s reputation as one of the most expensive urban areas in Botswana was reinforced during December when the inflation rate for the town stood at 12% in December, it has been disclosed by the Central Statistics Office.

It is the highest since May 2003 and follows on a dramatic fall in inflation from then until May last year, when the rate began to climb steadily upwards.

The national inflation rate stood at 11.4%, showing an increase of 0.1 of a percentage point while the rural inflation was 11.7%. Inflation in towns remained unchanged at 11.1%.

Increases in the prices of furniture and appliances, leisure items, alcohol, tobacco, fuel and power as well as household consumables all rose between November and December.

The high cost of living in Maun is not necessarily caused by food prices, which on average are almost the same as in other urban areas of the country, including Gaborone and Francistown. This is also true of clothing and footwear, which have shown a negligible rise.  It appears to be the cost of other consumables and luxury goods that hits the pocket the hardest. Nationally, the prices of fruit, dairy produce, sugar, fuel and power, alcohol, tobacco, home ownership costs, furniture, vehicles, vehicle running costs, education, communication costs and leisure services have all jumped appreciably over the past 12 months.

An inter-government agreement is behind the non-appearance at times of Cuban doctors at Maun General Hospital and local clinics.

According to the agreement whereby the doctors work in Botswana in terms of an arrangement between the Botswana and Cuban governments, they are provided with transport and accommodation by the government.  If transport is not provided, then they are not required to report for duty.

An official at a clinic claimed to The Ngami Times the doctors “live in luxury and come to work whenever they feel like it”.

Patients at the clinic had demanded an explanation from officials about the whereabouts of the doctors. At one clinic, two doctors were supposed to have been on duty but neither had turned up.

Both doctors were foreigners – one from an African country and the other, a Cuban.  The African doctor had come to work in the morning but the Cuban had not done so and was at home as there was no transport which had to be provided by the clinic.

“These are arrangements made at the top level. If our vehicles are in use, Cuban doctors won’t show up and will not even use public transport. The doctors would rather stay at home even though knowing we are short staffed.”

A comment could not be obtained from the Public Health Specialist or the District Health Team, who are in charge of clinics.

The Maun General Hospital chief medical officer, Dr Phillip Wangia. said Cuban doctors are working under a bilateral agreement between Botswana and Cuba, and said “the volunteers are not going over board. “The conditions include provision of housing and transport for the volunteers and maybe that is why they don’t budge if transport is not provided.

“The contract stipulates that they be provided with transport to and from work. Their allowance is not enough to cover their travelling expenses.” Wangia says if transport is not adequate at certain clinics, it is incumbent upon the clinic to ask other departments for transport or else “the volunteers will just sit at their homes and this will severely hamper progression at the clinics.”

Double shift throws up problems for schools
By Calistus Bosaletswe

The double-shift sessions in schools in the North West is proving challenging. Two schools - Maun Senior Secondary School and the Itekeng Junior Secondary in Ghanzi – are among schools selected for the pilot project.

The MSSS headmaster Galesengwe Mohube said enrolment had increased due to the double-shift sessions and the school is expecting “a smooth sailing of the project, but they are bound to encounter some problems in sports activity and club activities.”

He said students attending classes in the afternoon are expected to go for training in the morning but they are not generally supervised because teachers will be in classes. Mohube said: “We do encourage them to go for training because they won’t be successful as they never meet during training”.

There are 30 classes of Form 4 in three bands (sections). He said two bands attend classes in the morning while there is one in the afternoon. The traditional morning assembly has been scraped with one now taking place at 12.30pm when the morning classes go for a break and the afternoon classes start.

Itekeng headmaster Prince Nthutang said the school was doing well with the system but accommodation for teachers was a worry. Nthutang said students “will not jell in sports activities as usual” because they will not meet. The double-shift session has affected Forms 1 to 3.

The Botswana Federation of Secondary Teachers is against the introduction, and last year threatened the Ministry of Education (MOE) with court action over the issue.

Car sales at record high

GABORONE – Spend, spend, spend seems to be the motto of Batswana, judging from the latest figures for car sales. According to a report in the government newspaper, Daily News, 21 499 new vehicles were registered last year – as against 2004’s figure of 230 954.

And these exclude the 10 631 vehicles imported from Japan and Singapore to Botswana last year. The import total is 4 400 more than in 2004. Quoting the head of the Licensing Unit of the Department of Road Transport and Safety, Raveenbra Nayar, the newspaper says that among the imported vehicles, Toyota was far and away the most popular followed by Mitsubishi and Nissans. Naledi Motors and Kia Motors both reported good sales of medium-size to large cars and that customers were not concerned about fuel consumption – “people buy our cars due to their affordability and consume less petrol,” the newspaper quoted Boitshepho Tshane, of Kia Motors, as saying.

By contrast, Motor Centre Botswana, a Gaborone car dealer, said people were not buying cars as they had in the past. “Purchasing power has been adversely affected by the devaluation of the currency and the petrol price increase,” a spokesman said. “The market is declining.”

Botswana athletics aims for Games medals
By Onkabetse Tsaro

The Botswana national athletics coach, Mogotsi Otswetse, says the chances of Botswana making it through to the medals at Commonwealth Games at Melbourne, Australia in March are more than likely.

Speaking to The Ngami Times from the national team camp, Otswetse says with the level of fitness the athletes have “they have a very good chance of making it at the Games. Currently we are putting more of our energies on the athletes who have not qualified, and of course we are also watching those who qualified to maintain their level of fitness,” he added.

The athletes are preparing themselves for track and field events that will be taking place in South Africa this week. “This is where all other athletes who have not qualified as of now will try their chances whilst for those who qualified. It will measure up their performance before the Games. “We are very optimistic that medals will be brought home from South Africa and the Melbourne Games,” said Otswetse.

Athletes who have already qualified are Glody Dube (800m), Gable Garenamotse( long jump), California Molefhe(400m) and the male 4x400m relay team which is made up of Gakologelwang Mosheti, Obakeng Ngwigwa, Kagiso Kilego, Johnson Kubisa, Oganeditse Moseki and Gaolesiela Salang, and those still to qualify for places are Maun’s  Amantle Montsho(400m), Onalenna Oabona(800m), marathon runners James John and Ndabili Bashingile, and high jumpers, Kabelo Mmono, Kabelo Kgosiemang and Onnanye Ramohube.

Otswetse pleaded for the public to rally behind the national team. “People should support all the national teams. It should not only be football that gets the support. Our athletes have been doing wonders for a long time and they deserve recognition,” he added.

EDITION 298 January 20 - 27, 2006

Telling the story of San culture

Qumco. xaxi. The richness of the San culture is being explained in words, song and dance to tourists in Maun by Qani Xiite, of the Qungha tribe, who comes from Kacgae village near Ghanzi. Based at the Afro Trek Safari office at the Sedia Riverside Hotel, Qani – dressed traditionally in the way of the desert - is holding tourists enthralled as she speaks, and then performs San traditional dances before teaching them the intricate dance steps. Hotel managing director Janet Maruza said a decision had been taken over several months to provide a more cultural aspect for visitors to Maun – “visitors are very impressed with this introduction to the culture of the San and Botswana.”  (Picture: Bose Sethupa). *qumco – good morning; xaxi – how are you? Picture to follow.

·          

Lions ambush horse rider on safari
By Lets Open

A tourist found her African safari all the more frightening recently when a lion leapt on to the horse she was riding in wild country near the Moremi Game Reserve. The group of riders she was with from Italy, Britain, France and the United States were “ambushed by lions” hiding in thick grass and bushes.

