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24 Aug 2009 02:15
Edition 473 21 - 28 August, 2009
First sun powered boat on Okavango River
It is the first to be seen on the Okavango River a solar powered sloop built in Maun.
As it progresses from Shakawe to Maun, the sun is heating nine photovoltaic 200W panels (1800W) to provide the engine with power, and to recharge the four batteries as needed.
A Flexmax power point system is also used to determine how best to use the power obtained while two additional 80W panels power an Engel fridge/freezer, an emergency radio, and two LED spotlights.
The Ray Marine electric motor, which is 4hp, pushes the boat which, combined with the current, gives the craft an elegant 12 k/ph cruising speed.
Those on board - who have been well-stocked up with food, and have been resupplied by Jacques Conradie, from River Safaris - say the engine is remarkably quiet, and the boat handles like a dream.
They have been averaging about 60-70 km per day from Shakawe to Maun, and are on schedule.
The solar sloop, celebrating the launch of the Alternative Power Systems Africa company, of Maun, and highlighting the use of solar power and its different applications, should be arriving in Maun today or tomorrow (Friday or Saturday) if all goes well.
On board are Mark Nordin, Mark Rodwell, Grant Nordin and Grant Huskisson.
POLICE, SOLDIERS DIG UP RIFLES
By Keagisitswe Dioka and Gaolebogwe Moipei
Three men said to be Zimbabweans are being questioned by police after a large sum of money and a number of rifles were found buried on Wednesday afternoon at a rented two-roomed house in Boseja.
The three are suspected of being linked to armed robbery cases which have taken place in Maun, the Okavango Panhandle and in the central Kalahari in recent weeks.
Police and soldiers dug up the money which was buried in a rubbish pit and the guns were also found buried in shallow holes against the walls of the house.
The dramatic breakthrough comes after armed robbers raided the Sedia Riverside Hotel and the Okavango River Lodge on Tuesday.
A man was also attacked at his home in Tsanakona while another who had loaded his rifle was overpowered in his home and also robbed of the weapon.
According to the information revealed by Maun CID Officer-In -Charge, Assistant Superintendent Alakanani Raymond David, intruders cut the perimeter fence and raided the Sedia Riverside Hotel offices at about 1.45am on Tuesday.
The safe was opened by using explosives and the robbers some of who were armed with rifles, it is understood got away with an undisclosed amount of money and other property.
The day before, robbers tied up two security guards at the Okavango River Lodge.
An amount of P6 000 was taken from the safe.
David said a Tsanakona man was on August 17 robbed of a Nokia N70 cellphone valued at P2 700. The man was attacked by robbers who hit him on the face and head with something suspected to be a metal object. He sustained minor injuries.
A few days earlier, a Thitoyamokodi man was awakened at about 2am by his dogs barking. Three masked robbers attacked him before he could fire a warning shot. He was robbed of his loaded rifle, valued at P6 000.00.
The intruders ran off with the rifle and the victim was taken to Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
Maun police are also investigating a case of shop breaking and theft at a branch of Pep Stores in the New Mall.
Thieves got onto the roof at the back of the building, cut through the roofing materials and tried to rob the safe. When they were unable to do so, they stole blankets and escaped.
Scene of the crime. On the left is pictured the location of the rifles, and (right) where the money was found.
Sudden death of Brian Wentink
Well-known Maun resident Brian Wentink died suddenly this week after complaining of feeling ill.
The death occurred during the lunch hour on Tuesday when Wentink, 61, was taken to a local doctor's surgery for an examination. He died at the scene after suffering what was described as a massive heart attack.
Wentink was the son-in-law of world famous big game hunter Harry Selby and Miki Selby. He is survived by his wife Gail.
Wentink, a Botswana citizen, was born in South Africa . A printer by trade, he came to Botswana 16 years ago, established a small printing business Mowana Printers - and then entered the retail trade supplying safari camps with their necessities. At the time of his death he was working from offices at Lepopo Food and Liquor Services.
He met his wife in Johannesburg , South Africa , and they married in Maun in 1991.
Brian was an enthusiastic nature and wildlife enthusiast and also did some hunting.
A memorial service is to take place on August 29 (Saturday) at Thamalakane Lodge at 2pm.
