As the curtain slowly closes on an era of tyranny and ignorance, another era is slowly taking shape; the era of Masisi. It is surely an era of mixed emotions if not outright uncertainty. 

In the event that ‘magic’ happens and indeed Masisi succeeds President Khama, the fear on everybody is Masisi going on to be nothing more than an extension of the current regime. The difference would be the same; jumping from the frying pan in to the fire. I am of the strong view that Masisi would have to walk a mile and a half to convince the nation that he is exactly what the doctor ordered to ‘restore’ sanity to the country.

Personally, I have doubts. I strongly subscribe to the view that Masisi owes his presidency to chance, convenience and sheer luck. He has never proven to be worthy a penny to bet on either his intellect or policies. As far as I am concerned, Masisi has too many rivers to cross before he thinks he can get us over the Red Sea.

Once a Stooge, Always a Stooge

One of the few things Masisi has demonstrated exceptional talent on, is being a stooge. He has in the past failed beyond any remote possibility of doubt to be his own man. If any of you are of the view that I am being malicious, I challenge you to come forward and share with us at least what Masisi stands for.  

Before we even confuse basic algebra to be advanced calculus, let it not escape us that Masisi has numerously failed to distinguish himself as a man of any great imagination. Be it in his parliamentary debates or other topical issues, Masisi has always allowed intellect to desert him, leaving behind, nothing but an ocean of arrogance -unqualified arrogance that is. 

If I am to mention numerous failed projects under his guidance, then that would surely be malice. I take it that by mentioning his defunct flagship programme; backyard gardening, I would be over-qualifying the extent of the problem at hand. I stood unequivocally opposed to the ‘President-from-South’ thesis advanced by Masisi supporters because I found it nauseating to say the least. 

The thesis is not only divisive and medieval, but most importantly, it is intellectually flawed. It is this type of overly simplistic thinking that brought us this political mess we are currently swimming if not drowning in. I believe we need a President with balls of steel to steer us from the mess that Khama and his sycophants drove this country into. 

It is common cause that his appointment to Vice President was not as result of distinguished merit, but rather demerits. Besides giving a memorable kgotla lecture on the merits of bolope, Masisi has so far failed to prove his political worth. Until Masisi rises above bolope (sycophancy) and acknowledges that deeds speak louder than words, he would forever remain a stooge. 

The Curry-pot

Masisi should heed Malcom X’s caution when he says, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” Just like the many self-appointed, self-help gurus out there have cautioned Masisi against his personal proximity to Asian and Indian business cartels, I would also like to kindly repeat the warning. I guess, we do not have to look far to see how compromising such ‘undefined’ relationships can be. 

President Zuma is a living example. He is now a tormented man. There is nothing wrong with business looking for an opportunity to flirt with him, that is just the nature of business. By nature, businesspeople would seek all possible avenues to exert influence on policy makers in order to shape policies to their favour. It is hence, morally incumbent on those in positions of power to ward off such flirtations; something that has over the decades, eluded African leadership. 

As long as Masisi is not at liberty to share with us the nature of his relationship with these business cartels, the relationship will always be viewed with great suspicion. This suspicion is further increased by his newly-acquired expensive taste as symbolised by pomp and lavish ‘Camp Dubai’ lifestyle. It is not rocket science that businesspeople put their money where their mouth is. 

By the look of things, Masisi is a helpless victim of the tantalising flavours in the curry-pot. Worrying but not surprising, is the fact that his arrogance is now reaching seismic proportions. May be to put it bluntly, it is reaching ‘Trump’ levels. At this critical juncture, it is safe to say Masisi still has many rivers to cross. 

Undoubtedly, transportation is essential for economic growth and development. Transportation refers to the carrying of people, goods and services (water, power, etc) from one place to another. However, the focus of this instalment is on public transport, specifically domestic long distance passenger transport served by buses.

Due to low private car ownership, the vast majority of citizens use this form of public transport as a principal mode of travel between settlements. Therefore, ensuring its efficiency ought to be of paramount importance.

Needless to mention, efficiency in a free market economy can only be achieved through unhindered competition between the various players in an industry. However, in Botswana, passenger bus public transport, even though it is private sector-driven and operated, is rigidly regulated by the Department of Road Transport and Safety. The department issues operating permits on strict conditions that pre-set bus fares, fixed routes and timetables are adhered to. 

The imposition of uniform fares and timetables on public transport is akin to a price freeze on foodstuff and other goods. Food is arguably more critical than transport to households, yet food prices are not regulated, allowing for competition in the industry and the resultant wider choices for consumers. Regulating bus fares is therefore incomprehensive. In fact, it is the only private sector service for which prices are kept uniform.

The status quo denies the passenger bus transport system an opportunity for vigorous competition amongst operators and the resultant growth of the industry. The artificial cap on fares that is not market-driven hinders the provision of value added services because it will not result in increased returns commensurate with the additional investment. In other words, there are no incentives in the industry for the improvement of services. The lack of competition also shields inefficient operators who provide a shoddy service to passengers. Since buses are allocated time slots for departure, passengers are compelled to travel in the bus that departs at a particular time even if it is not a bus of their choice. Deliberately missing a bus because of its poor service and waiting for the next one is never a viable option due to time constraints. The absence of competition is the reason the sector has remained largely stagnant over the years - it has not even kept pace with services provided by government. As a result, the passenger bus transport service is generally substandard and characterised by poor customer care, non-observation of arrival times, breakdowns, narrow, uncomfortable seats with little legroom, lack of air conditioners, seatbelts and toilet facilities and unkempt waiting rooms with non-functioning ablution facilities. 

One of the spin-offs of a free market economy is the abundance of options for customers. But this is not the case with our passenger bus service, which suggests that something is seriously amiss. Since economic activities are inter-connected, any major activity that is inefficient drags down the overall performance of the national economy, as the public passenger bus service currently does, which compromises its contribution towards sustained economic growth and development. 

The long overdue qualitative growth in the sector has been artificially stifled when, on the other hand, the rest of the private sector has been growing in leaps and bounds as it reaps financial rewards from continuous improvement and innovation. Tragically, the public passenger transport industry is operating at a fraction of its full potential as it is being held back by a hostile regulatory framework that has imposed a command economy on it, inevitably leading to inefficiencies.

Although the regulatory framework may have been prudent during the infancy of the republic given the prevailing socio-economic conditions and the virtually dry national coffers, government has lost sight of the fact that public passenger transport is a profit-driven service financed with personal resources of individuals who, like any other entrepreneur in a free market economy, deserve no less than maximum returns on their investments.  Instead, government continued to treat their private investments as a social service despite the huge financial risks they take in setting up their businesses. It is not the operators’ fault that government has not seen it fit to provide public passenger transport service to cater for the lower end of the market just as it does with health and education; the operators should not be victimised for this. At some point, government even scrapped the rail passenger service instead of strengthening and expanding it, with the full knowledge that the long suffering bus operators will be relied upon to step in to provide a social service.

As a way forward, government should devise a hybrid system that allows for an unencumbered, free market-driven public passenger transport service that also ensures that the lower end of the market is catered for. This would mean allowing operators to provide the service outside the current regulatory framework and to set their own fares, determine their routes and timetables as well as build their own waiting rooms. 

As a result of competition in the fast moving consumer goods sector, Choppies has emerged as the dominant player followed by Sefalana. The subsequent economies of scale have resulted in lower prices for customers and improved returns on investment for shareholders. The same will ensue if public transport is liberalised and opened up for competition. The few operators that will dominate, just like Choppies and Sefalana, will eventually spread their wings to other countries.

If the government unleashes the full potential of the passenger bus service by freeing it from a restrictive, anti-free market regulatory framework, the industry will soar to heights never before envisaged in terms of efficiency, reliability, quality and employment creation.

*Bugalo A. Chilume is a town planning consultant who deals with planning applications, appeals, etc.; he can be reached at buchiplan@btcmail.co.bw.

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Parliamentary candidates for the controversial Bulela-Ditswe primaries will be banking on the Court of Appeal to end their misery when it sits today (Friday).

The Bulela-Ditswe candidates for the 18 opposition held constituencies were left with egg on their face last month when the party central committee postponed the primaries to allow for the court of appeal to hear the case on participation of public servants in political parties’ primary elections. 

The candidates have argued that the process of delaying the primaries will negatively affect them in terms of resources. When postponing the primaries the BDP leadership indicated that the campaigns would not be halted something, which the candidates said would benefit those with financial muscle. 

Now with the Appeals court November mini session commencing today (Friday) the candidates have high expectation that the matter would be heard during this session so that the BDP will sanction the primaries to go ahead.

Government is appealing a decision of the High Court delivered on the 27th July 2017, in which the High Court held that section 5(5)(b) of the Public Service Act does not prohibit public officers from participating in political parties’ primary elections. 

Court of Appeal President Ian Kirby has indicated that the court would study the court record and see if the case warrants to be heard by five (5) judges as requested by unions’ lawyers. He explained that the parties would be notified during roll call if the case has to be heard by five judges or a bench of three judges.