A witness told The Ngami Times this week that “in no time, a lion was seen flying out of a tree trying to bite both the tourist and her horse, which took off with the tourist still on her back and the lion trying to dislodge her.”

The tourist fell into the fork of a tree as the horse ran, with the lion also falling off. Safari guides on the scene shot over the head of the lion to scare it off while the woman was treated for shock and minor injuries.

Slow start to school fees payments
By Calistus Bosaletswe

The payment of school fees ordered by the government from this year has had a slow start in Maun, but schools are hoping parents will pay up.

The controversial measure, which has come into effect after 20 years of free schooling in government schools, has been condemned by the teachers’ organisation, the Botswana Federation of Secondary Schools (BOFESETE).

Maun Senior Secondary School headmaster Galesengwe Mohube said there had been a slow response but expected the situation to improve when Form 4 students enroll soon. The school is expected to enroll 1 600 of these students this year.

Mohube said less than half the 840 Form 5s have responded to the call. He said the situation was worsened as a result of a poorly attended meeting at the end of last term where parents were addressed about the introduction of the fees.

A further parents’ meeting is planned “to encourage them to pay school fees.” Senior students are expected to pay P450 annually while those in junior secondary pay P300.

Moeti Junior Secondary School bursar Sefelepelo Ngwako said parents were responding in large numbers. She said even though some were not paying, they were signing contracts stating they would do so. Some parents were promising that they will pay at the end of this month.

Sedie Junior Secondary School bursar Shathani Gaeratwe said parents were co-operating. Most students had not yet paid.

Park visitors, travellers to pay vehicle tolls
By Calistus Bosaletswe

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) will soon introduce toll fees for any vehicles passing through game reserves and parks. These include safari vehicles, holidaying tourists, government transport of any kind and travellers passing through parks, possibly even those traversed by national roads.

The introduction of a fee is expected to be launched in reserves such as the controversial Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Makgadikgadi National Park and others. The Maun Educational Park, which has for years been free, will also soon be charging entrance.

DWNP Maun Co-Ordinator, Sibangani Mosojane, said payments are being brought in as a cost recovery measure. He said people passing through the parks and reserves were using department facilities such as bridges, toilets, roads and other facilities For instance, the department was maintaining Khwai Bridge, which “has been destroyed by passing cars.”

He said there are problems that needed to be solved by charging for use of facilities, adding that tourists were paying P200 when entering parks with their vehicles while civil servants in different government departments were given free entrance.

Government vehicles, council vehicles, safari companies, and individual vehicles would all have to pay but no final date has yet been decided on when the measure would be implemented. The money collected will go to the State.

Mosojane said the DWNP is also terminating the free permits system for community- based ventures and these would now be expected to pay a fee.

Cops Target Drug Users

By Calistus Kolantsho

Police have started on a massive clean-up of the drug scene in Maun.

The newly-appointed officer-in-charge of the Diamond and Narcotics Squad (DNS) for Police District No 5, Detective Assistant Superintendent Gilbert Galeitsiwe Sebele, says there is concern that drug usage is on the increase in the area. His office was following up “rumours” that “there are lot of drugs which are being circulated in Maun and Ngamiland as a whole.”

His revelation follows on the appearance in court last week of a British citizen who allegedly had up to 3kg of a banned substance in his home, and after evidence was led in court late last year that an accused in a threat to murder case had made a statement to police concerning drugs in Maun. Sebele said the most common drug in circulation was dagga but there were also hard drugs being peddled here.

It was difficult to arrest people “who are harbouring drugs” because drug trafficking and drug use is a hidden crime and the police have to rely on information which they receive from members of the public. In addition Maun and Ngamiland was a huge area which made policing difficult.

Some culprits during 2005 were arrested during random road blocks while others were apprehended during stop-and-search exercises, Sebele said. He appealed to members of the public to inform them if they have any information about people who are using drugs. Identification of the informers would be confidential.

Seventy-seven people were arrested on drug charges in 2005 - 73 Batswana, three Zimbabweans and one South African. Two juveniles were also arrested. He said so far 17 men and four women had been convicted while other cases are pending before the courts. Fines which were imposed ranged from P80 up to P1 000.

His comments follow on the appearance in court of a 39-year-old British citizen, Adrian John Pickford, who was arrested in January 12 at his Sedie home following a tip-off. Sebele told The Ngami Times that during the raid, police found 15 matchbox-sized compressed blocks of “a green substance” believed to be dagga. The blocks have been sent to the police forensic laboratory in Gaborone for testing and weighing. Other blocks found were of a larger size.

Pickford has denied the substance was for sale and that he had them in his possession for his own consumption. Sebele said police suspected he was selling the substance. Pickford did not plea when he appeared in court last week and will appear again at Maun magistrate’s court for mention next Tuesday. He is in custody.

Kentz drama details next month

The full extent and implications for Maun’s new district hospital of the liquidation of the Kentz Botswana electrical contracting firm will be known after February 6.The Department of Building and Engineering Services said in a statement released to The Ngami Times on Monday that the department would then be able to deal with the matter in accordance with contract provisions. “The construction of the hospital will proceed as planned as these works are contractually part of the main contractor’s work. There may be some delays in the existing programme,” the department said.

Allegations that suspect cabling may have been used in part of the electrical contractor work are being addressed, (and) “the company has been instructed to send samples of the cabling materials for laboratory testing to establish conformity to specification and standards.” The results have not yet been received.

The department said nine companies were pre-qualified for the work originally but only four had submitted bids ast the time of closing submissions.

Kentz Botswana was appointed as domestic sub-contractor “and therefore the contractual requirement for the main contractor to complete the project as agreed still stands.” Kentz Botswana filed for voluntary liquidation at the High Court on December 19, with the return date February 6.

Staff that had already left the site for the Christmas and New Year holidays were not aware of the situation until they returned to Maun to resume their jobs – only to find the company had closed.

About 350 workers in Maun are affected with another 1 000 at similar sites in Molepolole, Mahalapye and other towns.

Open Door case to be heard soon

Maun Magistrate’s Court has postponed the Open Door bureau de change armed robbery case to February 28. The case was originally brought before court on December 16 last year.

The accused persons are Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane, Phaa Ndeweni, Karabo Khango, Kitso Mguni and two Zimbabweans, Patrick Gwebu and George Themba Bhebe.

They are facing a single count of armed robbery allegedly committed in December 2004, and a charge that carries a minimum sentence of 10 years, involving the disappearance of P119 713,15, and 22 818 United States dollars, 5 040 Euro, 1 360 British pounds and 224 699 South African Rands. They pleaded not guilty and are on bail.

When the case came before court in February last year, Khango and Mguni engaged legal counsel, Charles Tlagae, of Chadwick, Anderson and Partners, Maun, who won bail for them. Tlagae had submitted that his clients were not arrested with money and there was nothing linking them to the offence.

Maphanyane and Ndiweni were found in possession of P4 000 which they claimed to have been received from their Zimbabwean co-accused. The prosecution had argued that there was sufficient evidence against the accused persons.

Five appear on armed robbery charge

Five appear on armed robbery charge

Five men who allegedly robbed a Chinese shop owner in Shakawe have appeared in court in Maun in connection with the charge. Magistrate Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo heard that the suspects had taken over P20 000.

The accused are John Masole (29), of Shakawe, Babuluki Ntshime (36), of Maun, Keagetswe Oye (32), of Maun, David Phuthego (30), of Shakawe, and Gosego Sebati (30), of Maun and are charged with a single offence of armed robbery. They pleaded not guilty.