The Wentink family has requested colourful flowers and no white lilies at the memorial.
Many affected by diarrhea outbreak
- Kasane Primary Hospital has been hit by a diarrhea pandemic.
According to information from Chobe District Council secretary Drastus Mathumo the first case of diarrhea was confirmed on August 14 and so far about 200 people had been admitted.
A child aged 4 months has died after showing signs of diarrhea and pneumonia but we cannot blame diarrhea for the death as the child might have died from pneumonia, Mathumo said
He said investigations were underway to find the cause of the outbreak.
It is suspected that Chobe River water which residents drink might have been contaminated and he pleaded with residents to boil all water.
The Chobe district commissioner Tlale Setumo said the district is capable of controlling the disease as only 8 patients are infected and are hospitalised while others have been discharged from the hospital'.
Soldier fights ex-girlfriend for child custody
By Delphin Koma
Dikoma Mandefu, a 39 year old soldier in Mogoditshane, has appeared at the Maun Customary Court with his ex-girlfriend Lorato Kgosietsile 33, of Thitoyamokodi, Maun, about the custody of their child.
The couple separated in 2006 and according to Mandefue he asked Kgosietsile to take the child to his parents for support but she refused, saying he should pay her P3 500 for pregnancy damages as it is customary.
I did that and later I paid P4 000 for custody of the child, he said. Mandefu told the court that he later changed the child's birth certificate to his surname, which was strenuous as Kgosietsile was against the idea. Kgosietsile's family refused to give up the child to him.
Her mother refused for the child to study in Etsha13 saying the educational level was not up to standard and Mandefu's mother was too old to take care of the child, he said.
Kgosietsile said she agreed that all required payments were made - my worries are that the child is too young to be taken from me to Etsha 13, his mother is too old to raise a child as she is already raising her other grandchildren and I disagreed with Mandefu that paying for the child's custody gives him any liberty to the child's living conditions even if they are not good ones, she said.
Oabile Kgosietsile, her 59 year old mother, said it was true all the payments were paid and they also released the child to Mandefu's family. We gave out the child by dawn and by dusk she was returned to us, she said. She said that Mandefu's family told them that there was no one to take care of the child as they all work. Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo said he understood the disagreement of the child's mother especially that the child is too young to be studying far from her and that Mandefu s mother is too old to be taking care of her as there are other children involved.
I wish you could have settled down and talk about the child's living conditions, Ledimo said, ruling that the child would be in full custody of his father.
So the father has all the rights to be involved in her life even to take her to a school he prefers and anybody interfering would be questioned in a court of law, he said.
Nkate faces up to his political opponents
By Boniface Keakabetse
ETSHA 6 Minister of Education and Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) parliamentary contender in the Ngami constituency, Jacob Nkate, has welcomed 105 new members to his party from Etsha 13 and Etsha 10 with open arms - declaring this is positive for us ahead of (the) elections
Nkate was here at the weekend in support of assistant Education minister Kavis Kario who, like Nkate, was born in the area.
Kario faces an uphill battle against the Botswana Congress Party's Gilson Saleshando in the Selebi Phikwe parliamentary elections. Addressing political rallies here, Nkate refuted political sentiments that his leadership of the ministry has led to chaos and blunders, saying the ministry have experienced some improvements such as the establishment of Botswana examination and tertiary councils, saying these have brought fruitful benefits for education.
The Botswana tertiary council evaluates whether private colleges have the capacity to offer courses and though its establishment we have seen private colleges established in this country, something that has helped us save money from sending a lot of students outside the country, he said. Nkate said his party has better policies to improve agriculture. We are still in consultations with our neighbours for the right to channel water from the Zambezi River to start irrigation farming in the Chobe and already the government has given P60-million for the refurbishment of the Maun BMC which will open next January, he added. Nkate said the refurbishment of the abattoir included the construction of the meat processing plant for canning beef, saying this shows the government commitment to farmers in the district.
Concerning, the Ministry of Education, Nkate said the main decision he took at the ministry was the upping of the cut-off point to 40 points for students applying for government sponsorship and was triggered by the limited budget his ministry had been given. The ministry received more than P317-m which was also not enough, forcing him to reduce student allowances.
