source: VoaNews Finance Minister Tendai Biti led a government delegation to Gaborone last Friday where the deal was reportedly sealed Botswana has finally approved a long-promised credit line of 500 million pula, the equivalent of US$70 million dollars, to boost Zimbabwe’s struggling manufacturing sector. Sources said Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti led industrialists and government officials to Gaborone on Friday at which time the agreement was made final. They said 70 percent of the funds will go towards manufacturing while 30 percent will go to other sectors of the economy. Economic recovery has been faltering for lack of [continue reading] source: News24 Maputo – Mozambique’s government is reversing bread and water price increases that had touched off deadly riots, the planning minister said on Tuesday. Protests last week in the capital, Maputo, over hikes in the costs of bread, water and electricity turned violent, with demonstrators clashing with police. The health department put the death toll at 13. Planning Minister Aiuba Cuereneia told reporters after a cabinet meeting that the 20% increase in the government-set price of bread – which had followed a year of steady increases on [continue reading] source: Mmegi The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo, says the transformation of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) into a fully-autonomous body will be prioritised as staff members cry foul over delays in the project. While the Statistics Act – the vehicles for transforming the CSO into an autonomous Statistics Botswana – was passed in December 2009, little progress has been made on the ground, much to the ire of staffers who feel in limbo. By contrast, the Competition Act, which entered Parliament and was also passed by legislators in December, is in the process of being fully operationalised, with seven commissioners, including a chairperson, being appointed recently. The Competition Commission is presently headhunting for a CEO. The Statistics Act also envisages a board overseeing committees dealing with 13 forms of statistics guided by a National Statistical System and producing data according to international best practice. However, the board is yet to take shape. The Statistics Bill and the Competition Bill – Bills Number 18 and 17 of 2009 respectively – are both seen as essential building blocks and key ingredients of other progressive economies around the world. At a staff meeting yesterday, Minister Matambo was put under pressure by disgruntled CSO staffers who said the delay in effecting the new [continue reading] source: SW Radio Africa Analysts have predicted that Zimbabwe would be thrown into serious political turmoil if long time President Robert Mugabe dies in office. In recent weeks news of Mugabe’s allegedly failing health has dominated many newspaper columns around the world because recent pictures of Mugabe showed him walking unsteadily and requiring the assistance of aides to negotiate stairs. But the 86 year-old ZANU PF leader’s health has been a closely guarded secret for decades. Notwithstanding his advanced age and ‘deteriorating’ health Mugabe, nevertheless appears determined to seek re-election in the next poll, once the redrafting of a new constitution is complete next year. Academic and political researcher Clifford Mashiri told us this scenario increases the chances that he might die in office, or due to old age will become incapable of performing the duties of his office, by reason of mental or physical incapacity. ‘There is a danger that if he (Mugabe) dies while still in power, there are chances the country will be left in disarray as factions in ZANU PF fight to gain control of power. What is clear after 30 years of Mugabe at the helm of ZANU PF is that the party is incapable of [continue reading] source: Mmegi Efforts are underway to craft an overarching medium to long-term Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) Strategy for Botswana to give direction and guidelines on how best the private sector can be weaned off Government’s support and protection. At a three-day workshop, which started in Phakalane yesterday, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dorcas Makgato-Malesu, said Government’s objective is to see the private sector operating more independently so as to compete openly in both domestic and global markets. “This workshop is long overdue,” she said. “Diversification has been the longstanding agenda of our country for a [continue reading] source: allAfrica Johannesburg — After 21 days of strike, hundreds of thousands of South African public sector workers have returned to work. However, this is only a suspension of the strike, civil servants’ unions said, refusing the government’s offer to increase employee salaries 7.5 percent and give a grant of 800 rands to cover housing costs. The unions demanded a wage increase of 8.6 percent and a 1,000 rands in housing subsidy. According to Fides, the unions have given themselves 21 days to finalize an agreement in principle with its members to end the dispute over wages that has caused massive disruption of public services. The union protest has paralyzed schools and hospitals, particularly amongst the poorest families who [continue reading] source: Mmegi The police weekly report indicates a significant reduction in armed robbery, burglary, theft and murder in August compared to July. In August, 80 cases of armed robbery were recorded compared to 123 in July. Cases of house break-ins and theft also dropped from 320 in July to 177 in August. There was a notable reduction in burglary and theft in August, which recorded 240 cases compared to 400 the previous month. Road accidents claimed 34 lives in July and 32 in August. The police have attributed the reduction in criminal offences to strategic operations and initiatives such as cluster policing and [continue reading] source: SW Radio Africa Since Wednesday there has been intermittent jamming by Robert Mugabe’s regime of short wave broadcasts from SW Radio Africa. Using a heavy noise like a slow playing record, some of our programming and news bulletins have been drowned out. Experts say jamming radio broadcasts is expensive to do and you need a lot of power. Last week our sources said the Central Intelligence Organisation, which falls under the President’s Office, is running the operation. The Zimbabwe National Students Union criticized the jamming describing it as ‘an attempt to subvert a people’s right to receive and impart information as prescribed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Zimbabwe is a signatory.’ The union said it had hoped the inclusion of the MDC in government ‘was a buffer against such authoritarian tendencies’ but it seemed ‘politicians are of [continue reading] source: Mmegi Development of the proposed Trans-Kalahari railway line (TKR) is critical for Botswana’s ability to unlock the potential of its coal resources. That’s according to Gabaake Gabaake, permanent secretary for Botswana’s Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, who was interviewed by Miningmx at the Africa Down Under conference in Perth, Western Australia. But Gabaake maintained any development would have to be driven by the private sector, with facilitation from the governments of Botswana and Namibia. That view is challenged by sources at the conference, who feel that both governments will have to get involved directly in raising the funds needed. The Botswana and Namibian governments are currently working on a feasibility study on the TKR project, while discussions are under way between various coal companies to undertake a bankable feasibility study. The proposed line would link to [continue reading] source: allAfrica Johannesburg — PUBLIC sector unions suspended their strike yesterday, but threatened more action if their original demands are not met. The three-week-long strike was called off pending the outcome of negotiations that resumed yesterday and will run for 21 days. Union officials said the suspension of the strike did not equate to acceptance of the offer of a 7,5% wage increase and R800 housing allowance. “It doesn’t mean that now that we’re negotiating, we’re accepting the offer,” said Thobile Ntola, president of the South African Democratic Teachers Union. Public servants are expected to resume normal operations today, bringing relief to public schools and hospitals, which have been the worst affected. Matric preliminary exams in several provinces were postponed. Some schools were disrupted by [continue reading]
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Botswana Finally Approves US$70m Credit Line for Zimbabwe Manufacturing
Ntungamili Nkomo & Gibbs Dube
Washington 07 September 2010
2010-09-07 16:34
MBONGENI MGUNI
Staff Writer
By Tichaona Sibanda
7 September 2010
BRIAN BENZA
Staff Writer
Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
7 September 2010
By Lance Guma
06 September 2010
Business Day (Johannesburg)
Wilson Johwa and Alistair Anderson
7 September 2010