 The union lawyers have called on the court to postpone the matter to the January session next year if it proves impossible to have five judges preside over the matter as the case raises some constitutional points. This was after Kirby indicated that it might be impossible to have five judges preside over the case.

When postponing the primary elections BDP Secretary General Mpho Balopi said they treat public servants like any other Motswana who is interested in joining and being part of the BDP. He cited Article 7.1 of the BDP Constitution, which states that membership of the party is voluntary and open to all Batswana who accept the party’s policies and programmes of action and are not members of other political parties or organisations whose policies and aspirations are incompatible with those of the party.

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is expected to soon write a letter to Swedish Government requesting to be availed all transactional information regarding the purchase of Gripens by Botswana Government.

This follows a series of engagements by the UDC with the Swedish Government through its representative based in South Africa. The UDC petitioned the Swedish government in May this year and last week UDC Vice President Dumelang Saleshando revealed that they had met in the morning of that Wednesday with the representative to give them an update. 

He said the representative has assured them that the Prime Minister has received the petition and it is being debated. Botswana Government has expressed interest in the acquisition of the ultra-modern Swedish mode Gripen JAS 39 fighter aircraft, manufactured by SAAB.  Botswana allegedly intends to acquie between eight and 12 of these aircraft. The Gripen JAS 39 aircraft is an ultra-modern and very advanced fighter, even by European standards that military aviation experts say the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) neither needs nor can afford. UDC President Advocate Duma Boko has indicated that they would be writing to the Swedish Ministry of Defence to request all details that are not classified. According to the UDC leader they would be taking advantage of the Swedish law on transparency.  “In Sweden a citizen can demand any form of information from an official and that information has to be availed. An officer can be prosecuted for refusing to avail such information. So it is in this regard that we would explore this avenue to request to be furnished with information on any transaction that involves Botswana’s Government.  “We want all the information regarding the buying of the Gripens as long as it is not classified,” said Advocate Boko who indicated that they would not ask for such information in Botswana because they are alive to the fact that government would not avail it.

“Here we know we would not get anything because everything in our country is classified. We are approaching the Swedish government because there, they are transparent. We know we will get such information on these transactions,” he stated. UDC wrote a petition to the Swedish Government titled ‘Botswana Arms’ race in the midst of poverty, massive unemployment and social inequality. The petition protests Botswana government’s ongoing and planned military spending. Boko stated in the petition that their plea as representatives of Botswana's political parties and civil society is for the Swedish Parliament not to approve the sale of these fighter jets to the government of the Republic of Botswana as it is not in the national interest to do so. 

“Our position is that military spending must be kept to the barest minimum, and Botswana's meagre resources should be used to build better infrastructure, such as water and electricity supply, in order attract foreign investment, reduce poverty, unemployment, social inequality and reward labour productivity, especially in the public sector,” he wrote. The UDC leader observed that since 2008, with the arrival of General Ian Khama as Botswana's president, the country's national security' expenditure has been on the increase. He cited the Stockholm International Peace Research (SlPRl), which records that Botswana's military expenditure jumped from US$ 292 million in 1998 to US$ 377 in 2008 to US$ 436 in 2015 (at constant 2014 prices and exchanges rates). “According to the more recent National Development Plan (April 2017-March 2023), Botswana is planning to spend about fifteen (15) percent of its GDP on what is labeled 'Territorial integrity'. lt is estimated that about half of this will go towards the acquisition of the ultra-modern Swedish mode Gripen JAS 39 fighter aircraft, manufactured by SAAB.”  

Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, the CEO of Botswana Post is the proud postman whose focus is in transforming and diversifying the postal services. 

Barely over two years in office, the writing is crystal clear that his mission to take the postal services to greater heights is within reach as evidenced  by the good profits the postal services has already made. Armed with MSc in Strategic Management, Ramatlhakwane is the kind of man who does not sit to enjoy the luxury of his office, but is always up on his feet leading his charges to own the transformation exercise. Clearly he must be subscribing to Martin Luther King’s philosophy that the “time is always right to do the right thing”.

Speaking to BG News, Ramatlhakwane does not mince his words; it becomes clear that he subscribes to Luther’s “When you are right you cannot be too radical, but, when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative”.  He is first to show that he understands his mandate. He says the Post is part of the strategic Government initiative and consortium to both harmonise expertise, maximise resources and skills, and grow stakeholder value, especially the mere Motswana in far flung places, under a Holding Group called Botswana Postal and Savings Limited Group (BPSLG). 

The latter has three (3) entities under its ambit being Botswana Post, Botswana Courier & Logistics and Botswana Savings Bank. These are however, independent entities with separate mandates yet sharing a common ground which is to bring services to the citizens. In time past these formed the singular mandate of the Post.

Having taken over in October 2015, Ramatlhakwane does not want to earn credit alone, instead he showers his predecessor, Keolebogile Pele Moleta and credits him for introducing him to the Postal Sector .“I have always sought to build on the foundation and vision that we set”. 

He says true to form, perception is stronger than reality and at the heart of everything he does both with the engagement of the Board and Management teams, is to make sure that, “we build a sustainable and successful Postal business”.  On assuming office, he was convinced that as a business they were at an “inflection point”, and unless they make critical decisions and take concrete steps, “we ran the risk of regression in growing this Brand – Botswana Post.  The latter part of 2015 and early 2016 was a busy period across all levels.” 

Excellence and growth

Ramatlhakwane’s first strategy was to become amiable.  He says during the transition period, they went through sensitive moments as a precursor to the business as seen now and still building towards 2020.  “I still look back and I am amazed at how crystal clear and impactful the Icon of Excellence Strategy was to everyone both locally and internationally.” At the centre of this Strategy was the realisation that Botswana Post in its traditional make up could not survive the onslaught of technology, and the fast-paced developments in people’s lives and how businesses are run in this modern age. 

“We needed to assume a different posture, and also in alignment with our national aspirations”. 

During the period following immediately after his appointment they undertook the SCAN - Performance Improvement and Opportunity Review - intended to inform their strategic disposition into the future. 

“In my mind we needed to re-focus and recalibrate but only if we knew what we are dealing with, then would our response be better measured and definitive”. They got approval to extend by twelve (12) months the Icon of Excellence Strategy. Botswana Post  has since made notable achievements among others making P500m revenue for the company, cut down cost to income ratio to 60 percent as well as become a serious player in the corporate Botswana

Fit for Growth

 During the 12 month strategy extension, they introduced Strategic- Operational Themes in predetermined focus areas that promised to become the bedrock of “our success when we finally cast our new strategy. “For me the 12 months was both a personal/mental boot camp and mock session for when we finally launch the new strategy,” he said. 

Innovative Excellence

The 2017/18 financial year saw the business introduce the new strategy, ‘Executing Innovative Excellence 2017 – 2020’. This is an amalgamation of the work put through from the Performance and Opportunity Scan, results gleaned from the extension of the Icon of Excellence, targeted operational and strategic theme activities introduced in between and the impact of the VC Model. 

This has placed the Post on a successful trajectory, becoming real competition that cannot be ignored both as a service provider and strategic co-collaborator to other players in the market. At the close of 2016/17 FY, the Post recorded a cost reduction of 52 percent compared to 2015/16, controllable costs are down by 9 percent whilst revenue is up by 7 percent. 

Competition and Challenges

Ramatlhakwane says a lot remains at stake to build a convincing case of how to get the Post from the vicious circle of Government funding for some of its strategic projects. Days of cap-in-hand seeking guaranteed cash bailouts are over.  “We are now operating in an environment under tighter BOCRA Regulation, and Companies Act as opposed to the old Postal Services Act dispensation, and this comes with its own requirements strategically and operationally”.   There also exist challenges that are unique to the business such as a mandate that precludes them against anti selection, and being confined to towns and cities. “We operate in areas where commercially no one wants to operate at – this has its own setbacks – but we take it in our strides,” he says.  

The transformation exercise has taken a great toll on the 800+ staff members, which at all times needs assurance of job security while being pushed to give their unwavering attention to customers. 

Botswana continues to be a corridor for human trafficking, a criminal enterprise whose victims are mostly women and children. 

This criminal industry is one of the fastest growing within the country as traffickers try everyday to take their victims across the border to neighbouring countries and even internationally. Some of the naive victims are lured under the false promises of a better life in South Africa only to end up in prostitution rings and forced labour. 

What is evident is that Botswana continues to serve as a transit route to the Promised Land as law enforcement officers continue to grapple with cases of this nature.

A similar case is currently being heard at the Francistown high court before Justice, Bashi Moesi. Three Malawian men stand accused of trying to smuggle three women, a 22-year old man and a baby to South Africa.

John Moyodi, Enock Nkatha and Gaston Kamanga are said to have acted jointly to defeat the ends of justice. Unfortunately luck was not on their side on the 11th July last year when they were busted at the Kazungula border in Botswana trying to smuggle the women, the 22 year old man and the baby. 

Describing how he ended up in a conspiracy of the three accused persons, the 22 year old, Thomas Manda said that when he was at the village in Malawi he received a call from his uncle Ishmael Manda saying that he has talked to Moyodi to take him from Malawi to Cape Town. 