Kario told the audience that the opposition BAM/BCP has fielded 8 parliamentary contenders in the 57 constituencies in the country and this proved the pact cannot win the elections. To rule the country a party has to win at least 29 constituencies. Now tell me how they can rule even if they win all the 8 constituencies, he asked. He likened the BCP/BAM Pact to that which Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki's political cooperation for 2004 elections but later went separate ways due to differences in political ideologies.
Keeping a close eye on criminals
While there has been an apparent upsurge in the number of armed robberies in Ngamiland and in the Central Kalahari area, it is encouraging to note that the Botswana Police Service has been getting on top of the situation to the extent that this week in Maun they found a cache of guns and money hidden in the ground.
The weapons are undergoing forensic tests while the sources of the money will be determined as well.
The breakthrough comes at a time when businesses and private citizens are once again under threat from criminals who have been lying low for many months after a spate of activity in the Maun area earlier in the year and last year.
The worrying thing about the latest situation is that pistols and rifles are being used to intimidate people. In addition, the ruthlessness of the criminals is evident in that they are using explosives to blow up safes.
The police have again urged people to be on the look-out for suspicious characters and to also lock all doors and windows whenever they are in or out of their homes. Business people are also urged not to stash large amounts of money in their homes or their offices, rather deposit the cash in the banks.
The Maun 911 Neighbourhood Watch continually implores its members to report anything suspicious, and we and the police support that public spiritedness.
Safari operators and would-be tenderers have every right, Shuffle believes, to ask questions about the concessions method advertised by the Botswana Tourism Board in respect of prime wildlife areas in northern Botswana .
Angry potential tenderers have contacted this newspaper pointing out that some areas, such as NG 20 for instance, have not been advertised along with the others.
It turns out that the NG 20 concession apparently changed hands two years ago when a major player in the industry sold it for, it is rumoured, US$8-million (about P80-million) to a concern with interests in safari camps, lodges, property and retailing.
The question being asked by those who contacted us is how could NG20 have been left out of the system even if it had been sold when the same lease, same conditions and same terms of reference cover all other seven concession areas? It's a valid point. Maybe someone in authority can supply the answers?
Many years ago Shuffle worked for a newspaper in Durban , South Africa . Also there was a man named Brian Wentink.
Some 35 years later we met again in Maun. He had come here with his wife, Gail (nee Selby).
It took us just a short while to start remembering friends of yesteryear and of how we used to knock off work in the early hours of the morning and join other workmates for a late meal or other sustenance.
It is sad to report that Brian passed away suddenly in Maun on Tuesday at the young age of 61. Shuffle and Mrs Shuffle were privileged to attend his birthday last year at The Sports Bar.
We are going to miss him very much.
How many readers have seen the disgraceful rubbish dump at the old wooden bridge in Matlapaneng this national monument is home to discarded beer and cool drink cans, old papers, used condoms and the like. Tourists must be appalled by the sight of so much rubbish around a place which should be given pride of place in Maun.
And while on the subject of rubbish, a reader travelling in the Makgadikgadi Pans recently came across mounds of rubbish at a camping site.
The tourist sent Shuffle an e-mail: We had booked Njuca Hills campsite, and on arrival we found the trash cans overflowing and rubbish lying all over both sites. We collected what we could.
One has to ask where are the much-vaunted Wildlife department scouts whose job it is to ensure things are spic and span in our national parks. Readers will recall we had a front page picture recently of a mound o rotting rubbish at the old North Gate in the Moremi Game Reserve. Within 24 hours of publication, the rubbish was being collected.
Hopefully someone was given a rocket for shoddy management just as someone should get the same treatment in the pans.** With more people in Britain looking to work or retire outside of the euro zone, in order to take advantage of the exchange rate, the Sun (UK) newspaper and the Expatriate Healthcare website have published a Top 10 list of preferred locations outside European Union countries.
It is nice to report that Botswana is in the preferred destinations listed 9th on the basis of nature and conservation schemes which are described as ideal for an environmentally aware expatriate, as well as overall quality of life.
It was the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa to make the list.
Other preferred locations, in the order of their appearance on the list, are: Turkey , United States , Canada , Bahrain , Venezuela 's Isla Margarita (described as a Caribbean haven set outside the hurricane zone), Egypt , Malaysia , Brazil and Thailand .