According to the charge sheet, the suspects robbed the shop owned by Weng Xiau Song, Zheng Ling Ming and Moyo Moenga on September 21, 2004.

Phuthego has other pending robbery cases. He is one of the suspects who allegedly stole money destined for pensioners at Sepopa last year.Sebati was acquitted from the Maun Cashbuild robbery case of 2003 while Ntshime and Oye have been remanded in custody on allegations of having on January 3 this years, armed with a shotgun, robbed Tshwanelo Madima of a yellow torch valued at P60. The two also allegedly used personal violence against Madima.The two are also facing charges of unlawful wounding, in that they are alleged to have on the same day unlawfully wounded Khumoetsile Lerayang by hitting him with a hard object on the head. The two pleaded not guilty to that charge.

Accused can write their submissions

Two robbery suspects have won the right to submit written submissions to court in connection with charges they are facing.

Mambo Kobe (23) and Modiri Tshenolo (26), both of Boseja, Maun, appeared before the Maun chief magistrate Tshegofatso Mogomotsi for continuation of trial this week. Tshenolo’s witness, Jobe Anneng, told the court that he had seen Tshenolo – a suspect in the year 2000 murder in Maun of internationally-known anthropologist Hans-Joachim Heinz – searched by police but they did not retrieve anything.

Anneng described the accused as his friend and they were neighbours. He said it was not true that the accused stole the jeans from the complainant. The complainant, Chris Collins, earlier identified the jeans as his when he was giving evidence before court.

The prosecutor, Inspector Isaac Mamadi, asked Anneng if he will dispute that Collins’ house was broken into on August 21 2004, and that the culprits were Tshenolo and Kobe. Anneng said he was not able to dispute that because he was not with the accused persons at the time.

The prosecution also told the court that they were not ready with the final submissions. Mamadi suggested the accused provide written submissions. This was acceptable to the accused.

 Prosecution was given up to January 19 to serve and file submissions and the accused were given up to January 24 for their submissions, with the prosecution responding to the defence submissions on January 25.

Tshenolo and Kobe are alleged to have robbed Collins, a South African residing at Tsanokona. They allegedly stole two suitcases of clothing, a pair of binoculars and a jacket, all valued at P8 000. The accused were arrested after their footprints were trailed from Collins house to their homes in Boseja.

Kobe asked Mogomotsi to grant him bail because she had promised him but the magistrate denied the claim.

The accused have been remanded in custody.

Criminal dies in custody

One of Maun’s best-known criminals has died.

Constantine “Horse” Motlhabi died  at Maun General Hospital. The cause of death is not known.

He will be buried in Matsiloje, near Francistown.

Motlhabi was a serving convict after being found guilty of robbing Nata Lodge. The deceased was also facing charges, together with Metlha “Golden Tooth” Maphanyane, of robbing the Maun Department of Civil Aviation offices in 2004.

The road that isn't...

This is supposed to be a road! The Seronga-Mohembo road is in such a bad state of repair that deep trenches have appeared across the road in several areas, becoming a serious danger to motorists. The road has been washed away or eroded by the weather in several parts but no repairs had by this week been started. The road during the dry season was also in a bad state, and despite requests by residents and the area’s representative on the North West District Council, Willie Philips, nothing has been done.

Business school opens doors in Maun

Business school opens doors in Maun
By Calistus Kolantsho

An information technology, accounting and business college has opened its doors in Maun. TSL Business Academy’s director of marketing, Paul Opy said the school has centres in Nairobi (Kenya) and Harare (Zimbabwe).

Opy said the school was accredited by the Botswana Training Authority  (BOTA) and had partnered with the best examining bodies in the world.

He said the college is run by a consortium of local and international business people who have a track record of successful business management in many areas. He also explained that the reason why they opened in Maun is that there is no other college that offers courses at low fees, which can also be paid in installments.

TSL also offers distance learning and part-time courses. The chairman of the board of directors is well known Maun politician Robert Tembwe.

Manhunt for escaped prisoners

GABORONE – A massive manhunt has been launched for 10 escaped prisoners who broke out of the Gaborone Maximum Prison at the weekend.

The three prisoners recaptured were Nkhino Mosotho, 20, of Mogoditshane, Amos Moyo, 24, of Molehele, Letlhakeng, and Elvis Moyo, a Zimbabwean. Nkhino was on a murder charge and the others on armed robbery.

The three were arrested on Sunday. The 10 still at large are said by police to be dangerous and should not be approached.

GABORONE – A massive manhunt has been launched for 10 escaped prisoners who broke out of the Gaborone Maximum Prison at the weekend.

The three prisoners recaptured were Nkhino Mosotho, 20, of Mogoditshane, Amos Moyo, 24, of Molehele, Letlhakeng, and Elvis Moyo, a Zimbabwean.

Nkhino was on a murder charge and the others on armed robbery.

The three were arrested on Sunday.

The 10 still at large are said by police to be dangerous and should not be approached.

Rain, rain don't stay away!

It was inevitable that some people would complain about the incessant rain that has been falling over our region these past few weeks.

Our suggestion is not to make too much noise about it because rain is what we cried out for during the long dry months, and the fear that we wouldn’t have a wet season.

Now we know. The wettest November, a very wet December and a good fall during January so far has perked up everyone and given this desert country of ours a new look – green, green, green. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing how the vegetation has taken on a whole new look.

Let’s hope it carries on for a while longer, and then we can sit back and watch one of the best floods of the Thamalakane River in many a year as there have been wonderful rains in the Angolan eastern highlands, the river’s catchment area.

Kentz debacle

It has been with profound shock that the town has learned of the demise of Kentz Botswana, the electrical sub-contractor to the new District Hospital.

That the work will be delayed is certain but at least the government is right now trying to find a suitable replacement company so that construction can continue as before.

It is sad though that some 350 people are out of a job. If one multiplies that by the average number of people in a family, we are looking at about 1 200 immediately affected and through the extended family system, perhaps double that figure.

There is a glimmer of hope for some as it is possible that the replacement company will need to employ some of the staff.

Our schools appear to be doing very well, thank you.

Hot on the heels of the successes at Leapotswe Primary comes the news that Delta Waters International has also turned in a set of great results in their end of year examinations.

No doubt there were other schools who also did well – only problem is that they don’t tell us!!

Many people despair over education standards and what the future holds for our young people but surely if the teachers are able to extract the maximum effort from their students, then it stands to reason that results will be magnificent.

One doesn’t have to take the proverbial whip into the classroom to get the kids moving but simply quite diplomacy, a good knowledge of the subject being imparted and a firmness that makes it plain to the student of what is expected from him or her.

**

Three young women left Maun this week after years of living here.

The farewells to Sharon, Carla and Tammy were very emotional for many in the community who had seen them become good people to talk to, party with, and be firm friends.

Tammy lived in Maun for many years – her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, some years ago but she stayed on. Of her two sisters, one is in Johannesburg and the other in Edinburgh, where Tammy this week met up with her again as well as, of course, her mom and dad.

Accompanying her to Scotland was Carla, a bubbly woman who became very well-known in Maun as an astute woman who could match it with the best!  Her training in the Israeli army probably helped a lot, too.

Sharon came to Maun about six years ago and is now leaving for Colchester, England, where she is to be married to a British army officer she met when the British military trained in the Maun area last year.

All three will be sadly missed and Maun will be the poorer without them.

**

Robbers always search for a “soft target” and the fact that they now appear to have turned their sights on the elderly is despicable.

The recent attacks on two elderly women of this community must be condemned in the strongest language but we don’t hear any tribal elder standing up and doing so.