He said when he asked how he will get past so many borders without a passport his uncle told him that he had given Moyodi money for his passport. “I left for Lilongwe and got to Moyodi’s place on Thursday and spent a night there. 

“On Friday he gave me a passport and told me to study it. When he got back he told me that we will leave on Sunday he was still waiting for two guys who are coming,” Manda said. He said that he asked how they can travel when he has no passport but Moyodi told him not to worry. 

To his surprise when the two men (co-accused) arrived, in the morning three women and a baby joined them when they left. He said that when they got to the Malawi-Zambia border Moyodi gave him 1500 Malawian Kwacha and said he should go and stamp the passport he had given him. 

“He said when they ask questions I should give them the 1500 Malawian Kwacha. I managed to stamp without being questioned,” the 22 year old said. 

Narrating his story further, Manda said they managed to escape at that border and went to the Zambia-Botswana border where Moyodi told him that if upon presentation of the passport he is caught he is on his own. 

However he said that Moyodi promised that if he does not say he is with him he will come to rescue the situation. “I managed to stamp my passport without any difficulty,” the young man said adding that it was only at the foot and mouth stop at Kazungula that he was caught after crossing when officials asked for his passport and realised that it was not his. 

“I was then taken to the immigration office for questioning,” Manda said. 

The young man whose highest education qualification is Junior Certificate, said that when he left at the village he knew that he was going to get temporary jobs at Cape Town. “My uncle is the sole breadwinner so he asked me to come,” he said.

Giving his version of events, Detective Constable Morebodi Kagiso who was stationed at that area at the time told the court that on the date in question he arrested a woman who was carrying a baby that was crying uncontrollably on her back. He said that what made him to arrest the woman was that she was walking curiously and unsure of where she was going. 

With these signs in play Kagiso said he called her to the immigration office for questioning, where he discovered that the woman had not presented herself to the immigration officials. Kagiso said due to language barrier the woman who had told him that she is Melisy kept pointing on the other side of the border but in the Botswana side. 

“I asked her to produce her travelling document and those of the child but she failed to do so and kept pointing on the other side. We went there and when we were on the road we met the 1st accused and they started talking in a foreign language and I stopped them. 

“When I asked him about the woman and the child he said he knew them. He then furnished me with his Malawian passport,” Kagiso told the court. He explained that when he asked Moyodi where the baby’s mother was he said she was at Sishele hiking spot in Kazungula. 

Kagiso said that they then went to the hiking spot whereupon arrival Moyodi identified the mother of the baby as Sikina. “Immediately the baby ran to the mother. 

When I asked her why she left the baby she said that the baby and Melisy had no travelling documents and that it was Moyodi’s instruction that they stay behind,” Kagiso explained. 

Just when he thought he had seen it all it emerged that there was another woman, Mary who also revealed that their destination was South Africa. She said that Moyodi and his co-accused had promised to find them jobs there.  

Kagiso said he then asked Moyodi to accompany him to find his co-accused. 

“Along the way he (Moyodi) asked us to stop and called to two gentlemen who were walking along the road. I asked them who they were and they told me and gave me their Malawian passports,” the detective explained to court. 

Case continues.

The Alliance for Progressives Secretary General Dr Phenyo Butale has said they will never form an alliance with “people with blood on their hands”. 

Butale is convinced that news making rounds that Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) President Sydney Pilane has stepped down from his position to allow for a congress re-run is all part of a grand plan by Duma Boko to bring back a clean or dry cleaned Pilane at UDC.He was responding to a BG enquiry on whether AP would join opposition coalition, UDC. He warned that Boko and Pilane have long connived to have AP President Ndaba Gaolathe ditched from the leadership of BMD and ultimately UDC.  “Following the disputed Bobonong congress which resulted in two opposing factions, we approached the UDC president Boko to intervene as we strongly believed that a congress re-run was the only possible way to mend broken fences at the troubled BMD but to no avail as he was not even prepared to lift a finger in intervention,” Butale said. He finds it surprising that BMD is now prepared to go for a congress re-run after the departure of the faction that formed AP. He said this indicates clearly that Pilane will bounce back.  “If that is not the case, then why didn’t Boko recommend for a congress after Bobonong straight away? He knew very well that his crony Pilane was going to be thrashed by Ndaba hence his reluctance to issue such a directive from the onset. Now that we have formed our new party, Boko orders a re-run knowing very well that Pilane will emerge victorious without any challenger.  “His clean sweep win will then be used as a democratic reason for having accepted him back inside the leadership of the opposition bloc. This time around even stories that reported about his stepping down are not clearly quoting him declaring that he has stepped down for good to be an ordinary member,” he said. 

When quizzed about their intentions regarding joining UDC to topple the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Butale made it very clear that AP will never form any kind of an alliance with “people who have bloody hands”. He decried that since the Bobonong congress some of his party members are coming in and out of hospitals thanks to the brutality meted on them by Pilane and his comrades Efforts to solicit a comment from BMD acting president Nehemiah Modubule hit a snag at press time as his mobile rang unanswered.

The relationship between Botswana and De Beers should be celebrated as it has over the years helped propel the country’s economic and social trajectory to greater heights.

President Ian Khama told delegates when giving a keynote address at the annual Diamond Conference in Gaborone. 

De Beers and Botswana have been together since the discovery of diamonds in the late 1960s, a partnership which culminated in the formation of Debswana which is one of the biggest diamond mining firms in the world. 

According to the President, it will have been a hard call for Botswana to have achieved its double digits’ growth over the years, if it were not for De Beers, a mining company which was formed by British imperialist, Sir Cecil John Rhodes in the 1880s. 

“Our partnership spans over decades and I hope that it will continue to strengthen with time,” said Khama, who this Monday made his last state of the nation address before he vacates office at the end of March 2018.  

Botswana’s economic growth rates have averaged just over 5 percent in the last 50 years. The two parties, have, and will continue to explore future opportunities in the diamond industry, which is considered highly secretive, especially when it comes to pricing. 

The relocation of some of the key functions of De Beers from London to Gaborone three years ago is one of the highlights of the De Beers/Botswana relationship, which has in the process created jobs and the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Botswana, said the President. 

As part of the historic mining agreement between De Beers and Botswana which was penned in September 2011, the former was supposed to relocate sorting, sales and marketing of diamonds from United Kingdom (UK) to Botswana in a process known as aggregation. 

Consequently, diamonds from all De Beers mines valued at over P80 billion, are annually sorted and sold in Botswana, creating ripple effects in many other non-diamond sectors such as tourism, hospitality and financial services. 

As a corporation, De Beers has also contributed meaningfully to Botswana entrepreneurship developmental agenda.  In August this year, Botswana government, through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with De Beers, Anglo American and Debswana ‘to underpin the continued expansion of the Tokafala Enterprise Development programme,’ 

Tokafala is a collaborative effort geared towards promoting economic diversification and job creation in Botswana through personalised business mentoring, advisory support tailored to the specific needs of the enterprise, and facilitating access to finance and market for clients. The programme has supported more than 1,500 jobs, including the direct creation of more than 280 jobs.

This is one important initiative, which shows De Beers’ long term commitment to Botswana. 

Speaking at the same event, mineral resources, green technology and energy security minister Advocate Sadique Kebonang, said the initiators of the De Beers and government partnership, should be commended for their forward looking negotiations, which has helped move Botswana from one of the poorest nations 50 years ago, to a middle income status that it is today. 

“Partnerships such as this one create sustainable economic value for all parties,” noted De Beers Chief Executive, Bruce Cleaver. 

Meanwhile, speaking earlier this week in the state of the nation address, President Khama noted that both the rough and polished diamonds markets are depressed. China and the United States, the two largest markets of diamonds, have not seen growths as expected in the process limiting their ability to purchase luxury commodities such as diamonds. “We do, nonetheless, remain committed to creating an enabling environment that will catalyse and sustain our diamond beneficiation initiatives and are thus formulating a new diamond beneficiation strategy, which will be concluded by the end of February 2018,” disclosed the President. 

Diamonds remain the country’s biggest single exports revenue earner by far. 

It’s a matter of time before former BCL mine board and management face off with BCL Provisional Liquidator, Nigel Dixon-Warren and his company, KPMG over the liquidation report that he produced.

BG News has reliably learnt that former members of board and management recently met and mapped the way forward on how to approach and bring the matter to finality.

The former board and management are aggrieved that the liquidator’s report implicated them. They say the report is factually and grossly incorrect and reserve their rights on what decision to take to ensure that any report reflects accurate facts regarding the liquidation.

 At the time of going to press, they were still determining the many options available at their disposal. The BCL mine and its assets were placed under liquidation in 2014 and Dixon – Warren was appointed the Provisional Liquidator. 

Last  month, KPMG released a 147 page report named BCL LTD- IN LIQUIDATION (UAHGB-000202-16) Report of the provisional Liquidator in terms of Section 448 of the Companies Act (Cap 42:01) dated 5th October, 2017.  

Since its release, the KPMG report has been a subject of debate in many platforms. Some welcomed it while others said it has many inaccuracies and loopholes and will likely be challenged in court.