Botswana government spokesmen have been complaining about lack of foreign investment, so here's an opportunity to cash in on potential investors.
Letters to the Editor
Restaurant's thanks for council decision
Sir, - Thank you all for reading The Ngami Times.
There was a great response from Maun , Britain , other parts of Europe and Botswana generally about the situation that arose at the Bon Arrivee restaurant recently when we were fined for displaying and selling T-shirts carrying our restaurant's logo and supporting business in Botswana . Many of those who contacted us asked what the North West District Council was doing and what has Botswana become, as well as asking whether the authorities did not have more serious issues to attend to.
Many gestures of support came from readers of your newspaper's website edition. With regard to the NWDC, I can happily say it reacted to the recent article (The Ngami Times, augu7sut 7). Mr Lawrence Mazinyane, Senior Assistant Council Secretary of the Maun Administrative Authority, offered the apologies of the bye-law officers who incorrectly fined Bon Arrivee on that July public holiday.An apology was offered by telephone and in writing and I was asked to ignore the fine. However, I ha already paid the fine within the stipulated seven days. There are no hard feelings about this. We are just happy that the problem has been solved and that we can carry on doing business.
Hurrah! to all the readers of The Ngami Times.
KLAAS BOLL
Bon Arrive Restaurant
Maun
Students in danger as they walk to school
Sir, - May I, through your most trusted and reliable newspaper, write on an issue that I seem to have been pensive about for quite some time. It has everything to do with the students of the secondary schools in our vicinity.
If anybody out there with the authority to act on the matter is listening, the time to act is now.
On my morning walks every day, around 6am, I get to witness these poor students walking to their respective schools, hands in their pockets, shivering to the last bit. I even got a chance to chat with one of them who told me that he wakes up at 4am to make sure that by 5.30 he leaves his parents' house in Shashe to walk to Maun Senior Secondary School .
The students walk all the way but imagine the darkness encountered around those times during this season of the year.
With the escalating rapes and killings, this is not at all something to write home about. It is not only about girls, even the boys may fall victims.
With the river flooding the way it does, everyone is forced to walk on the main road. How does one walk a distance of about five kilometres and at the end of it, is expected to sit and listen attentively in class? Would not our schools yield more than they do if there could be a better arrangement?
What really happened to the old system where the school bus used to collect them and drop them in the evening? Some students walk from as far as the newly built Disaneng houses in the morning and walk back in the evening. Again, they reach their homes late and have to prepare for the next day with no time to study. It looks like there have been a number of hazardous social issues that were overlooked during the introduction of the double shift educational system. If not, then somebody is just not doing their job.
Anybody, any student, it could be your daughter or son, can fall victim to criminals. Not all students have the privilege of being taken to school by their parents or have the means take a taxi.
Let's not forget the monster that used to wait for girl students by the river, right here in our tourist neighbourhood.
ONNEILE J MOLAPISI
Maun
Radiation storage are will be safe
GABORONE - The Department of Radiation Protection says it wants to allay any possible public concerns that may have been raised as a result of reports about a proposed radiation source storage facility in Pilikwe area.
The facility has been specifically designed to ensure that disused or spent radiation sources are kept in a safe and secure manner to prevent spent radiation sources from entering the public domain or being used in illicit activities.
In accordance with Radiation Protection Act 2006, the mandate of the department is to provide for the safe use of nuclear technology.
Radioactive sources, equipment and material are currently being used in a number of industries in Botswana , such as at mines, hospitals, research institutions, construction sites, and breweries.
Used sources from such facilities need to be kept in a secure and safe environment before they can be can be disposed of, which will be the purpose of the proposed facility, says the department.
In identifying Pilikwe as the site of the proposed facility the following factors were taken into consideration: Its location close to the Botswana International University of
Science and Technology, and its access to the Martin's Drift road, which will make it easier to transport sources outside of the country for disposal or reconditioning.
It is anticipated that Pilikwe and surrounding villages will benefit during both the construction and operational phases of the proposed project through employment creation and infrastructure development.
Here is the news, read from the air'
Radio messages between aircraft flying over the Okavango delta and the Maun airport control tower are being picked up on an FM radio and on the frequency used by Radio Botswana 2 (RB 2).