Perhaps people have become inured to such attacks, but whatever the case one would think that the elders would have warned their people that this is not the way of the Batawana or any other tribe, and that such attacks are against the culture instilled over hundreds of years in a proud people.

Shame on the burglars!

**

And while talking about crime, spare a thought for the people of the Bombadi ward in Maun.

Juvenile gangs are said to be roaming the area, and while not exactly terrorising anyone they have instilled a certain fear in the hearts of residents.

It appears, and this is not yet confirmed, that some are brazen enough to knock on the doors of houses and demand certain items in the bedrooms or lounges! Bare-faced cheek!

The locals call the youths “social misfits” and say they should be removed by the authorities before the people themselves are forced to take action. They have complained to the police who merely say the matter is being “investigated”, and that is the most over-worked word in the police dictionary.

Doctors blamed for fear of HIV

JOHANNESBURG – South African newspapers have been carrying reports praising Botswana’s “radical approach to HIV testing”.

In a story from Gaborone, the American news agency, The Associated Press (AP), reports that “when Botswana first offered free AIDS treatment, health authorities in one of the world’s most infected countries braced for as rush. It didn’t come.

“Most people there were still too afraid to get tested for HIV.” The story adds that the “startling reluctance” to seek help in one of the few African nations able to provide it “prompted a radical rethink of how testing is done here. An HIV test is now offered as a routine part of any medical visit.”

The decision to start routine testing initially caused alarm among international health advocates, who worried that patients’ rights to confidentiality and informed consent would be compromised, “(but) I think the first right of a human being is to be alive – all other rights are secondary,” is a comment attributed to Segolame Ramotlhwa, the operations made for the national treatment programme, Masa.

He is quoted as arguing that confidentiality was being confused with secrecy, making doctors reluctant to even suggest testing their patient of a disease that the report says has infected more than a third of Botswana’s adults.

It also quotes the medical superintendent of the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Howard Moffat, as saying that people who were not sure whether they wanted to know their HIV status often emerged from counselling “determined not to be tested.”

He blames the medical profession for playing “a major role in creating this fear of AIDS and this quite irrational reluctance to be tested.” It is estimated that up to 35% of the country’s population now know their status.

According to AP, much of the emphasis on voluntary testing and counselling came from the early association of HIV in the United States with homosexuality which is said to be “widely taboo in sub-Saharan Africa.” The report says HIV is now recognised internationally as a heterosexual disease that last year killed 2.4-million in Africa.

Haunted by Evil Spirits

Anne Olscheswski
By Calistus Kolantsho and Calistus Bosaletswe

Anne Olscheswski is a woman who is living a life that no one could ever imagine, as she lives in poverty, and terrorized by evil spirits, and mainly what she perceives to be zombies.

The Ngami Times caught up with the middle aged woman at her home in New Town, Maun. Olsecheswski, a former business woman says she is married to a German Rolf Olsecheswski who has long left her.

Today Anne lives in a big yard, with a wall around but one is horrified once you enter the compound as there is only rubble in the yard. She cries foul over being haunted by evil spirits which have even left her bankrupt and in poverty. It turned out that Anne needs help in different forms. Firstly the poor woman needs food as there is hardly any food in her house, and secondly she needs to be helped spiritually and psychologically.

The woman narrated her story on how it all started. In 2000, her house was gutted down by fire when she was trying to boil a concoction  that she used to chase evil spirits away. She said the concoction then caught fire as she had over slept and everything was burnt down.

Anne however claims that it was the work of the same evil spirits which want her out of her yard. “I am bankrupt and I pray that I have food on the table, the evil spirits have also withdrawn the money I had invested in the bank and I have nothing to eat at all,” she said.

“I have seen people who are bewitching me flying over my yard.” said Olsecheswski. Olscheswski said her yard  is a place of Armageddon where she has on several occasions been threatened with death by evil spirits .

“The spirits come here as they wish with  poisonous stuff such as DDT, rattex, Galephirime and others to kill me. I nearly died at one point when I took a sip from a cup of tea which I had left on the table,” she said. Anne says the spirits had poisoned her tea, which led to her near death experience. She says with her prayers to God she came to life.

She said she was once locked inside the house by the evil spirits and had to get out through a window with burglar bars. “I woke up the following day to find knives, axes and steel rods in my bed,” cried Anne.

The windows of her one roomed kitchen are tightened with wire to keep out these evil spirits. She said without tightening she finds her cups, plates scattered all around the yard. She however says that she has consulted some churches who have removed things from her body. She said that a python was once killed in her house and another snake had disappeared into her room. She added that sometimes she can even hear laughter, car hooters but cannot see the people making the noise.  She also said that  thieves have on several occasions  assaulted her, breaking her teeth and fingers.

The boy who grew into a success

Mokganedi  Monnaatsie

Bana ba Naga student at Jacana last week
By Bright Kholi

Mokganedi  Monnaatsie is a true success of the Children in the Wilderness Botswana Programme. After having been in the first Bana ba Naga group that the programme started with in 2001, and in two other following groups, he became a role model counsellor in the programme.

Monnaatsie, who lives at Matlapana, was last week busy doing his job as a counsellor to a group of 16 children from Xakao village when The Ngami Times caught up with him at Jacana camp in the delta. Monnaatsie said that before he was part of the programme, he was “an ignorant child who never took anything seriously, bunking school in Grade 3.”

With a single parent bringing him up, he says he was rescued by the first camp he attended with Bana Ba Naga. “It was then I  took a new look at myself. I really got interested in the programme and what it had to offer, as I came again the following year when I was with Bana Ba Letsatsi school,” he said After making a third visit, he was ready to be a counsellor.

Monnaatsie, who is in Form 1 at Moeti Junior Secondary School this year, says the programme has given him an easy way of choosing a career. He says the love for wildlife which was fostered by the programme has enriched his knowledge about environmental awareness and as a result he wants to be a professional guide.

“At primary school I used to take children to the parks and educate them on the names of different animals and plants,” he said, and hopes to instil the same spirit into his new school if teachers agree.

Business News

Huge power plant draws investor interest

Top international energy and mining companies are interested in investing in a US$4 billion (about 24 billion pula) power plant in Botswana, the Toronto-based Coal Investment said in Johannesburg this week.

The chief executive, Gregory Kinross, said Coal Investment, which aims to raise $US40 million (about P240-million) by listing in Toronto and Botswana in March, expected the Mmamabula coal mine, near Mahalapye, and a 2 400-3600 megawatt power plant to launch in 2011.

Kinross told the Reuters news agency: “We have had specific approaches by one or two major international power companies and more serious discussions with one party.” Coal Investment, which is backed by South African investment firm, Tau Capital, owns 51% of a joint venture with Botswana-based Meepong Coal Investment to develop the mine.

The Botswana government said in October the coal mine and plant would produce enough power to supply the whole of southern Africa with power and help avert shortages that are expected to hit the region around 2011.

South African power utility Eskom is said to be keen to buy the power and is in “close discussions” with Coal Investments, and the Botswana and South African governments were due to sign a memorandum of understanding over the purchase of power.

Coal Investment had drafted in prominent South African businessmen like Nedbank chairman Reuel Khoza and Development Bank of Southern Africa chief executive Mandla Gantsho as directors to help attract major funds to its share offering, Kinross said. Several mining companies had also approached Coal Investment about investing in the mine, although Kinross said the company would probably wait until further feasibility studies were completed before bringing one of them on board.

The company would probably split the project and recruit both an international power and a mining company to spearhead development.

