Opinions

“He who pays the piper calls the tune”

We have often been referred to as a nation of debtors. It is not difficult to see why. As it is, its hard to miss the damage that personal debt is doing to the health of our national politics. The magnitude of debt among politicians, especially counciullors, has become practically unsustainable. It is a time bomb waiting to explode. Not only does this anomally derail the trajectory of our politics,...

The cheetah and President Khame... ...Revelations of a retired General who is still in charge...

When I first read the cheetah and President Khama story, I didn’t find it newsworthy. I, therefore, dismissed those who linked the story to the security of the head of state as pretenders and self-styled patriots of ‘fonkong’ brand. When chief state propagandist Jeff Ramsay explained that they never considered issuing a public statement because the incident was a small issue, I thought that this...

Has Botswana honoured its obligations in the De Beers relocation agreement?

For the last five years, entrepreneurs have been consistently advised to brace themselves for the relocation of the De Beers diamond trading arm from London to Gaborone. Business people were told that the relocation posited many opportunities, not least because the relocation of the business was going to see a Multi-billion dollar business being run from Gaborone. Among those things mentioned were...

Statement by Botswana Movement for Democracy President, Gomolemo Motswaledi, 2nd BMD Congress

It gives me pleasure to address this 2nd Congress of the Botswana Movement for Democracy, your movement, our movement. The resolutions you have taken over the past two years as well as the posture that their implementation took, allow me to be proud to address you as President of this movement as well as Secretary General of the people’s project, the Umbrella for Democratic Change. We meet here under...

Trade Unions should avoid divisions among themselves

These are certainly difficult times for labour union movement in Botswana. Many members are beginning to ask themselves if it is worth continuing paying membership fees when for the last five years or so, as members they do not have much to show for it, other than misery brought by ever steepening costs of living. The public sector strike that took place just over two years ago has left many employees...

MISA regional statement on World Press Freedom

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is deeply concerned about the rate at which media freedom and freedom of expression violations are occurring within the southern African region. We are particularly concerned that some of these violations have resulted in the death of journalists and others have resulted in severe body and psychological injuries. In this regard, our hearts go out to the...

Projected cereal shortage will further complicate an already difficult situation

In the face of projected drought and projected food hikes, we want to call those in authority to do all in their power to save Batswana from the jaws of poverty, from which, if allowed to slip through, they actually may never recover. More specifically, we call on government to take steps towards preparing for what will, no doubt, be the difficult stretch of month ahead before the rainy season comes...

CHOICE WITHIN FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

As is customary every time the world celebrates Press Freedom Day we get calls for the press to enjoy its freedom in a reasonable manner. One local radio station, Duma fm, played audio clips of various political party leaders expressing their views as regards the press. On the whole the leaders were not particularly pleased with the work that the press was doing. It seemed to me that the leaders...

It’s not too late to save the country from tenderpreneurs now taking over the BDP

The wider public thinks our opposition parties are mad that they cannot set aside petty differences and approach next year’s elections as a cohesive unit. I am still to meet an ordinary member of the public who fully understands just why we have gone for months without filling an important position such as that of Leader of Opposition. If this goes on for longer, the world would be forgiven to think...

Zimbabwean exiles remitting more than R6 billion home annually

South African banks have been releasing very interesting financial figures which indicate the financial advantages Zimbabwe is enjoying due to its citizens who are either economically or politically marooned in South Africa. The issue of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora being allowed to vote and to participate in electoral proceedings is an underestimated necessity. At first, Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government...

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