The messages are mostly heard in the vicinity of the airport and at the New Mall. The messages give among other things, pilots' departure from airstrips in the delta and the altitude at which they will fly.
This would be followed by the tower informing the pilots to advise their descent into Maun airport. It is feared by some listeners this type of situation is a threat to the safety and security of aircraft.
Anyone can easily know where each aircraft is and this is very dangerous. Imagine an aircraft carrying some large amounts of cash, and robbers are monitoring its movements. This is not supposed to happen, said a former pilot with the Botswana Defence Force.
He noted that the Botswana Telecommunication Authority (BTA) was duty-bound to rectify this problem by correctly setting their band widths to avoid encroachment.
Another pilot interviewed said such situations do occur but pointed out that it is not happening all the time.
He said sometimes this would be due to interference in frequencies and also agreed that persistent interference could be a threat to security.
These aircraft fly everything and everyone in and out of Maun and we cannot have people listening to their movements, he said, adding that the authorities responsible should work around the clock to urgently rectify the problem.
Meanwhile the Botswana Telecommunications Authority which controls frequency allocations - had by the time of going to press not responded to a questionnaire sent to BTA last week.
Aviation security officer in court again
Benjamin Leselwa (41), an aviation security officer, has again appeared before Maun principal magistrate Clifford Foroma for mention in which the purpose was to set trial date. However, the trial date was not set as the accused person's attorney, Charles Tlagae, was said to be attending a High Court hearing. Leselwa was charged with corruption in which the particulars stated that he corruptly accepted P2 000 from Susan Janetta Smart, of Kwando Safaris. The money was said to have been given to Leselwa as a reward for inspecting and recommending the offices of the company for its licence. The incident is said to have occurred on August 6, 2007, in Maun while he was employed by the Department of Civil Aviation as an Aviation Security Officer. The prosecutor was Nkaelang Lekgowa, of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The accused person will appear for mention on August 27 to set trial date.
Selinda Spillway links up with Linyanti Swamps
By Bright Kholi
The Selinda Spillway has linked up with the Linyanti swamps after it last connected more than 30 years.
By last week, the Spillway was about 6km from the Kwando River .
There has been confusion as to what direction the spillway actually flows. In an interview with The Ngami Times this week, Kurugundla Naidu, head of the aquatic division in the department of Water Affairs put the record straight. He said the Cuando River (the Kwando River in Botswana ) rises in the central plateau of Angola and then flows through a maze of channels in a swampy corridor 5-10km wide and continues across the neck of the Caprivi Strip to form the border between Namibia and Botswana as it continues south-east.
Presently the Kwando terminates into the Linyanti and has diverted east to connect to the seasonal Lake Liambezi and from this point the river is called the Chobe, which is connected to the Zambezi River near Kazungula, he said. Naidu said in years when the Okavango experiences good floods, as is the case this year, some of the water escapes east along the normally dry channel of the Magwegqana River (Selinda Spillway) of the Okavango Delta into the Linyanti Swamp , thus connecting with the Zambezi Basin .
He noted that the influence of the high flood in the Selinda Spillway can make the Linyanti as well as the Savuti get sufficient flows. Commenting on the Okavango Delta flow down stream, Olebeng Balapi, also of the Water Affairs department, noted that the head waters in the Boteti River are at Khumaga, while the Nhabe River has already joined the Kunyere River at Toteng.
However, he said it was unlikely that the Shashe River , which last flowed in 1986, will join the Thamalakane River .
Balapi said although the water is 2km from the Shashe Bridge , there were a lot of pits dug by people illegally mining sand for construction.
He noted that the water might just end there since the pits are enormous, adding that they will pose a threat to human lives once filled with water.
Slight decrease' noted in armed robberies
Police headquarters in Gaborone say there has been a slight decrease in the number of armed robberies taking place throughout the country.
The latest crime report says 1 237 cases were recorded since the beginning of the year compared to 1 342 last year in the corresponding period. In the week ending August 16, there were 27 armed robberies compared to 48 in the previous week. Over P200 000 worth of property and more than P35 000 in cash was stolen.
Police operations being conducted countrywide targeting crime prone areas are attributed to the reduction in such cases. Investigations show most victims are attacked and robbed in the streets and in bush areas while returning from work or going out for entertainment.