Plan for Botswana-Namibia coal rail link

WINDHOEK, Namibia - A group of coal mining companies and Germany’s

Siemens plans to build a railway across the Kalahari Desert to link Botswana and Namibia at a cost of about US$1-billion (about P6-billion), a Namibian firm in the consortium said this week. A Reuters news agency report said the project - Electrified Trans-Kalahari Railway Line -  will connect with the Botswana railway line at Morupule near Palapye and end at Shearwater Bay, 30 km (18.6 miles) south of Luderitz in Namibia.

“Costs are estimated between US$840 million and US$1.33 billion (between about P5-billion and P8-billion),” Mihe Gaomab, chief executive officer of Falcon Resources Holdings, the Namibian company in the consortium, said.

He said the project was about to enter the feasibility study stage, with construction expected to start by the end of 2007. The money would be provided by companies in the consortium. Two of the other partners are Siemens South Africa, which will provide the technology and rolling stock, and a Canadian listed company that Gaomab did not name. A spokesman at South African iron and coal producer Kumba Resources said the company would monitor progress of the project, but was not directly involved.

Representatives of the companies in the consortium met in Windhoek late last year for consultations, and are due to meet again in February in Johannesburg, Gaomab said.

The railway line is expected to transport about 20 million tons of coal from the Botswana coal mines to Shearwater Bay, where a port is also to be constructed. The line is expected to be similar to the Sishen-Saldanha Bay railway line which is used expressly for transport of goods by extra-long trains in South Africa

The port and the railway line will service mining and industrial activities in Botswana, as well as copper mines in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaomab said. A Siemens official said the number of members of the consortium was likely to increase as the project unfolds.

“We are very keen to participate in the project. We intend to be the technology provider and also provide the rolling stock,” Gorman Zimba, the managing director for the Siemens South Africa transport division told Reuters.

Sports News

All set for Zebra game

The Maun Select committee, From Left to Right: Standing T.E King, Nicky Mokibe, Ace Masole.

Seated  L -R: Charles  Thabano and K Tswaolesele. Missing from the picture is Leisure Mmolwa

It is now official – Zebras, the national team, will play in Maun against a Maun Select on February 11 at the Maun sports complex.

This comes after the Botswana Football Association (BFA) confirmed that the Zebras will participate in a charity soccer match billed to raise funds for a children’s park to be built in Maun. The match, organised by hardware superstore A to Z Mica, was to have been played in December last year, but the national team suggested a later date as most of its players were engaged in other matches.

BFA’s Tshepho Mphukuthi said another reason that the game failed to materialise last year that  it  was impossible to secure seats on a flight until only after Christmas.The Nhabe Regional Committee of the BFA has already set up a committee that will, among other things, be responsible for putting together the Maun Select team.

Nhabe chairman, Stanley Kanyenvu, said the committee is led by Charles Thabano as the manager while Makgabisa’s Nicky Mokibe has been elected as head coach. He will be assisted by Leisure Mmmolawa and Ace Masole.

The committee will be responsible for fixing the training logistics and other logistics.

Maun Zebras club to be launched
By Cobrie Kgaodi

The Maun Zebras Supporters Club will be officially launched on January 28 at the Maun sports complex. According to the club secretary Boddy Bonang, the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) chairperson, Dorcus Makgatho-Malesu, will be the guest speaker.

Also expected to attend are Zebras coach Jelusic Veselin, the BFA technical director Phillimon Makhwengwe, BFA president Phillip Makgalemele and representatives from other club branches.

The Maun branch was formed last year and has so far attended several matches that the Zebras played in and outside the country. Bonang has called upon all members to make the day a success.

Activities commence with a motorcade from Nando’s restaurant to the stadium and in the afternoon, there will be a football match between Orange Botswana and Zebras Club. The day is expected to end in a fund-raising  bash at Trekkers Nite Club.

Elephants move to the top
By Cobrie Kgaodi

The Elephants have moved to second spot on the Nhabe Regional football log after beating CTO 3-1 over the weekend. The Elephants now have 22 points, closely behind Makgabisa who are top.

Elephants scored their first goal through Killos Boatametse after a pass from Shakes Monowe, who sent the ball over while marked by two CTO defenders. Monowe was later to increase the scoreline to 2-0 from a well-taken shot. They went further ahead with Nlakidzi Sethapelo after dribbling past CTO defenders before sending a shot that left the goalkeeper lying on the ground. CTO were rewarded few minutes before half time when Moses Moipudi broke loose and dribbled passed the Elephants goalie before slotting home to make 3-1.

Weekend soccer results, fixtures

Weekend soccer scores and upcoming fixtures are:

Tigers 2 Moeti 3, Terrors 2 Moeti 0, Gaegolelwe 2 Bush Bucks 4, Gunners 1 Cubs 3 and BMC 3 Maun United 1.

Soccer fixtures: 

Saturday January 21: Maun United v Maun Terrors 2pm; Maun United v Elephants 4pm (both games at stadium); BMC v Fuji Rollers at CTO ground.

Sunday January 22: CTO v Makgabisa 2pm; Cubs v Sankoyo 4pm (both games at stadium); Maun United v Zungu at CTO ground.

Edition 297 January 13 - 20

ROBBERS RUN WILD
By Calistus Kolantsho

Elderly Maun residents were attacked, an expatriate tried to commit suicide after his lover spurned him, a soldier killed himself, armed men held up a safari camp, and a passion killing all combined to rock the area over the past two weeks.

Phyllis Palmer, widow of legendary big game hunter Lionel Palmer, and Liz Cardwell, a long-time resident of Botswana – both  well-known for their support to the community at large - fell victim to robbers who broke into their homes.

Cardwell was being throttled by one of two assailants in her home when only the timely arrival of a friend saved her from possible further injury. Police later made two arrests, and an amount of property allegedly stolen from her home was recovered buried in the garden of one of the suspects.

Palmer was attacked after she had hosted a party and when the guests had departed, the robbers struck, not realising, it is thought, that there were still people in the house. A 56-year-old nightwatchman was severely injured when he was attacked outside the Palmer yard by three men armed with knobkerries and a metal rod. They demanded he show them were Palmer “kept her money” but he refused and was, said police, “beaten to a pulp”.

The robbers then broke the door of the main house and gained entry, going to the bedroom where she was sleeping. They tried to open the door but she managed to hold it closed until the thugs were disturbed by the 911 emergency radio.  The trio fled empty-handed. The nightwatchman, who was not identified, was admitted to Maun General Hospital but he has been discharged.

Maun police launched a manhunt for seven men who staged a New Year’s Day robbery at Drifters Safari Camp in Chanoga, 32 km from Maun. Maun’s acting Station Commander, Assistant Superintendent Howard Modo, said the incident happened at about 11.30pm.

The seven robbers allegedly fled with P11 000, 2 000 in US dollar bills, 9 000 South African rands, four cellphones and a Toyota bakkie. They were wearing balaclavas and armed with a rifle, screwdrivers, and a pick axe. The camp manager, his assistant and clients were tied up and locked in a bathroom. Police later found the vehicle abandoned.

In a bizarre suicide bid, a 34-year-old South African working for a local safari company allegedly attempted to kill himself after his girlfriend told him she was no longer interested in a relationship.

Modo said the man had taken an overdose of tablets which he was using to stop smoking. He was admitted to Delta Medical Centre but had been discharged. No charges were preferred.

In another incident, a 30-year-old man of Kgosing Ward in Maun was found hanging from a tree by a passerby in December 23. He was a soldier based at Maun’s Botswana Defence Force camp and had used a piece of wire to hang himself.