Speaking to BG News, the group’s spokesperson and former board chairman, Dr Akolang Tombale said that, “in a nutshell the Provisional Liquidator’s report is inaccurate and misleading” as it focused in the last four years and not life time of the BCL mine operation. 

“The report appears and, or gives the impression that the challenges that led to the collapse of the mine happened in the last four years”. This is not the only matter where the former board and management may want to clear their names. 

The other issue is with respect to Norilsk, which in its legal battle against government to recover both business and revenue lost over the sale of its Nkomati assets, has cast the net wide to include all former board and executive management members it accuses of reckless trading under the Companies Act. 

On this one government appears to be taking charge as the board and management acted in the best interest of the business supervised by the responsible ministry. 

On 9th October, 2017 Norilsk through its attorney of record, Collins and Newman, issued a notice to board members then led by Dr Akolang Tombale, and BCL management led by Daniel Mahupela, notifying them that Norilsk intends to take legal proceedings against them this week and that they are joined together in civil action with government, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.  

Collins and Newman states that they act on behalf of Norilsk Nickel Mauritius (NNM), Norilsk Africa Property Limited, Global Mining Resources Inc, Lax and Trading Inc, all companies in the Norilsk group of companies. 

They further inform both the board and management members that at the time when they held office from January 2015 the businesses of BCL and BCL International were carried out recklessly. 

In particular, BCL and BCLi entered into transactions with Norilsk- the Nkomati and Tati transactions- pursuant to which they have incurred substantial liabilities to Norilsk group of companies.

Farewell to Botswana’s working class as public sector trade unions are basically on death’s door. Government has written to Commissioner of Labour to cancel the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) BG News can reveal.

The decision was taken after council halted its operations when Botswana Federation of Public, Parastatal and Private Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) withdrew from the council under its BOFEPUSU Acting Jointly Agreement in May this year. 

The federation announced during its Special Congress held on May 6th 2017 that the BOFEPUSU AJA had terminated its membership at the PSBC. Early last month Botswana Guardian reported that Government is working behind the scenes to de-register the council something, which the PSBC Secretariat claimed ignorance about.

Botswana Guardian is in possession of a letter in which Acting Commissioner of Labour Goitseone Kokorwe has written to trade unions notifying them of this development. 

The letter dated November 1st 2017, Kokorwe indicates that the commissioner’s office is in receipt of an application for cancellation of PSBC from the Employer Representative- Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM). 

The acting commissioner stated that in the application the DPSM has indicated that the PSBC is not functioning due to the PSBC Resolution that terminated the membership of Trade Union Party on the 23rd of May 2017.  DPSM has also indicated that the council is not functioning due to the Constitution because after the passing of the PSBC Resolution the Constitution of PSBC makes it impossible for the admission of a Trade Union Party.  Kokorwe stated that according to DPSM as a consequence of the aforementioned “the council does not meet the mandatory statutory requirement provided for under Section 52 of the Public Service Act of 2008; the council does not meet the mandatory requirement of Article 5.1 of its Constitution and the council is unable to deal with any application for admission to the council as set out under Article 6 of the PSBC Constitution” said Kokorwe. Therefore, given these circumstances Kokorwe explained that the commissioner’s office solicits views of the union who were part of the PSBC under the BOFEPUSU AJA on the matter. The unions have been urged to respond by end of this week. BOFEPUSU Secretary General Tobokani Rari confirmed to this publication that they have received the communication from the Commissioner of Labour. He however said the commissioner is being disingenuous for asking the Trade Union Party to make representation before her office without having attached or furnished them with the letter from DPSM to appreciate its content. “We want to know what informed such decision in detail. What we have in the letter that we received is just a paraphrased letter of what the DPSM argument is about. We would have appreciated to know how they interpreted the clauses they mentioned.  “The letter does not give us all the information that we need for making presentation before the commissioner’s office,” said Rari adding that they would request that they be furnished with proper documentation or correspondence from DPSM to best inform themselves before appearing at commissioner’s office. 

The secretary general revealed that they are against the cancellation of the council and the reasons advanced. Rari explained that there is a case before Court of Appeal regarding the scope of work for PSBC, which during arguments before judges the functionality of the council was raised.  According to Rari the ruling might have a bearing on the functionality of the council and for DPSM to raise this point in their request for cancellation of the council is wrong. He said the court might apply its might on the existence of the council. Rari said BOFEPUSU do not agree that since BOFEPUSU AJA withdrew from the council then no other party can be admitted.

 “Any interested party can apply to the council and if they meet the set out requirement they can be admitted. We do not agree with the DPSM interpretation of the PSBC Constitution. We know the intention is to kill the bargaining power that unions have which is why the Public Service Act is also being amended to dilute the powers of the unions”, said Rari. He explained that the government of Botswana has dented its image through its disregard for labour laws. He said the government wants to see unions just being entities without powers something that would negatively affect the workers.  “They have killed the bargaining power and now they are going for a killer punch to kill the bargaining structure. So nothing would be left and this is regrettable. We are regressing as the country is now violating the same International Labour Laws it has ratified”.

Africa’s successful business entrepreneur and chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, says the challenges facing businesses in Africa are not insurmountable but can be tackled if governments and relevant  authorities put their heads together.

Addressing the third Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs (TEF) forum, in Lagos, Nigeria, over the weekend, Dangote said Africa still has a lot of business opportunities but must first remove hurdles that inhibit investments in the continent.

“The reason why African business fail is because of the inconsistencies in government policies,” said Dangote at the event which was attended by more than 1,300 participants from 54 African countries. 

He said weak rule of law, corruption and low inter-trade rates, standing at 16 percent, are some of the challenges facing African businesses. Dangote also mentioned collapsing commodity prices as well as infrastructure gap and power shortages as impacting economic growth. 

 “But we can really overcome some of these problems,” said the bullish businessman. Dangote expressed gratitude that there is a new growth story emerging in Africa where African economies are growing at an average 5.5 percent.He added that the African economy has more than trebled since the turn of the century. “Several growth drivers exist such as political stability and improved macro-economic environment,” he added.

Dangote reiterated that the government does not create jobs but it is the private’s responsibility to do so. He took the opportunity to teach and mentor budding entrepreneurs across Africa to develop solutions in their mindset that solve the problems or address the needs that people have.

“Think big but start small. Be diligent and passionate about what you do. Learn to bounce back from setbacks because there will be setbacks. Know what you want and be humble to seek advice,” said Dangote.

He added: “Take risks and see the invisible and be daring to do the impossible and don’t be afraid to fail and failure is usually a precursor to success,” said the entrepreneur at the TEF forum.

Dangote added that in business there are many ups and downs but one should never give up. “There are many more failures but that does not mean that you will not succeed and you just have to be determined and focused,” said the man with the biggest business empire in Africa.

TEF founder and chairman of the United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu, told Africa’s biggest business gathering that a strong African-led private sector is an imperative for unlocking Africa’s economic potential.

During the two day event, entrepreneurs from across Africa had a rare platform to network and connect with business leaders, policymakers and investors from all over the world.

The TEF supports innovation across sectors, including agriculture, technology, health-care, fashion and power generation. Its flagship programme, The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme was borne from a $100 million commitment by the founder to identify, train and invests in 10,000 African entrepreneurs over the course of ten years.

The aim of the programme is to have not only empowered 10,000 entrepreneurs but also to have contributed to the creation of 1 million jobs across the continent which in turn will bring $10 billion in revenues.

President Ian Khama has started his tour to bid Batswana and members of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) farewell as he prepares to vacate office next year March 31.

Botswana Guardian has established that Khama has come up with a schedule that will allow him to bid farewell his fellow democrats as their party leader alongside Batswana. He is currently visiting all the regions and the 57 constituencies to bid the BDP members farewell before addressing Kgotla meetings to bid Batswana farewell. 

Khama will vacate office on the 31st of March 2018 to pave way for his Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi. This past weekend he addressed BDP members in Machaneng Village before heading for the Maun region. His Kgotla meetings to bid Batswana farewell are scheduled to start on the 14th of December this year at Moshupa-Manyana Constituency. 

According to a Savingram from the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Permanent Secretary Kebonye Moepeng the tour for Kgotla meetings would be concluded in Serowe on the 23rd of March 2018.

In his last State of the Nation Address in Parliament early this month President Khama expressed confidence that sooner rather than later, the country shall overcome such challenges as unemployment and poverty amongst affected citizens. 

He also mentioned that in accordance with the Constitution, “five months from now I shall be passing the baton of leadership of this great country into the very capable hands of His Honour the Vice President. I am confident that with support of members of this House (Parliament) and the nation as a whole the next administration will continue to build on the legacy of progress that was begun under my predecessors”.

Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Interim National Organising Secretary Freddie Ramodise says the party’s three elective congresses will go on as planned. 

BMD is expected to conduct three elective congresses next weekend in Lobatse. The congresses are for National Executive Committee (NEC), Women’s League and Youth League. The BMD decided to have all the three elective congresses following Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) decision ordering for the holding of a fresh congress to elect the BDM leadership. BMD was initially expected to hold only the youth league congress next weekend. 

