(AFP (eng) 11/21/16)
The number of HIV-infected people taking anti-retroviral medicine has doubled in just five years, the UN said Monday, while highlighting high infection rates among young African women. A new report by UNAIDS said it was on course to hit a target of 30 million people on ARV treatment by 2020. "By June 2016, around 18.2 million people had access to the life-saving medicines, including 910,000 children, double the number five years earlier," UNAIDS said in a statement. But the report showed the huge risks that some young women face. Last year more than 7,500 teenagers and young women became infected with HIV every week worldwide, with the bulk of them in southern Africa. "Young women...
(AFP (eng) 11/20/16)
Above the sacks of seeds and coal, three kerosene lamps gather dust in the tiny shed that Kenyan chicken farmer Bernard calls home. He prefers to use solar energy to light up his evenings, listen to the radio or watch television, after abandoning a diesel generator he said was expensive to maintain and burned fuel too quickly. "Solar panels are a good, cheap solution," he told AFP. Across the continent, consumers are opting for their own off-grid solar solutions to power homes and small businesses, even as African governments unveil massive new solar projects seemingly every month to expand their grids. According to International Energy Agency projections, almost one billion people in sub-Saharan Africa will gain access to the grid...
(Agence Ecofin 11/19/16)
Thrice-listed mining firm Lucara Diamond has sold a 12 of its diamond totaling 1,098 ct, from its Karowe mine in Botswana. The firm said five of the diamonds have been sold for more than $2 million. It highlighted that a 224.5 ct type IIa stone was sold for $11.11 million, representing $49,497/ct, the highest average per carat sale price it recorded so far. Another 81.8ct stone was sold for $46,138/ct and a third 162.3ct stone was for $4.88 million ($30,117/ct)...
(The Guardian 11/19/16)
At COP22, the African Development Bank’s president, Akinwumi Adesina, tells of strategies to improve energy supplies and fight the impact of climate change “We lose 5% of our potential GDP every year, and African industries cannot be competitive without access to electricity,” says Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank. “I believe that’s why we can’t break away from reliance on exporting our raw materials – new industries will only go to where there’s power.” He is speaking on...
(APA 11/18/16)
Botswana’s Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi was on Friday awarded the distinction of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun by Japanese Emperor Akihito. Japanese ambassador to Botswana Masahiro Onishi said the Imperial award was given in recognition of his contributions to promoting friendship and cooperation between Japan- Botswana and the Africa region. As this honour is awarded to foreign citizens who have promoted the cordial bilateral relationship between Japan and their own nations, Onishi explained that Masisi was given the award due to his continuous dedication in strengthening the bilateral relationship between Japan and Botswana.
(APA 11/18/16)
The University of Botswana (UB) on Friday launched an experimental vehicle that uses biodiesel fuel. The vehicle uses blended fuel (B10) which is 90 per cent petroleum diesel (50PPM) and 10 per cent biodiesel produced by University of Botswana researchers. Launching the experimental vehicle, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Martin Mokgwathi, said the vehicle was one of the key milestones of the research project. Professor Mokgwathi said it was also testimony that UB was Botswana’s premier research institution especially that its research projects were bearing fruit and beginning to benefit society. Dr Clever Ketlogetswe from UB’s Department of Mechanical Engineering observed that research on biofuel was aimed at
(APA 11/17/16)
Botswana Attorney General Dr. Athaliah Molokomme said Thursday that Botswana strongly believes that even in the face of challenges, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the only hope for the countless victims crying out for justice. Molokomme was speaking Thursday at the 15th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC being held at The Hague, the Netherlands. “Justice is indivisible. We must tirelessly work to ensure that all victims of the most serious crimes have access to justice,” she said. Molokomme added that “With its increased judicial workload and currently exercising jurisdiction over 10 situations and 10 ongoing preliminary investigations
(APA 11/17/16)
Swimming against the tide of congratulatory messages from other African leaders, Botswana President Ian Khama is yet to extend his own to United States President-elect Donald Trump, Mmegi newspaper reported here Thursday. A number of countries across the globe including opposition parties have sent their congratulatory messages to Trump. Khama’s private secretary, Brigadier George Tlhalerwa told the paper that Trump is not yet the President of the US. “The international norm is that you congratulate somebody after they have taken...
(APA 11/17/16)
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) will next week undertake a three-day roadshow in Botswana's capital Gaborone to raise public awareness about its operations and benefits. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) will next week undertake a three-day roadshow in Botswana's capital Gaborone to raise public awareness about its operations and benefits. SACU executive secretary Paulina Elago said in a statement on Thursday that the roadshow would be held from 21-23 November. The key objective of this campaign is to...