Some are home invasions, the police said.
The police say people should not use secluded areas at night ad keep valuables well protected at all times. Houses should always be locked.
In the week ending August 16, there were three murders. Two people were arrested for one of the cases while there were 29 rapes, for which 11 people have been arrested.
The totals number of murders committed so far this year stands at 141.
Fire fighting course builds capacity among locals
By Bright Kholi and Gaolebogwe Moipei
Australian fire management experts were this week conducting a three-day basic fire fighting training course in Maun aimed at different stakeholders in the region. The trainers were from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia and have been called in by the government to help prevent bush fires of the kind that devastated huge areas of the country last summer.
Speaking at the event, J F Ramontsho, of the disaster management committee, said 2008 was the worst fire season as fires covered a wide geographical area.
There was also a problem of limited resources and capacity to deal with the situation and Botswana had to contact neighbouring countries and the international community for assistance. He said the purpose of the training workshop is to build capacity in fire management, as well as start the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the governments of Botswana and Australia . He also said they had to identify a core group of people who will be trained as trainers.
Officially opening the workshop on behalf of the chairperson of the Agricultural Resources Board, the deputy chairman of North West District Council (NWDC), Tebogo Bethia, said it is an opportune moment in the history of this country to be starting a series of courses that aims at building capacity in bush fire management.
He said Botswana signed a MoU with Australia aimed at building partnership between the two countries and will see my country benefiting from your fire expertise for the next five years.
He said the aim is to see Botswana becoming a centre of excellence regarding fire management in Africa .
The participants were taken through both theory and practical fire management.
Afternoon swim turns into tragedy as boy drowns
By Boniface Keakabetse
ETSHA 13 - A nasty incident shook this usually silent and peaceful village last Friday.
An afternoon swimming lesson turned into a tragedy when a 6-year-old boy Isaiah Sendimba, of Etsha 13, drowned in the flooded Okavango River .
Isaiah had been with a group of children, including a 7-year-olf brother, for an afternoon swim.
Residents of villages on the fringes of the Okavango Delta regard swimming as a necessary part of their lives and which is centred on the fishing industry.
While children in these villages often learn the craft at an early age, the recent floods pose the greatest danger.
Gumare police station commander, Superintendent Nkwebi Chilisa, said in an interview that the incident was reported to them by the boy's family the following day.
He said a group of children rushed to boy's family to tell of the incident but apparently there was nothing that could be done since it was already dark.
Etsha 13 headman James Sevako has confirmed the incident and said the boy's mother had gone to Shakawe at the time of the accident.
She had apparently left the child on the care its grandmother and an uncle, who was not home at the time. Chilisa said this is the second drowning incident recorded by his office. Last month, 62-year-old Nkonda Machacha drowned after attempting to cross the river at a deep point at Guda fields near Nokaneng.
Chilisa has warned residents of villages on the flood plains to avoid crossing the river at deep points and for parents to restrain their children from swimming the rivers as this is extremely dangerous in the wake of the floods.
Water is everywhere even and people need to scrutinise the depth of the water before attempting to swim across the river, he said
Auditor's bail appeal dismissed
Tebogo Mompati Bojong, an auditor who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for stealing eight blank cheques from Maun Revenue Office, has had his appeal against the sentence dismissed.
His bail; pending appeal application was dismissed by the prosecutors and by Maun principal magistrate, Clifford Foroma. Bojong was represented by 0tukile and Associates, Maun, while the state prosecutor was Universe Kabecha.
In Bojong's submissions, the defence stated that the charge which was laid was not proper as it has been indicated that he stole eight blank cheques which had no value. It was stressed that there were some contradictions on Seokodi Makgobe's evidence as he was not sure about the exact dates when he saw Bojong at one Sunday Samunzala's place.
The prosecutor in his submissions dismissed the accused's plea, saying it was clear that Bojong stole the eight blank cheques from Maun Revenue Office while he was auditing.
Foroma dismissed Bojong's plea saying that the sentence was appropriate, adding that there are no exceptional circumstances that could assist the accused not to serve his jail term. He agreed with the prosecution saying that even though the cheques had no value, cheques were things that can be easily stolen.