BMD which is currently operating under an interim committee will vote for a substantive leadership following the departure of some of the disgruntled party members who have since formed the Alliance for Progressives (AP). Ramodise told this publication that Branches (Constituencies) are conducting congresses and the last batch is expected to hold their congresses this weekend. He revealed that the only area that seemed to have been problematic was Gaborone.

“In most regions things have been going well since we agreed to heed the UDC call for a fresh congress. The only problem was in Gaborone where we lost most of our members to the new party. What we have been doing is mobilising members and regrouping the structures in Gaborone and so far we are left with two Branches which are Gaborone Bonnington South and Gaborone South. The two would be concluded by this weekend. The good news is that we are even registering new members with satisfying numbers in the Gaborone Region,” said Ramodise.

The national organising secretary said they expect preparation of voters rolls to begin next week Monday. He said a proposal is expected to be put before the interim NEC and National Working Committee to have the NEC congress held before others. “Initially we were to hold the youth league congress followed by the women’s league congress. 

“But a proposal has been made and to be shared with the NEC that the mother-body congress be held first followed by the women’s league then the youth league. With a determined team of BMD members, we believe by Sunday when we leave Lobatse we would have accomplished our mission which is a united and formidable BMD. One of our teams arrived Tuesday from Kgalagadi where mobilisation and congresses in those Branches were conducted. We want to prove to those who believe that the BMD is no more that we are a force to reckon with. We would be putting our house back in order and move forward to work hard with our counterparts in the UDC to ensure UDC takes power in 2019,” Ramodise explained.

UDC had requested that the BMD should hold a fresh congress before the end of January next year to formalise things following its July Bobonong congress which was nullified. According to the UDC leader Duma Boko the deadline set for BMD is to ensure that the party is part of the UDC Constitutional congress and launch slated for February 2018.

Entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as a desirable career option in Botswana and at the same time, the accounting profession is undergoing rapid development. What can these two fields offer each other?

As Botswana’s business landscape evolves, entrepreneurs will increasingly value accounting skills and vice versa, say academics and researchers.

Across Africa, the appetite for entrepreneurship is increasing. The latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report notes that in Botswana, the rate of perceived entrepreneurship opportunities is at 57.8 percent, ranking 7th out of 65 countries. At the same time, 74 percent of the adult population aged between 18 and 65 believe that they have the ability to start a business, ranking the country 4th. Total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) comes in at 33.2 percent, which is the third highest in the world.

However, there is a lower rate of established businesses, those that survive longer than three-and-a-half years, suggesting that entrepreneurs are struggling to keep their companies going. The established business rate is just 4.6 percent, ranking 47th – which means entrepreneurs have some distance to go before they can start to impact the country’s high unemployment rate.

Justin Kyriakou, International Development Manager for the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), says that it is now well established that a stronger financial skill set could help Botswana’s entrepreneurs break through this three-and-a-half-year barrier.

“Having financial knowledge goes hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship, though too often entrepreneurs lack even basic financial savvy,” he explains. “If you are running your own business it is important that you know how the business is doing, what your incoming and outgoing payments and cashflow are, and are able to plan your finances for the future. Having the financial skills to be able to do this, or hiring someone who does, helps entrepreneurs have a better chance of success.

“As Warren Buffet said: ‘Accounting is the language of business’ and he knows what he is talking about.”  

Internationally, accounting skills are in demand and financial professionals play a disproportionate role in shaping organisations and economies. In October alone, Economia listed several accounting and finance professionals among its top “movers and shakers” worldwide who had moved into top positions in business. However, it is not just in large organisations that accounting skill can make an impact. A recent study found that accounting skill contributed to entrepreneurial performance and recommended that entrepreneurs should “embark on capacity building in accounting skill” as they were “agents and drivers of development in most economies of the world”.

Entrepreneurship specialists Acton recently listed three main reasons accounting skills were valuable to entrepreneurs in Forbes. These were: firstly, to make more accurate predictions; secondly, to make more effective commitments of time, energy and money; and third, to measure and reassess progress, so that profitable behaviours could be rewarded, progress could be reported accurately, and direction could be changed when necessary. “Aspiring entrepreneurs must learn to grasp accounting and finance tools, rather than merely develop the ability to regurgitate formulas and reproduce financial statements in carefully controlled environments,” they argued.

It’s also important for entrepreneurs to understand what their own accountants are saying to them, argues consultant Michael Burdick in Entrepreneur magazine. “If you’re a founder or CEO you should never leave ‘the numbers’ to your accountant. Running a business without a good grasp of accounting means you’re flying blind,” he says.

But while entrepreneurs can undoubtedly benefit from an injection of accounting skill, accountants also have something to learn from entrepreneurs.

Against a backdrop of a rapidly changing global landscape, the accounting profession is gearing up to face significant changes in the next three decades including the rise of ever-more sophisticated technology, rising regulation and greater public pressures and stakeholder expectations around social and environmental considerations, says Kyriakou.

These pressures open up new possibilities for accounting technicians and other professionals – but they will need to draw on the entrepreneurial mindset to take advantage of these. As Burdock writes: “We’re living during a watershed moment for accounting, which creates repercussions throughout the business world. It’s the end of accounting as we know it, but entrepreneurs should feel fine.”

Entrepreneurs are better at taking risks and also focus on creating solutions the world needs and how they can deliver those solutions, rather than just on ‘running a business’. Writing in Accounting Today, Melinda Crump argues that risks should be viewed as an economic positive since that is how profits are produced and how growth occurs and that the entrepreneurial accountant should spend his/her time primarily innovating new services, business models and team structures in order to stay relevant in the changing world of work.

“Accounting professionals are increasingly being expected to look beyond the numbers, which means they need to be equipped with a broader skill-set and mindset to be successful and to stay relevant,” says Kyriakou. 

He adds that there is a special magic in the relationship between accounting professionals and entrepreneurs and that the combination of their skills is a powerful force for unlocking economic growth.

“If accounting and entrepreneurship continue to evolve as they are, the resulting knowledge sharing could have a long-term positive impact on Botswana’s economy,” he concludes. “Finding ways to foster this collaboration should therefore be a priority for educators and policy makers alike.”

Issued by Rothko on behalf of the AAT.

The inaugural Women Entrepreneurship Day (WED) Botswana commemoration held this week has affirmed that more can be done to unleash women’s full potential to contribute in the socio-economic fabric of the country. 

Roche Mamabolo, Founder of an entrepreneurship academy in South Africa called LORA, Centre for Innovation and Entreprenuership Academy told WED participants on Wednesday that if the status quo is left uninterupted, there will be no positive change. 

According to Mamabolo who is also TEDxGaborone co-curator, there is need to continuosly create revolutionary entrepeneurs who are ready to levarage on innovation to come up with sustainable solutions to current problems, while at the same time creating the much-needed employment. 

Although the role of women entrepreneurs is recognised, there are still cultural and legal barriers that prevent women entrepreneurs to turn into global businesswomen. Mamabole is quick to state that the biggest problem is not lack of money, as is always assumed, and adds that money cannot always be thrown into problems with the hope that they will be solved. 

“How do we create more women business leaders and entrepreneurs,” he quizzes. With a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship and startups, his opinion is that there are two types of innovations that people must be aware of. “Between sustaining innovations and disruptive innovations, entrepreneurs need to be able to align themselves with what will yield more positive results,” Mamabolo said, adding that contrary to popular belief, innovation is not limited to technology only.

 Sustaining innovation according to Mamabolo, who is also founder and director of Radipolelo Entrepeneruship Consulting, is focussed on sustaining current solutions by merely improving on them. In addition, this type of innovation does not create new markets, hence limited growth. 

On the other hand, disruptive innovation is based on creating new markets, coming up with simplier and more convinient and affordable products and services. “It is good to put money into sustaining innovation, however this will not give you the maximum impact that is desired,” Mamabolo said. 

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest percent of female enterpreneurs in the world, but only a few of these women-owned businesses reach national or global stage.

Their rate of failure is also high at 8.4 percent. The failure is attributed to several key constraints including; lack of education, cultural mindset, legal barriers and lack of access to markets, capital and networks. 

Head of UN Women, Magdeline Madibela, whose responsibility is to come up with concrete programmes that address gender inequality and women empowerment among others, said her oganisation advocates for women who are marginalised, have limited opportunities economically, politically and otherwise.

 The office that was set up in June 2016 also prioritises strengthening women participation in leadership whether in government or the private sector. Madibela’s office is also pre-occupied with development strategies on how to develop women’s lifeskills so that they are able to actively participate in socio-economic activities. 

“We are currently developing businesses for women especially in rural areas of Botswana,” she said, adding that in partnership with DeBeers they have been working with women in villages and settlements around mining towns of Jwaneng and Orapa, as well as in the Kweneng area.

UN Women also works closely with the Gender Affairs department and other stakeholders to effect transformative programmes that are able to sustain the lives of women in rural Botswana. As a coordinating agency, UN Women that is housed in UN House works closely with strategic partners to train women on among others; business enterprise development, capacity building and knowledge management. 

Agang Ditlhogo of the Clicking Generation, an ICT Academy for children shared her experiences as an entrepreneur in Botswana. She noted that in addition to working hard, women need to have a willingness to bring results despite the odds. Secondly, she believes that packaging one’s self is critical. “Know that you are a brand, and ensure that you are visible and relevant, and be intentional about it,” Ditlhogo said. 