The day after Christmas, a 32-year-old man throttled his lover in New Town ward, and   took his own life by hanging. Police said the passion killing was a result of  “a misunderstanding.”

Hospital delays follow on Kentz closure
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Building work at the multi-million pula Maun District Hospital has taken a severe knock following the liquidation of the main electrical contractors, Kentz Botswana.

Kentz pulled out of Botswana on December19 after applying to the High Court to be placed in voluntary liquidation. They said the business climate was not suitable and that major losses had been sustained, particularly since the devaluation last year of the pula currency. More than 800 employees have lost their jobs, at least 350 of them in Maun.

A knock-on effect could take place, affecting many more workers on the site, as other construction work will have to be temporarily halted while new electrical contractors are found to complete the work began by the Irish-based international company, which was also involved in electrical contracting at the Mahalapye, Molepolole and Ghanzi hospitals, and the Lobatse Mental Hospital.

The state-of-the-art Maun District Hospital was scheduled to be completed in May next year at a cost of about P400-million. Revolutionary building techniques are being used in its construction and the hospital will be equipped with the most modern equipment.

In a statement, Kentz Botswana said that “after serious consideration, we know that the business (in Botswana) is not sustainable and hence Kentz International has decided not to continue its financial support for Kentz Botswana. “We sincerely regret that we had to close at this time but we have been left with no alternative.”

Efforts to obtain official comment proved fruitless this week. A questionnaire relating to the issue was faxed to the Department of Building and Engineering Services of the Ministry of Works and Transport – the project co-ordinators - but by the time of going to press, and despite assurances given that a reply would be forthcoming, no comment had been received.

Meanwhile, there were conflicting statements being made in Maun this week. Former employees said that “the real reason” for the closure was that Kentz Botswana had allegedly been using inferior cabling imported from Zimbabwe on all its sites in the country and that this had only been discovered when inspections were carried out by government officials. The claim was dismissed by a Kentz official, who said cabling was to specifications laid down by the project co-ordinators.

Affected workers congregated at the hospital gates this week demanding to be told further information and an official who spoke to them said that “negotiations are taking place.” He did not elaborate. Employees said they were dismissed without official regulations being followed and were also not told why they should not come to work. A claim that they were not paid was denied by the company.

Travellers’ companion . . .

Motorists crossing the Makgadikgadi Pans on the road from Maun to Gweta have had a memorable holiday season as many elephants and giraffe took advantage of the roadside’s lush grazing brought about by heavy rains.  This one-tusked old bull was not afraid of anything – flapping its ears as motorists drove slowly by, marvelling at the size of the animal that was accompanied by another equally as large female. (Picture: Bright Kholi)

Air Bots increases fares, fuel surcharges

Air Botswana is this weekend increasing its air fares and fuel surcharges that is passed on to passengers.

Tickets will now cost 5% more for flights within Botswana, to South Africa and other parts of Africa and to Europe, and 3% on tickets to the Middle East. The new fuel surcharge of US$8 (about P42) is added to the price and is said to be “due to the increasing fuel costs and inflation” on domestic flights.

The increases come at a time when Air Botswana has just introduced a second BAe146 passenger jet on domestic and regional routes following many months of disruption of schedules due to a lack of aircraft caused by maintenance problems and break-downs.  The new flight schedules, operative to March 25, in to and out of Maun have been cut dramatically in order to provide a more streamlined service.
 

Three in court for rape of girl, 15
By Calistus Kolantsho

Three accused have been remanded in custody on allegations of rape.

The three, Meshack Masake (25) of Shorobe, Keemetswe Ntwe (26) and Foster Marenga (28), both of Mabudutsa, are alleged to have raped a 15-year-old girl from  Shorobe ward, Maun. They pleaded not guilty. The trio is alleged to have attacked the alleged rapists on December 21 at Sanyedi. She was on her way to Shorobe ward.

Assistant Superintendent Howard Modo said the three pulled her onto a dark path and raped her several times. He said the complainant was rescued by women who heard her screams. He also said that fortunately the complainant knew one of the rapists and the three were quickly arrested. In another case, two accused appeared before the Maun magistrate’s court to face charges of armed robbery.

The couple, Baboloki Ntshime (37), of Riverside, and Keagetswe Oye (32), of Thitoyamokodi, are alleged to have on January 3 armed with a shotgun robbed Tshwanelo Madima of a yellow torch valued at P60.

According to the charge sheet, the two accused used violence against Madima. Ntshime and Oye are also facing charges of unlawful wounding in that they are alleged to have on the same day, also at Moeti, unlawfully wounded Khumoetsile Lerayang by hitting him with a hard object on the head.

The accused have pleaded not guilty to both counts and they have been remanded in custody. Both cases are being prosecuted by Sergeant Mokiya Mokiya of Maun police.

Prostitutes ‘active outside big stores’
By Onkabetse Tsaro

The entrances to chainstores in Maun appear to have become favourite pick-up points for prostitutes.

Most women involved are said to be Zimbabweans, who say they are unable to get jobs in the town and resort to being sex workers. Witnesses say that it appears the women stand outside the doors “offering” hair plaiting, clothes washing or any other menial job.

 “These women have quickly become easy targets for sex perverts. Guys call them over with the view of offering piece jobs at their homes but on the way, they instead negotiate sex for the amount they were offering,” said one person.

It is claimed that taxi drivers are involved in the racket which also apparently draws prominent local men to the vicinity of the stores. A Zimbabwean woman told The Ngami Times that “it is true there are some of us who are prostitutes” but denied being one of them, although admitting “it is hard finding a decent job.”

Last year, it was claimed by shopkeepers facing on to the temporary parking area on Tsheko Tsheko road that young women were visiting drivers of large trucks parked overnight.

Accused denies previous convictions
By Calistus Kolantsho

The refusal by an accused person in the vehicle theft case to admit to his previous convictions has led to sentencing to be postponed from December to this month.Benjamin Motai told the Maun magistrate’s court shortly before Christmas that the previous records that were read to him in court from the Criminal Records Bureau “were not true.” He claimed he was not aware that he had any previous criminal record.

Motai appeared before chief magistrate, Tshegofatso Mogomotsi, together with Bruce Mokere and Ditshupo Tshere, a student at Maun Brigade, for sentencing. They were earlier convicted by Mogomotsi on a single charge of motor vehicle theft in August 2003. 

The accused are alleged to have stolen a vehicle belonging to Thusanang Ngashe, a teacher at Kareng Primary School, and the vehicle was involved in an accident near Mamuno border post. The evidence that was lead was that Mokere was seen in Ghanzi driving a white Toyota Hilux which looked exactly like the one that was stolen from Ngashe Mogomotsi dismissed the evidence of the accused persons saying that it was meant to mislead the court and also said they were not credible witnesses.  Mokere has pending cases of burglary, stealing from dwelling house, attempted robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, the Metro armed robbery, theft and giving false information.

Big successes in Delta Waters exams

Delta Waters International School in Maun has achieved a 100% pass rate in the HIGCSE examinations for a record sixth time in succession. A school spokesperson said “a number of factors explain our success story. A good number of the candidates who enrolled were our own products and this gives us confidence in our system.

“Secondly, most of the candidates were boarders who are well-focused, full-time scholars, while, thirdly, a high standard of discipline was maintained through effective communication and guidance to the students. “Our teachers are highly qualified, experienced and motivated.”

The school is also confident that the forthcoming IGCSE results will be good, having achieved 100% passes for the past six years. The school is also expanding, and recently engaged the services of a Physical Education teacher in recognition of the importance of the sports component in effective education.

