South Africa has been given another chance to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil following the penalty to Ethiopia which heads Group A. Bafana Bafana as South Africa is called is back in contention if they can win their final game against Botswana and Ethiopia loses or draws against Central African Republic. The international football mother body said from its headquarters in Zurich that Ethiopia have been punished for using a suspended player which is against the rules. “FIFA can confirm that the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has been sanctioned for fielding an ineligible…
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De Beers and Mountain Province Diamonds say De Beers as operator of the Gahcho Kué Project has entered into a Socio Economic Agreement (SEA) with the Government of the Northwest Territories for the proposed Gahcho Kué diamond mine located in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT). The agreement formalises commitments made with respect to employment, training, business opportunities and other related benefits for NWT residents. It also establishes measures to monitor possible socio-economic impacts related to the proposed mine and establishes the mechanism to work with communities close to the mine site to ensure an adaptive management approach to socio-economic performance of…
Tlou Energy Limited has revealed in an update that the Lesedi 1P well has been completed and the rig released from location and moved to the Selemo 1P well. Lesedi 1P is the vertical intercept pumping well in the Lesedi Pilot Pod and was drilled to a total depth of 492 metres, having run and cemented the 219 millimetre (8-5/8 inch) intermediate casing string to 418 metres. “Following wireline logging operations, the main target coal seam (Morupule Main Seam) was under-reamed with a 406 millimetre (16 inch) under-reamer. The rig was released from location at 22:00 hours on 29 June…
MMC Norilsk Nickel says overall 130 non-protectable IP assets (process improvement proposals) have been implemented in production by the company in the first five months of 2013 with a resulting savings rate of 26.5 million rubles. The Russian mining outfit said the bulk of improvement proposals are lodged by the Polar Division with 88 filings on process improvement, equipment and devices in use received since the beginning of the year. 85 proposals have been implemented with a subsequent financial benefit of 25.9 million rubles. Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant, Oktyabrsky Mine, Copper Plant, Nickel Plant and Norilsk Rail Service are at the…
Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH), which acts as government agency that will take the country to IT superhighway, says it is ‘excited’ by Microsoft’s decision to choose Botswana in an initiative that aims to modernise the SMME sector and support the Africa’s promise. CEO of BIH, Alan Boshwaen, said participating in the new project is something that they look forward to. “We are excited that Botswana has been selected as this will allow us to drive our agenda,” Boshwaen told a media briefing after meeting the visiting General Manager of Africa Initiative, Fernando de Sousa. “We are (also) excited because Microsoft…
First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) has teamed up with the BotswanaPost, which has been appointed by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) as one of the Super Vendors for purchase of pre-paid electricity, to facilitate additional payment channels that will serve customers beyond operating hours and at the sametime create convenience accessing power. Under the arrangement, FNBB, the listed banking giants known to be the most innovative bank in the country introduces virtual purchases which are card based to provide pre-paid electricity to all VISA and MasterCard credit and debit card holders irrespective of issuing bank. The service is currently available…
Despite global recession, diamonds still play an important role as they account to higher percentage of the country’s imports and exports. According to Statistics Botswana’s latest Botswana International Merchandise Trade Statistics for April 2013, diamonds contributed 36.9 percent of total imports and 86.1 percent for total exports. “Composition of imports by principal commodities for April 2013 shows that diamonds contributed 36.9 percent (P2, 172.6 million) to total imports (P5, 890.8 million) during the month, followed by Machinery & Electrical Equipment with 13.4 percent (P789.3 million),” noted Statistics Botswana. Fuel contributed 12.5 percent (P734.7 million) followed by Vehicles & Transport Equipment…
Gem Diamonds Limited said it has recovered a 100 carat, white, Type IIa diamond from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho on 22 June 2013. This rough diamond is the third diamond over 100 carats in size to be recovered from Letšeng since May this year. The recovery of a 164ct D Colour Type IIa diamond, which was sold for US$9 million into a partnership arrangement; and the recovery of a 103 carat yellow diamond, sold on tender, were both announced on 31 May 2013. Letšeng’s June export achieved an average price of US$2 087 per carat, for a total value…
The reason why Botswana might have avoided conflicts that come with natural resources could be attributed to the country’s decision that all natural resources are managed by the state, which is not the case with many countries around the world. Presenting a paper titled :Good Governance and Resource Management: The Case of Botswana, at a in forum on Fair and Sustainable Resource Management, Eschborn, in Germany recently, the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public administration, Dr. Gloria Somolekae, noted that studies have concluded that countries that are highly dependent on revenues from natural resources, such as minerals, tend to do…
Team Toyota’s Anthony Taylor and his co-driver Dennis Murphy are winners of this year’s edition of the Toyota Botswana 1000 km Kalahari Desert Race. The duo beat a strong field of drivers, among them the race’s defending champions’ team of Duncan Vos and Rob Howie, also of Toyota, to clinch their maiden crown in Botswana. Starting fifth on the grid when the race started on Saturday, Murphy and Taylor had a race of their life as they ensured they finished the first day on pole position. The team never looked back on the race’s final day on Sunday as they…