Thirdly, she says that soft skills are essential in business. “I had to train myself to speak well, and present myself the way I wanted to be perceived in business,” she added. Lastly, Ditlhogo advised other women entrepreneurs to find mentors that they can always bounce their ideas on and seek advice. 

WED mission is to empower the four billion women across the globe to be catalysts of change, and uplift the 250 million girls living in poverty globally.

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is expected to spend unconfirmed millions of Pula for maintenance and reconfiguration of its acquired 45 used United Kingdom military ambulances, Botswana Guardian has established.

Twenty (20) of the 45 used fleet has already arrived in country via Namibian seaport. Sources at the BDF headquarters - Sir Seretse Khama Barracks (SSKB) - have revealed to this publication that the fleet which was purchased through an auction sometimes in July this year will cost the BDF millions of Pula to maintain. 

The first cost according to sources would be incurred through the fixing of the engines and modifying the back where patients would be accommodated. “Some of the ambulances have four beds at the back compared to our usual two beds ambulances. They are fitted with heaters because of the weather condition in the UK. 

“So we would have to modify them to meet the standard requirements and weather conditions for Botswana. We would have to remove the heaters and replace with air-conditioners given the weather conditions in Botswana,” said a source at SSKB. 

Botswana Guardian can reveal that the ambulances were displayed at the SSKB Parade ground where they are expected to be inspected by senior officials and be briefed on what would be needed to be attended to. 

Although it could not disclose to this publication the amount to be incurred, BDF confirmed that the ambulances are being inspected by specialists to advise accordingly.  The cost for the purchase of the ambulance could also not be established with the authorities.

Investigations by this publication also reveal that the military green ambulances would have to be repainted to match the BDF camouflage. The ambulance parked at the clinic still resembles the plain green colour of the UK military ambulance. 

“Local ambulances that we are using use oxygen cylinders assembled standing straight up. But these ones from UK the oxygen cylinders are lying down on the floor and this would also have to be modified to suit us. Even the engine that they use, Lister, is very expensive to maintain,” said another senior BDF official who went to the UK. 

The official said they had initially advised against buying of the vehicles but they had their hand tight to disregard the order to buy the vehicles and all they did was to follow the order and “enjoy the per-diem we were given”.

Responding to a questionnaire, BDP Acting Director of Protocol and Public Affairs Lieutenant Colonel Fikani Machola became economical with details as he could not specify the amount expected to be spent on the modification and maintenance of the fleet. He stated that government through the BDF has been in discussion with several governments, with a view to evaluate the possibility of replacing some of its obsolete equipment. 

According to Machola the replacement of such equipment ranges from brand new military equipment to excess defence articles such as ambulances recently acquired from the United Kingdom Department of Defence (DoD).

“As would be expected, the BDF like any other military outfit wishes to acquire new and modern defence equipment in consonance with the ever changing global security landscape. However due to budgetary constraints, militaries (BDF included) may in the process undertake a cost-benefit analysis and settle for excess defence articles as opposed to acquiring new equipment. 

“The ambulances bought from the UK DoD have since arrived in the country and are currently undergoing initial or inception inspection by relevant specialist units as per standard operation procedure,” he stated.

Machola said BDF in all its procurement processes adheres to set procedures as obtained in the PPADB Act. No prescription exists in this Act where the president is part of the procurement process, added Machola. He indicated that it is unfortunate that some people still attempt to mislead the public into believing that such purchases would benefit the president in his personal capacity when in actual fact the opposite is the case.

It has been alleged that the purchase of the motor vehicles was not initiated or authorised by the BDF high command. It is alleged that Office of the President ordered the purchase of the motor vehicles which are currently not in use by the UK military. 

A local publication, Business Weekly and Review recently reported that the BDF is buying about 500 obsolete Range Rover Defender from the UK. The publication has also indicated that the 500 motor vehicles are in a bad state and would be costly to the BDF. It further reported that President Ian Khama was involved in the buying of the Range Rovers.

Meepong Junior Secondary School  in Selibe Phikwe performed against all odds to obtain an impressive national second position in the 2017 Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) results realised this week by Botswana Examination Council.

Many  prophets of doom predicted  high rate of failures for many more years to come from all Selebi Phikwe Schools  due to the poor economic situation caused by the closure of the BCL mine in 2016. But, against all odds the Meepong  Junior  Secondary School staff under the leadership of Dorcus Olebile refused to be intimidated and worked around the clock to outclass almost all the schools in Botswana with a 75.8 percent pass rate. They were only outperformed by except Orapa Junior Secondary who got first with a 77.1 percent pass rate.

The current group started  in 2015 and were  the first intake to write the JC examinations having  completed a three year term after some of their colleagues left the school  on  transfers. The move left the school remaining with only 487 students  instead of  operating at full capacity with 582 students against  a total of  47 teachers in a  class that had 42 students.

Although Meepong has done well, they could not get a merit pass though, instead 5 students obtained A. In Botswana only two students got merit the whole country. This Tuesday, the school suspended  classes and took to the streets  bringing the usually quite mining town of Selibe Phikwe town to a celebratory mood. “We are done with excitement and we have to focus on the  next group which is writing at the end of the year,” said the school head in an interview.

Speaking to BG News, Olebile said for her school to have  obtained second position did not come as a surprise as they had confident that they will do well. She  is first to admit that success does not come as a chance, but rather though  planned hard work. 

The elated Olebile  states  that they saw  it coming as it was planned for. “I must say our planning started years back as our results were not impressive. We increased both the learning and teaching focus and supervision  at the beginning of 2016, but a dark cloud fell over us as the BCL mine closed two or so months before the final examinations,” she said.

According to her the mine closure brought its own serious challenges that the school had to deal with on daily basis  amongst them absenteeism, students falling  ill, gross indiscipline and loss of parents. This affected the students so much that their parents had to get involved by physically bringing them to school and wait for them whilst seating  for  their Form 3  examinations. As a result of  all this challenges, the school results dropped to 55 percent in 2016. “But that did not discourage us as the teaching staff, we decided to  embark on a turn around strategy that will bring about good results.”

She said at the beginning of 2017 they decided to introspect “both  individually and collectively to see how best we can operate from the same ground so that we lift the morale of all. Our argument  is that  as Meepong our catchment areas are  students from  both Phikwe Primary and  Reuben  Mpabapanga schools which are right  in the  heart of BCL and we receive the best from this schools, there is no  good reason of not  performing well if we have set our bearings correctly.” She futher noted that they still had to deal with other challenges key  amongst them many transfers of students as some parents had to take their children, only to bring them back within the same school term citing various reasons. “We also put in place a structure specifically to follow up the many students who were left on their own subsequent to their parents losing their jobs.

As teachers we visited such students at their respective homes on basis not only to ensure that they do their homework, but  as well as giving them counselling.” 

Other  Schools  that finished on the top 10 from third positions  are Bonnington (74.1), Nanogang (72.8), Mogobane (70.3), Tlogatloga (70.1), Makhubu (66.2), Phatsimo (64.2), Moselewapula (61.9) and Mannatlhoko (61.3)

Although the biggest security threat to the coming winter Olympic Games in South Korea has been a potential nuclear showdown between erratic Trump and the daring Kim Jong Un, the present terror of Islamic State or ‘Daesh’ cannot be ignored. After a Russian defeat in Syria, the Islamic State has been calling its supporters in all corners of the world to take revenge for the humiliating defeat in Syria and Iraq.  Olympic Games as a symbol of peace and international cooperation have previously been attacked by extremist organisations.

The most infamous being the 1972 Munich Olympic Games when Palestinian Black September Organisation killed 11 Israeli athletes. The Olympic Games in South Korea are also a potential target of the militants. Today, because of the Washington’s provocative initiative to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state, the Arab-Israeli conflict is again fraught with tragic consequences. The Islamists want to show the world that in the Middle East they have lost only a battle, not a war. In this regard, the upcoming games can be considered by terrorists as an ideal opportunity to ‘reclaim’ their space. 

Experts are already openly sounding the alarm, urging the South Korean authorities to be ready to repel terrorist attacks. American journalist and political analyst Sophie Mangal has no doubt that intentions of the IS militants are serious. She cautions that, “It seems that the ice palaces and arenas of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang are the main targets for the terrorist attack in the near future. The militants, losing control of the territory and, consequently, the energy resources of Iraq and Syria, seek to restore their shaken position.

Definitely, possible terrorist attacks may lead to numerous human casualties.” Against the backdrop of active hostilities in Asia and the Middle East, members of the national teams of member countries of anti-terror international coalitions may be attacked. Washington and its allies have repeatedly reported success in eliminating militants in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other states. Now terrorists are constantly making attempts to retaliate against the peaceful population of the United States and European countries. Only in 2017, more than 100 civilians fell victim to such terrorist attacks.