(APA 11/17/16)
Botswana President Ian Khama has pledged his government's commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2030. Our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) comprises measures in such areas as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transport, Khama said in a statement delivered on Wednesday at the ongoing climate change conference in Morocco. He added: Our adaptation efforts focus largely on such vulnerable sectors as agriculture, water and health. In addressing climate change, Khama said we continue to incur considerable...
(AFP (eng) 11/17/16)
African leaders met in Morocco Wednesday on the sidelines of UN climate talks to agree a joint stance to fight global warming on the continent. "Africa is paying a heavy price over the climate issue and is without doubt the continent worst affected," Morocco's King Mohammed VI told the summit attended by 20 African leaders. "These disruptions... greatly hamper Africa's development and gravely threaten the basic rights of tens of millions of Africans," he said. He said the continent needed...
(AFP (eng) 11/16/16)
"Don't go!" That was the heartfelt appeal to African nations as the International Criminal Court opened its annual meeting Wednesday under the cloud of a wave of unprecedented defections. Gambia on Monday formally notified the United Nations that it was withdrawing from the court, following in the wake of South Africa and Burundi. "Don't go," pleaded Senegalese politician Sidiki Kaba, the president of the ICC's Assembly of State Parties meeting in The Hague. "In a world criss-crossed by violent extremism.....
(APA 11/14/16)
Botswana should guard against complacency in the battle against HIV and AIDS despite successes recorded so far, Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Monday. According to the state-run Radio Botswana, Masisi told a meeting organised by the National AIDS Council (NAC) in Gaborone on Monday that he was worried by new infections that continue to rise. Any form of complacency or drift from the war path would be more suicidal, he said. He said it was imperative to fast track both biomedical and behavioural interventions, noting that failure to do so would leave Batswana on the brink of extermination by the epidemic.
(Forbes 11/14/16)
Africa will have 1-billion mobile subscriptions by the fourth quarter of 2016, while data use will drive the next phase of growth in Africa’s telecoms market, according to researchers Ovum. Mobile subs will reach 1.02-billion by the end of 2016 and will reach 1.33-billion by 2021, says Matthew Reed, Ovum’s practice leader, for the Middle East and Africa. “The take-up of mobile broadband will rise strongly, as operators continue to roll out 3G and 4G LTE networks and as smartphones...
(AFP (eng) 11/12/16)
Across Africa, the approaching presidency of Donald Trump has provoked deep uncertainty over how the United States will pursue policies ranging from counter-terrorism and trade, to aid and climate change. Many African countries had high hopes that Barack Obama would bring transformative benefits to the continent and were left disappointed as he winds down his time in office. But Trump's rise to power poses fresh questions that reveal the lack of concrete detail on his foreign policy plans -- while...
(MmegiOnline 11/11/16)
A consultant tasked with establishing the country’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) national response strategy says Botswana should consider setting up an office to coordinate all AGOA activities in the country. Speaking this week during the validation workshop of the draft AGOA strategy in Gaborone, George Makore said the AGOA office should be headed by a coordinator to be assisted by experts in export development, investment promotion, and information dissemination. “The process of setting up the institutional structure should be initiated within 60 days of approval of the strategy,” he stated.
(The Toronto Star 11/11/16)
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Canada has committed to a three-year deployment in Africa that will be reassessed each year to ensure it has an “enduring” impact. Canadian troops headed to Africa will operate in dangerous territory where peacekeepers have been killed, says Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. In an exclusive interview with the Star from Vancouver Sajjan said Canada has committed to a three-year deployment that will be reassessed each year to ensure it has an “enduring” impact. It will...
(APA 11/10/16)
Botswana respects the United States' presidential election results and relations between the two countries are expected to remain cordial, government spokesperson Jeff Ramsay told Yarona FM radio station on Thursday. Botswana President Ian Khama has during the build-up to the presidential elections supported Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton as opposed to the scare-mongering and divisive utterances that emanated from Republican candidate Donald Trump. Trump cruised to a surprise victory on Tuesday to become the 45th US president after defeating Clinton...
(AFP (eng) 11/10/16)
All CAF competitions will offer increased prize money from 2017, the Cairo-based African football body said Wednesday. The announcement came months after French oil-gas company Total signed an eight-year sponsorship deal with CAF reportedly worth more than one billion dollars (915 million euros). Winners of the biennial Africa Cup of Nations will receive $4 million, up from the $1.5 million pocketed by 2015 champions the Ivory Coast. CAF Champions League title-holders are going to collect $2.5 million -- $1 million...
(Dw-World 11/09/16)
Africans across the continent followed the US presidential election with keen interest. While some fear that a Trump presidency could have disastrous consequences, others remain cautiously optimistic. Tanzania's President John Pombe Magufuli was one of the first African leaders to congratulate Donald Trump on his election victory. "Tanzanians and I assure you of continued friendship and cooperation," he wrote on his Twitter account. Burundi's controversial leader Pierre Nkurunziza - the subject of intense US and international criticism for his decision...