The school has already been doing exceptionally well in sports such as rugby with 2005 being a particularly successful year. The school’s rugby side competed in three major tournaments, winning the Maun Schools tournament and being runners-up in a national schools rugby tournament held at Maru-A-Pula School.

Delta Waters came third position in the second national schools tournament held in Francistown. Delta Waters opened a primary school section in 2004 and is pleased with the progress made to date. “The school has right from its inception been very active in identifying, nurturing and showcasing the wonderful talent and tremendous potential of not only its pupils but of pupils in other schools in Maun and beyond.

“This has been possible through annual events like the Summer Festival, which is a display of what our pupils can do; the Little Miss Delta Waters Contest, which involves all pre-schools in Maun; the Marimba Festival, which brings together schools from all over the country and the Cultural Festival, which facilitates an interaction of cultures from all over the world,” the spokesperson said.

Price increases? What price increases . . .?
By Calistus Bosaletswe

Some large retail shops in Maun have denied claims by consumers that they have increased prices of goods this year, while others “some factors” had forced them to do so. Consumers complained to The Ngami Times this week that shop prices, particularly those of groceries, had shown an increase.

Safari Spar general manager Kevin Lawless said this week that prices of several commodities had gone up this year compared to the same time last year. He cited the high price of buying goods in South Africa as one factor which led to the hike and also pointed to the devaluation of the Pula last year which led to the current exchange rate of one Pula to R1.32 (one South African Rand and 32 cents).

Lawless indicated that meat products prices had increased from January 1 after the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) increased their prices. He said chicken had increased because local suppliers shot their prices up due to chicken feeds, which they buy from South Africa, being more expensive. Lawless said the prices of any meat related product – including all cuts of beef, polonies and tinned dog food - is expected to go up this month.

The managers of two other supermarkets, Choppies and Shoprite, have denied increasing any prices of their goods this year.

Maun Choppies branch manager, Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran, said they only increased prices of goods during the devaluation of the Pula. He said any other increment was made later when fuel prices went up.

Choppies had increased prices because the transportation costs of goods from South Africa and Gaborone had also gone up. He denied any increase so far this year. Shoprite manager Moitsemang Kwapi shared the same sentiments, claiming that there was no prices increased this year.

Take one chef, add hyena and run like mad!

DUMATAU – There was drama galore when a chef opened the door of his kitchen at Dumatau safari camp in the Moremi Game Reserve this week and found a well-fed hyena resting quietly on the kitchen floor.

Hyenas are not known to make the best of pets, so the chef turned tail and fled. But this hyena was tired and old, and rather full, thank you, from all the food it had consumed during the night.

Workers gingerly dragged it out and placed it next to a tree trunk where it could snore off its night’s guzzling. The chef cast a wary eye over to the sleeping animal with the ferocious jaws and commented: “The boss tells us to be kind to hyenas as they are a tourist attraction. But not in my kitchen!”

Shrinking pay packets

It seems as if Botswana has to brace itself for belt tightening.

Rising food and fuel costs, higher inflation, increased telephone charges, the payment of school fees and higher air fares are contributing to making pay packets shrink even faster in 2006 than what they may have been in 2005.

The big hike in the price of beef, for instance, has shocked many as beef products are among the most popular on the menus of any family. There appears to be little relief in store for the vast majority.

The civil service, unless there is a monumental turnaround by the State, is not likely to offer its employees a huge across-the-board pay rise while many private companies are struggling to make ends meet in a market place that is not showing any real signs of buoyancy.

The cost of living index, which has climbed steadily since June last year, shows no real sign of dropping, and many are asking why this should be the case in view of the devaluation of the pula in terms of the South African rand.

South Africa, as is well known, provides much of our imports but the man-in-the-street is now asking whether prices of goods being sold here are not perhaps being deliberately increased by traders seeing shrinking profits as a result of devaluation.

**

The shock decision by Kentz, the Irish company that was the major electrical contractor to several of Botswana’s new hospitals – including the one now under construction in Maun – to declare bankruptcy needs to be carefully examined as it has from all accounts been brought about through a series of events.

It will be recalled that when the contractors went on site in Maun, the departments of Immigration and Labour immediately launched raids on the workers’ compound and arrested dozens for allegedly working illegally. Also taken into custody were senior executives.

After much debate in the departments concerned, a blanket permit was issued allowing specialist contractor teams to work on the different sites, particularly as the expertise required for the job was simply not available in Botswana, let alone Maun.

There continued to be regular swoops by the authorities, and the one that probably broke the camel’s back came just before Christmas, by which time it had also become evident that the devaluation of the pula had seriously affected operations, to the extent that Kentz  decided to seek voluntary liquidation.

Not only are we losing companies and valued manpower, we are also having to pay through our noses for goods imported from South Africa. The pula is now merely an extension of the South African rand currency, so little difference is there between the two on the money market.

Many expatriates who have lived in Botswana for years, earning a living and providing much-needed employment, have been issued with notices withdrawing work and residence permits.

It is sad that furniture removal companies are doing a good trade carting goods to South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia where the self-same expatriates are setting up new homes and businesses where, it is presumed, they are apparently more appreciated!

**

Only people 100 years or older will recall the era when there were no telephones or other electronic equipment as we know it today.

Well, we too may one day also remember an era when there were telephones because the electronic whiz-kids of this age have now come up with the talking computer, which they say will replace Alexander Graham Bell’s invention  in offices and eventually homes. And it is believed these new gadgets will be common-place in offices by the end of this year!

It is said that such devices will be easy to use, provided of course you have a computer, as it will make communication easier over much longer distances than may be the case right now.

Can you imagine such a scenario? And what does the future hold in store for those who like to yakkity-yak to their mates for hours on end?

**

Shuffle spent a few days in South Africa over the festive season and came away convinced that the bubble there is going to burst as sure as the sun rises in the East.

The swanky motor cars, nattily-dressed shoppers loaded down with luxury goods of all descriptions, a free-and-easy attitude to what seems to be money (particularly credit cards) literally thrown at them by the banks, the rapidly growing property market, the corruption . . . these are all symptoms of a society riding the crest of a wave but unhappily waves tend to come crashing down!

Everywhere one went, people spoke about how well they were living. Inflation there is right down, the bank rate is hovering at 10.5%, gold is increasing in price . . .

Drawbacks?  Well, roads need to be maintained as the sheer volume of motor vehicles far outstrips the shelf-life of most highways, the high-speed “Gautrain” in Gauteng is not going to be in place for the World Cup 2010 soccer tournament, corruption cases involving big names such as former deputy president Jacob Zuma, and unabated financial and economic support for the Robert Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.

Bana Ba Naga intensifies  follow-up programme
By Bright Kholi

JAO, Okavango Delta - The Children in the Wilderness Botswana Programme (CITWB) - Bana Ba Naga - is soon to intensify its current follow-up programme so as to remain in constant contact with children who have been hosted in camp.

This has been revealed here this week by executive director Angela Morgan during the media day at Jacana Camp. Reporters spent the day with 16 children from Xakao village who were on a 5-day camp.

Bana Ba Naga is a registered charity for children’s welfare and educational programmes that hosts disadvantaged children aged between 8 and 17 years. The programme was initially set up by Wilderness Safaris in 2001 with the assistance and support from Paul Newman, the famous film star and his charity, the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.

The Children in the Wilderness selection criteria, according to Morgan, is “children whose livelihoods have been interrupted and/or disrupted by life threatening conditions such as illness, poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

Morgan told reporters the current follow up programme was correspondence based, adding that the new programme will involve regular visits to areas where the children are based.