The court heard the evidence was overwhelming against Bojong, adding that no other court can find anything contrary to the judgment. The other accused, Sunday Samunzala, a public health inspector, pleaded guilty to the offence, Kazera Ngaruka was discharged and acquitted while Gonnamang Setlhodi was an accomplice witness.
Hospital superintendent talks on complaints
The superintendent of Maun's new Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital , Dr Maxwell Mungisi, has responded to the many complaints that are aimed at his hospital.
In an interview with The Ngami Times, he set the record straight with the way the hospital and many others countrywide operated.
He was responding to complaints brought by some North West District councillors who have expressed dissatisfaction with the manner at which patients' complaints are handled and what they termed a growing habit at the hospital whereby one would find nurses dragging their feet and not paying attention to patients regardless of their ailments, no matter how serious.
The hospital was also accused of not providing transport to patients referred to Nyangabwe hospital in Francistown .
Komana councillor Morolong Mosimanyana had earlier told council at its recent monthly meeting that during his many visits to the hospital, there were at times no doctors to be seen and in some instances, more especially at night, a nurse would be doing different chores such as consulting and dispensing drugs, and at times attending to emergencies on her own.
Some hospital staff have also been blamed for being reluctant to attend to critically ill patients, some of whom fall from their beds while asleep.
Councillors said members of the public are not happy with service delivery at clinics because in most instances clinics are never visited by doctors. Mungisi said it was true that like all other hospitals, Letsholathebe lacks health personnel to attend to the masses who frequent the hospital on daily basis.
As a result, he requested that people should not take minor ailments to Letsholathebe but instead make use of the many clinics and health posts within their vicinity, and which could refer patients to the hospital if the problem is more than what they can handle.
We do not however turn away patients but if you chose to consult at the hospital for minor ailments then of course you will experience congestion and less staff who will be working to clear but not to cure, meaning we will also be compromising quality, something that we do not want to encourage, he said.
On the issue of referring patients and expecting them to travel on their own, Mungisi said they only transported patients with life threatening diseases and who cannot do anything for themselves, and that those with non-life threatening conditions are always advised to go on their own.
He said the hospital boasts specialised care in obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, and physician and paediatric disciplines that they advise the public to make use of.
For specialist diagnosis that does not exist at the hospital, the patients are referred to Nyangabgwe or Princess Marina hospital in Gaborone .
The Ministry of Health has now introduced a heart disease clinic which is attended by a leading Gaborone heart specialist every two weeks. Mungisi said councillors are always welcome to bring forward any complaints but asked that the habit of going around tarnishing the good name of the hospital should end.
Will Botswana benefit from 2010 World Cup?
The days are counting down to the showdown of one of the most prestigious tournaments of all time - the FIFA World Cup.
With just 10 months left before the tournament, it is still not clear whether Botswana would benefit from the world's most celebrated sports event when it kicks off in South Africa in June 2010.
Hopes are high that Botswana , whose national team failed to qualify, could gain from the high volume of tourist traffic that will descend on the region when the world's favourite sports event comes to South Africa and Africa for the first time.
Much progress is expected with concerted efforts by stakeholders in the tourism sector to lure to Botswana teams and visitors to the World Cup, and the industry has to be competitive to enable it to grab a fair share of the tourist traffic.
Botswana Football Association President David Fani spoke Times Sports and said that they are making necessary preparations to improve the tourism sector.
We have engaged possible qualifiers to the World Cup to train here and visit our tourist attractions. We have a team led by Minister of Tourism Kitso Mokaila and Minister of Youth and Culture Gladys Kokorwe who are talking to possible stakeholders to have their countries adopt Botswana as their training base said Fani.
Despite the fact that teams participating in the tournament are most likely to fly into the region some days before the event, the sense of urgency for Botswana to get its act together needs urgent attention, looking at the stadiums that are readily available to meet international standards.
Fani expressed dismay at the state of the country's football grounds adding that it would be difficult to sell them as training grounds to any foreign team, but he insisted that they are making all necessary efforts to make the stadiums ready including the National Sports Stadium in time of the kick off.
He said: We are talking to nations like England , Germany , Italy , Spain , Brazil and Denmark , and want to attract two big nations to base themselves in Botswana . Honestly, we would love to bring in more countries, but our stadia are limited.