The security is certainly provided by the host country at the highest level, however, given the flow of tourists and specific nature of the region, it will be extremely difficult for foreign special services to provide effective support to South Korean law enforcement agencies. The authorities of some countries have already cast doubt on the participation of their national teams in the Olympics in South Korea. It is obvious that terrorist acts can be prepared by the Islamists of the Abu Sayaf grouping, the cell of the Islamist State, whose militants, after a major defeat in the Philippines, were forced to disperse in the Asia-Pacific countries under the guise of ordinary tourists. Despite major defeats in Syria and Iraq, ISIS still remains the greatest threat to security and stability in the world.

The terrorists have switched recently to single hostile activities and heinous acts of terror in the EU and throughout Asia. The 2018 Olympic Games would be attended by sports fans from more than 80 countries. Ensuring security of such a number of people will become a serious challenge for the special security services and interior ministry of South Korea. A number of European countries are considering the security measures at the Olympic Games and France’s Sports Minister, Laura Flessel has warned that, “If our security cannot be assured, the French Olympics team will stay at home.”

Trumpeter, flugelhorn-player, singer, composer and activist Hugh Ramapolo Masekela has passed away after a long battle with prostate cancer.

When he cancelled his appearance last year at the Johannesburg Joy of Jazz Festival, taking time out to deal with his serious health issues, fans were forced to return to his recorded opus for reminders of his unique work. Listening through that half-century of disks, the nature and scope of the trumpeter’s achievement becomes clear.

Masekela had two early horn heroes. 

The first was part-mythical: the life of jazz great Bix Biederbecke filtered through Kirk Douglas’s acting and Harry James’s trumpet, in the 1950 movie “Young Man With A Horn”. Masekela saw the film as a schoolboy at the Harlem Bioscope in Johannesburg’s Sophiatown. The erstwhile chorister resolved “then and there to become a trumpet player”.

The second horn hero, unsurprisingly, was Miles Davis. And while Masekela’s accessible, storytelling style and lyrical instrumental tone are very different, he shared one important characteristic with the American: his life and music were marked by constant reinvention. As Davis reportedly said:

I don’t want to be yesterday’s guy.

Much has already been written about Masekela’s life and its landmarks: playing in the Huddleston Jazz Band in the 1950s on a horn donated by Louis Armstrong; performing in the musical “King Kong” in the 1960s and at the Guildhall and then Manhattan schools of music with singer Miriam Makeba; US pop successes in the 1970s and then touring Paul Simon’s “Graceland” in the 80s and 90s. 

What is less discussed is the music, and the innovative imagination he has periodically applied to draw it fresh from the flames.

Breaking new ground

The Huddleston band, plus time as sideman and in stage shows, were the traditional career path for a young musician. But then Masekela broke his first new ground. With fellow originals, including saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and trombonist Jonas Gwangwa, as The Jazz Epistles they cut the first LP of modern African jazz in South Africa.

“Jazz Epistle: Verse One” (1960) featured band compositions marked by challenging improvisation – “a cross between mbaqanga and bebop”. Mbaqanga is form of South African township jive and bebop an American jazz style developed in the 1940s.

Masekela had also joined the pit band and worked as a copyist for South Africa’s first black musical, “King Kong”.  This exposure attracted attention to his talent from potential patrons at home and abroad. Pushed by the horrors of the Sharpeville massacre when the South African police shot and killed 69 people on 21 March 1960, and pulled by donated air-tickets and scholarships, Masekela left for London, and then New York.

In the next two decades, Masekela’s re-visioning of his music took many forms. He found America hard, but with wife Miriam Makeba (the marriage lasted from 1964 - 1966), the production skills of Gwangwa, and the support of American singer Harry Belafonte he proactively introduced audiences to South African music and the destruction of apartheid. 

On the ironically titled 1966 live “Americanisation of Ooga Booga”, he demonstrated the creative possibilities of “township bop”. Masekela did this by mashing up repertoire and playing styles from the South Africa he had left and the America he had landed in. 

But he was also looking in other directions: in collaborations with other African musicians; towards fusion (with The Crusaders), rock (with The Byrds) and even pop at the Monterey Pop, festival. 

That list captures only a fraction of his projects in the 1960s. Some bore instant fruit: his 1968 single, “Grazin’ In the Grass”, topped the Billboard Hot 100 list and sold four million copies; the previous year’s “Up Up and Away” became an instant standard.

In 1971, he teamed up with Gwangwa and Caiphus Semenya for another pan-African vision: The Union of South Africa. In 1972 he explored a stronger jazz orientation on “Home is Where The Music Is” with, among others, sax player Dudu Pukwana, bassist Eddie Gomez, keyboardist Larry Willis and Semenya.

Sixties counterculture

But as the title of “Grazin’ In the Grass” suggests, Masekela was also bewitched by other aspects of Sixties counterculture. He dated his addiction back to the alcohol-focused social climate of his early playing years in South Africa, but by the early Seventies he admitted:

I had destroyed my life with drugs and alcohol and could not get a gig or a band together. No recording company was interested in me…

That depression inspired the song that achieved genuinely iconic status back home in South Africa: the 1974 reflection on migrant labour, “Stimela/Coal Train”.

Foreign critics have handed that status to other Masekela songs, such as “Soweto Blues”, “Gold” or the much later “Bring Him Back Home”. Yet powerful though those are, it is Stimela, with its slow-burning steam-piston rhythm that captured the hearts of South Africans in struggle back home, and still does today. And of course the lyrics:

There’s a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi /there’s a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe/ from Angola and Mozambique…

Masekela said:

For me songs come like a tidal wave … At this low point, for some reason, the tidal wave that whooshed in on me came all the way from the other side of the Atlantic: from Africa; from home. Shortly afterwards, Masekela headed off to Ghana, hooked up with Hedzoleh Soundz, and was soon back in the charts. “Stimela” received its first outing on the album “I Am Not Afraid”, with West African and American co-players including pianist Joe Sample. 

By the mid ‘80s, the hornman was back in southern Africa, recording “Technobush” at the mobile Shifty Studio in Botswana, and performing for the Medu Arts Ensemble with a Botswanan/South African band, Kalahari. His music shifted again: roots mbaqanga came strongly to the fore to speak simply and directly to people now openly battling the apartheid regime just across the border.

Returning home

After liberation and his return home, Masekela once more chose fresh directions. In 1997 he banished his addictions and began to showcase the virtuoso player he could have been 30 years earlier without the distractions of the West Coast. He fronted big European jazz bands, and benchmarked a long musical friendship with Larry Willis with the magisterial Friends.

But his shrewd ear for the music of today, rather than yesterday, also took him into younger company. He collaborated with current stars – including singer Thandiswa Mazwai – often encouraging them to take centre stage. Just before the recurrence of his cancer, he was planning a festival collaboration with rapper Riky Rick. 

To cap the transformation, the individualistic rebel of the 60s and 70s became an elder statesman of social activism. In 2001, he established a foundation to help other musicians escape addiction. Once more he foregrounded the music of continental Africa, to campaign against xenophobia. And the return of his own illness became the cue to exhort other men to get checked for prostate cancer. 

Other South African musicians have succeeded overseas; many have made one mid-career image switch – but few have shown us, in only one person but more than 30 albums, so many of the faces and possibilities of South African jazz.

Hugh Masekela, musician, activist. Born: 4 April 1939; Died: 23 January 2018

(The Conversation)

South African jazz pioneer who fought the evil of apartheidHugh Masekela, who has died aged 78, was one of the world’s finest and most distinctive horn players, whose performing on trumpet and flugelhorn mixed jazz with South African styles and music from across the African continent and diaspora. Exiled from his country for 30 years, he was also a powerful singer and songwriter and an angry political voice, using his music and live performances to attack the apartheid regime that had banished him from his homeland.

Even when he had returned to the country of his birth under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, after having lived and worked in the US and in Botswana, Masekela continued to comment fearlessly on political events in South Africa and around the world, enjoying his status as an international celebrity, playing for presidents and royalty and concert audiences, and often collaborating with other musical greats.

He was born in Kwa-Guqa township, Witbank, a coal mining settlement near Johannesburg. His father, Thomas, was a health inspector and sculptor, and his mother, Pauline (nee Bowers), was a social worker, officially classified as “coloured” in apartheid-era South Africa as she had a Scottish father. Hugh was one of four children in a politically conscious family; his younger sister, Barbara, would eventually become head of the African National Congress’s department of arts and culture. The children were raised by their grandmother, Johanna, and Hugh was always surrounded by music. At the age of four he was a pageboy at the wedding of his Aunt Lily, and was fascinated by the celebrity wedding band, the Jazz Maniacs, and their trumpeter Drakes Mbau.

Hugh was given his own instrument when he was 14. He was then a pupil at St Peter’s, a remarkable secondary school for black children that became a centre for opponents of apartheid before being closed by the authorities. The staff included Oliver Tambo, later leader of the ANC, and Trevor Huddleston, later Archbishop Huddleston, president of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement. The young Masekela was always in trouble. “I was one of the worst delinquents”, he once told me, “always fighting with the teachers or going into town stealing.” He was sent to see Huddleston because “you’d be sent to him when everything else had failed”.