“We are planning to visit these children every two months, starting from next month, in their respective villages,” she said, adding every attempt must be made to remain in contact with the children in order to build on the valuable education and personal growth that they receive while on CITWB camp.

One of their main focuses is to tap in to existing clubs in schools and social workers in the children’s localities. Morgan also pointed out that they intend start identifying special interests from individual campers who will be given a further 6 day camp aimed at developing that particular area of knowledge.

She said their desire to enrol children from across the country will largely be dependent upon sponsors.  She said the programme would also need to have a permanent camp facility to be able to cater for larger number of children.

The Member of Parliament for Maun West, Ronald Ridge, who was the guest speaker, said it was encouraging that the programme embraced two of the country’s most important values, an appreciation of the country’s unique environment as well as respect for cultural heritage which is the Okavango Delta.

“The programme has proven to have considerable impact on the children, opening their minds, increasing their self esteem, proving additional education and encouraging them to complete their formal education,” Ridge said.

Also present was Duncan April, managing director of Lesedi Motors, Barclays Bank head of Corporate Affairs Mike Klinck and the manager of Air Botswana in Maun, Isaiah Mampane.

Some of the children from Xakao village who were on a 5-day camp, with Patience Buzwani-  Camp Director (front left) entertaining guests during a media day at Jacana Camp in the Okavango Delta

Decades-old land transfer bid still hanging
By Calistus Bosaletswe

RAKOPS - A request made by Boteti residents 40 years ago for the transfer of the State land between Makgadikgadi Pans and villages such as Mmadikola, Rakops and Toromoja into tribal land in the Boteti area has not yet been attended to.

The residents made the request to government in 1966 to transfer area T10 into a tribal land in order to use the land. According to Rakops Senior Chief’s Representative, Elang Gonkgang Mankgatau, the request was meant to create a space for communal grazing for livestock.

He said there was no space in the area for livestock ranches because the area had been occupied by the Makgadikgadi National Park and Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Boteti. He said there was no grazing land for cattle and the government took a long time to answer their concerns. The secretary of the Boteti Sub Land Board, Hatten Loso, told community leaders at a meeting last week that their request has not yet been resolved but a way forward is being considered.

Loso said the Land Board had distanced itself from the plea because the land belongs to the State, adding that the Department of Lands has taken over the matter. Loso said the Board would only interfere in the land use if the area is made into tribal land.

He said residents in the area had “self allocated themselves” boreholes on the land in question, adding that those who were allocated by the Chiefs a long time ago had nothing to worry about. He added that the boreholes in that area were unlawful.

He said if the land is transferred, there are opportunities that might arise such as rearing of wild animals as tourism ventures.

He said the problem of boreholes in the area has to be attended as they are many coming in the area. Cattle posts are scattered all over the area, but the Land Board could not act because the land was owned by the State.

Police had hands full over holiday period

GABORONE – Police nationally had their hands full with various crimes being committed – including murder, traffic offences, armed robberies, rapes and stolen vehicles.

According to statistics released this week for the period from New Year’s Day to January 8, eight people were killed in 158 separate road accidents while 1 160 motorists were charged for driving at an excessive speed in the 2 811 traffic cases dealt with. A breathalyser test for alcohol was conducted on 266 motorists, and 17 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

A further 13 were arrested for using hand—held mobile phones while driving, a practice that was outlawed last year.

Three murders were reported, police said, with three suspects arrested in connection with the cases. One involved the murder of a 21 year old man at Moshupa. A woman, also aged 21, was taken into custody.

Twenty-seven armed robbery cases were investigated and so far one suspect has been arrested. Five of the cases involved the use of hand guns, 18 knives and the remainder the use of various weapons. There were 16 armed robbery cases during the same period in 2005.

Thirty-five rape cases were also recorded, with 22 suspects arrested.

Earlier, two people died on the Sefhare/Ramokgonami road when their vehicle overturned following a tyre burst. Six other occupants were admitted to hospital.

Fake cheques used to buy furniture

Maun police are on the look out for people who are using fake cheques to buy from furniture shops in Maun. According to Detective Assistant Superintendent Stali Phuthego, the culprits use cheques from the government revenue office, North West District Council, and insurance companies.

The conmen normally bought electronic equipment and beds. Identification is through passports and not Omang (identity cards), and police believe the passports could be false.

He called on members of the public, especially those who are running furniture businesses, not to accept cheques that are not bank guaranteed and that they should insist on the use of the Omang and not a passport.

In another scam detected in the town, Phuthego said a gang is targetting young women looking for jobs. He said when these people meet with them in the malls they tell them that they have a job for them.

Phuthego explained that they go with the women into a building or a shop but tell them to leave in their safekeeping handbags and cellphones as “they are not allowed into the building with their handbags.”

The gang then disappears with the items.

Phuthego called on members of the public to search for jobs in offices not in the malls.

Sports:

Tigers hold Makgabisa to draw
By Cobrie Kgaodi

The Nhabe Regional division one soccer league resumed over the weekend with Maun Tigers holding the high-riding Makgabisa to a 2-2 draw.The encounter was characterised by rough tackling, which forced the referee to use the yellow card time and again, much to the disappointment of the crowd who wanted the use of the red to be brought in to bring the game under control.

Makgabisa, who included two players who sustained fractures last year, looked destined for victory as they dominated the game from the first minute.

The players were goalkeeper Spider Kanyetu and striker Machine Tibone, and their presence was felt in the game. Kanyetu made brilliant saves that left the spectators stunned.

Makgabisa made two nice crosses in the first five minutes of the game, executed by Trompies Kentshitswe but were intercepted by the Tigers defence that headed them back into play.

Makgabisa had their hard work rewarded when Trompies scored from a ball that the Tigers defence watched flat-footed as he ran for the posts – they thought it was an offside.

Makgabisa increased the lead in the 38th minute of the first half when their striker Dunga Seemeko managed to pass through the rather tough Tigers defence a ball that found the back of the net.

The second half took off at a slow pace but gained momentum as the game progressed. Tiger’s George Jacob failed to reduce the score margin when he went past a nice cross from Caiphus Maphomo only to be stopped by the net as the ball went out.

Tigers put up more pressure and forced Makgabisa defender, Montshonyane, to handle inside the box and Sparks Mmualefhe made it 2-1 from the penalty spot. Both teams made changes with Makgabisa bringing in Tibone and Gunda while Tigers pulled Ketlogetswe for Gontsi Motalaote, whose nice moves on the left flank caused confusion for Makgabisa. Tigers stole an equaliser from their captain and midfielder Mazibuko Patrick who sent a powerful drive whilst sandwiched by Makgabisa defenders to make it 2-2.

Makgabisa however remains perched at the top of the log with 22 points, closely followed by Tigers with 19 points.

Bhamjee seeks  FIFA re-election

The Botswana Football Association’s Honorary President Ishmael Bhamjee seeks to be re-elected for a post on the FIFA Executive Committee member, representing the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Bhamjee, who is also a CAF Executive Committee member, has been holding the post of the FIFA Executive member representing CAF since 1998.

According to a statement from BFA president Phillip Makgalemele, Bhamjee will be contesting for re-election at the CAF General Assembly scheduled for Cairo next week.

“Ishmael Bhamjee is a proven leader in matters of sports and in particular football. He has served FIFA, CAF, COSAFA and BFA with excellence that is second to none,” said Makgalemele.

Makgalemele also said that Bhamjee’s re-election to the committee will afford him the opportunity to continue championing the cause of African football which will benefit all football associations, adding that his win will be a win for Botswana.