Masekela had wanted a trumpet, he said, after seeing the 1950 film Young Man With a Horn, and recalled that he told the priest: “If I can get a trumpet I won’t bother anyone one any more.” Huddleston managed to raise £15 (“a lot of money in those days”) to buy the instrument, found a black Salvation Army trumpeter to teach Masekela, “and then he sat outside the school making hideous noises”. Other pupils naturally wanted instruments as well, and the Huddleston Jazz Band was born. They wore black trousers and grey silk shirts, and played American rather than African music. Along with Masekela, the band featured the trombonist Jonas Gwangwa, who would also become a star.

Huddleston continued to help Masekela even after the priest had left the school and South Africa. In 1956, when he was in the US publicising his book Naught for Your Comfort, he told Masekela’s story to a journalist, who suggested that it might interest Louis Armstrong, the best known trumpeter of the day. Armstrong was fascinated and handed Huddleston one of his horns to give to Masekela. “I sent it straight to South Africa, and I have a wonderful picture of Hugh jumping for joy,” said Huddleston.

Masekela’s skills as a trumpeter increased and so did his fame. In the 1950s he played at fundraising events for the ANC in the years before it was banned, with Mandela among those who came to watch. He explored South African styles and avidly followed developments in the American jazz scene as he developed his distinctive Afro-jazz sound. He joined Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand) and Gwangwa in the Jazz Epistles, who in 1959 recorded the first album by a South African jazz band, Jazz Epistle Verse 1.

In the same year he teamed up with Gwangwa and others in the band for the adventurous hit musical King Kong. Billed as an “all-African jazz opera” its story of a boxer had an all-black cast and starred the country’s finest female singer, Miriam Makeba.

Such an extraordinary flowering of black culture could not last long in the apartheid era. Makeba left the country and her citizenship was revoked because she had taken part in the anti-apartheid film Come Back Africa. In 1960, the year of the Sharpeville massacre and the banning of the ANC, Masekela also left. He was lucky to get out, he said, for his angry opposition to apartheid had already come to the attention of the authorities.

He travelled first to London, where he was disappointed by the jazz scene, and then to New York, where, like Makeba, he was helped by the musician and activist Harry Belafonte. Masekela enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music and immersed himself in the city’s jazz scene, watching Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. He was advised by Dizzy Gillespie and Armstrong to develop his own, African style, and in 1963 released his debut album, Trumpet Africaine. In 1964 he married Makeba.

Masekela’s angry political stance was not altered by his move to the US. He claimed that the South Africans passed information about him to the Americans, and that his phone was tapped in New York. He began to identify with the black power movement, and in 1966 played at the Watts festival on the anniversary of the riots in that black Los Angeles neighbourhood.

In 1967, now living in California and having divorced Makeba after only two years of marriage, he played at the Monterey festival alongside Janis Joplin and the Who. 

The following year he released the single Grazing in the Grass, an instrumental produced by his friend Stewart Levine that became a massive hit, topping the US charts for three weeks. Masekela was awarded a gold disc, an extraordinary achievement for an African artist in the US. He became a celebrity with a house in Malibu and was befriended by stars including Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, but his record company found him increasingly hard to handle.

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The cover of his Emancipation of Masekela album (1966) showed him dressed like Abraham Lincoln and was boycotted by distributors in the American south. Later, he followed his easygoing hit single with a furious, experimental set that included songs about Vietnam and the plight of migrant workers in South Africa. 

His house was raided by the police and he was put on probation, avoiding a prison sentence on drug charges only because they had had no proper search warrant. Promoters and universities cancelled his bookings, but he continued to record powerful albums, collaborating with Gwangwa and another fine South African musician, Dudu Pukwana.

After 12 years in exile he decided to go back to Africa to explore the music of countries he had never visited. He travelled across west Africa, from Guinea, where Makeba had moved with her new husband, Stokely Carmichael, and then to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In 1973 he spent time in Kinshasa, meeting such musicians as the guitarist Franco, and went on to Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria, where he stayed for a month with Fela Kuti. 

The rebellious Kuti introduced him to the Ghanaian band Hedzoleh Soundz, with whom he recorded and later toured in the US.

He returned to Africa with Levine in 1974, when they put together the Zaire 74 concerts that preceded the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match in Kinshasa between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Angry disputes with the promoter Don King meant that the historic recordings of the African artists involved, including Franco and Makeba, were released only in 2017.

Masekela kept travelling, but in 1980 he settled in Botswana, across the border from South Africa, where he lived for more than four years. A mobile studio was shipped to him from California and he recorded the album Technobush, which included the bestselling Don’t Go Lose It Baby. In 1986 he founded the Botswana International School of Music.

By now he was rebuilding his following in the west, helped by growing interest in “world music” and African styles. In 1987 he and Makeba joined Paul Simon on the world tour promoting Simon’s massively successful album Graceland, which had been partly recorded with black musicians in South Africa, despite a UN cultural boycott.

Masekela said he was backing Simon because Graceland was giving black South Africans global exposure. Other musicians disagreed, and when the Graceland tour reached London, protesters outside the Royal Albert Hall included Jerry Dammers and Billy Bragg. Inside, Masekela performed his rousing anti-apartheid anthem Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela) and his song about migrant workers, Stimela.

The following year he and Makeba again shared a stage in London – this time at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium, an event that honoured the jailed South African leader and was broadcast to 67 countries. Masekela and Makeba performed Soweto Blues, which mourned the deaths of the many children killed by police during the 1976 Soweto uprising.

Mandela was released in 1990, and with the ending of apartheid Masekela was able to return to South Africa after an absence of 30 years. Rather than retire, he threw himself into a series of new recordings and projects, and began to achieve the deserved status of an international celebrity. In 1996 he played for President Mandela and the Queen during Mandela’s state visit to Britain. He responded by dancing in the royal box.

In 2010 he was the opening performer in the globally transmitted concert that kicked off the football World Cup finals in South Africa, and in 2012 he was reunited with Simon for a world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Graceland project. This time there were no protests. Later that year he co-created the Songs of Migration jazz musical, which explored the music of South Africa, Nigeria and the American South and was staged around the world.

Having issued more than 40 albums across his career, his final one was No Borders, in 2016. Among his many awards was South Africa’s highest, the Order of Ikhamanga.

Masekela’s second marriage, to Chris Calloway, daughter of the jazz artist Cab Calloway, ended in divorce, as did his marriages to Jabu Mbatha and Elinam Cofie.

He is survived by his son, Selema (also known as Sal), and daughter, Pula Twala, from other relationships, and by his sisters, Elaine and Barbara. 

(The Guardian)

University of Botswana workers through their unions are now taking management to court over refusal to pay the seven percent salary hike.

University of Botswana Academic and Senior Support Staff Union (UBASSSU), President Dr. Kaelo Molefhe revealed on Wednesday this week that since the management is not willing to listen to them, they have decided to explore other avenues. Dr. Molefhe told this publication that they met with their lawyers on Tuesday this week to discuss the matter. 

“We have been patient with the management but nothing fruitful is happening. It appears that the ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology could not release the funds when the court directed that unionised workers should also benefit from the seven percent salary increase because the UB management had not done its paperwork. So we are now left with no choice but to seek intervention of the court,” said Molefhe.

UB workers through their unions UBASSSU, University of Botswana Staff Union (UBSU), and the National Amalgamated Local, Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union petitioned the Vice Chancellor in October last year demanding the seven percent salary adjustment. In the petition, the workers also declared a motion of no confidence on management and demanded that disciplinary action be taken against some members of the management whom they say are dishonest in dealing with the workers. 

The workers said that they ought to have benefited from the three and four percent salary hike that was awarded public officers in April 2016 and 2017 respectively. They demanded that Government Directives No. 4 of 2016 and No. 4 of 2017 should be ratified with immediate effect to pay UB employees the cumulative seven percent salary inflationary adjustment and that the UB Council should be asked to set aside the “fraudulently” approved Staff Grievances Policy and Procedures (SGPP). 

Also, they are demanding that the deputy vice chancellor (Finance and Administration), Mendel Nlanda, director (Human Resources), Lucy Machiba, and deputy director (Legal Services), Goitsemang Taunyane should be charged for serious or gross misconduct and be summoned for disciplinary action promptly. 

This week, Dr Molefhe explained that it seems the management is not barging. He said all they want is for the anomaly to be rectified. He indicated that the management has been giving an excuse that some of the staff at UB once got an increase of 35 percent leaving the institution financially constrained.

UB Director of Public Affairs Mhitshane Reetsang said that the institution is not refusing to pay the staff what is due to them. “The issue of paperwork being done and forwarded to the ministry I do not think is an issue. We have always indicated that the problem is the financial status of the university. 

“It is not like we are ignoring the grievances, which is why we keep on updating them during staff meetings,” she said echoing last year’s sentiments by the Minister of Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Alfred Madigele when he told Parliament that the institution’s financial woes were self-inflicted among them being a unilateral decision by management to increase salaries by 35 percent.

“We have also told them that we are currently engaging government to see how best we could resolve the matter,” said Reetsang adding that the institution was not aware of the looming court action but would however not stand in the way of the workers to air their grievances.

“Our hope however, is that whilst they take that action they must understand that the university is not just folding its arms,” she said.