Asked about how they are taking this opportunity to improve our own national squad, Fani said that they are looking at bringing in tough teams to play the Zebras.
If we manage to bring in strong nations into Botswana , our team will have the opportunity to rub shoulders will world football stars and they will motivate them. We also trying to acquire tough opponents to play against the Zebras, so that they will be ready for the 2012 games, he added.
Maun Select ready for Ecco City Greens big match
Preparations are going on well for the friendly game between Maun Select and Ecco City Greens this weekend.
The Maun Select technical team has called in 35 players, who are all under the age of 30 years - the oldest player in the team is 29.
Maun Select head coach Jabulani Ncube said they are looking at giving other upcoming youngsters a chance and players from lower division have also been included.
For a very long time, Maun Select has been made up around senior players, but we have decided to blood new stars said Ncube.
The squad is Taboka Mosarwa, Olorato Phasogo, Masike Samurio, Omponye Kebaitse, Colin Sebako, Pelontle Dimbo (Maun Terrors), Bashin Kwadibama, Andrew Nkipa, Gomolemo Matlhomola, Welcome Patrick (Maun Tigers). Mbaiwa Tembwe, Ofentse Nakedi (Maun United) Dipolelo Moditswe.
Keseisekae Molefhe (Fuji Rollers) Balopi Tshenyego, Sekgele Medupi (CTO) Gaoete Setulo (Cubs) Kebeilwe Mosweu, Motlhanke Lemogang (BMC) Kabo Bayei (Sankoyo Bush Bucks) Kebatogetse Mojo (Mapalastina) G C Lemphorwana, Ndililo Buzwani (Delta Winds) Tshamekang Simon (Brothers of Peace) Jonah Amos, Paul Mothathobi, Onalethata Masilo (Gunners of Khwai) Omphile Laya, Alfred Phorano (North West United) Emmanuel Mokengana (Moeti United) Tlhalefo Ndlovu (Maun Heroes) Tiroyaone Tsheko, Gopolang Fulata (Makgabisanaga) Thuto Molelo (Gaegolelwe).
A glittering moment for the players
- At a glittering ceremony held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre Gaborone United swept the boards in the Be Mobile Premiership awards last Friday night.
It was a fitting tribute to the end of an eventful and exciting season and a fitting tribute to a Gaborone United side that performed with such distinction throughout the 30 match season.
The most coveted prize, the Footballer of the Year, was a contest between defensive players. Centre Chiefs' Given Mpundu and Gaborone United's duo of midfielder Ofentse Nato and captain Joseph Phetogo were this year's finalists and Phetogo, underrated yet supremely gifted, finally got the recognition he deserved when he was announced the winner. Young Ofentse Size 10' Nato crowned a dreamy rookie season when he was named Player's Player of the Year and Supporters' Player of the Year awards which are worth P25 000 and P10 000 respectively. It was an unbelievable evening for the youngster but not totally undeserved. The moment the lanky youngster hit the big league he fitted like a glove and played with a level of maturity that belied his age. Mike Sithole, the GU mentor, walked away with the coach of the season award but he must have been pushed all the way by the BDF XI coach, Stanley Mwaanga who lifted a team that had to go for play-offs to ensure their premiership status to a fourth place finish. Sithole's troops, short on talent but high on delivery lost only one game and disposed of a cocky Chiefs outfit in a do-or-die battle in the last game of the season to cap a memorable season
Lekgotla Johannes won the referee of the season award while Elijah Masita won the best assistant referee. Mojaki Monnakgotla of The Voice newspaper won the Print Journalist award and his colleague Kabo Lemphorwana the Photographer of the Season award. RB2's Tiro Lepotokisi won the electronic media award while Leonard Sone was named as the best commentator.
The only blot on these awards was perhaps because they had not been televised by BTV as was initially planned and many fans were denied the opportunity to watch them.Ticket fund brings World Cup dreams to reality
A total number of 120 000 complimentary category 4 tickets will be allocated to South Africans involved directly with the 2010 World Cup and in worthy social and development initiatives linked to the tournament.
The tickets will be issued as a reward for thousands of South Africans, particularly the country's youth, who are involved in existing programmes aimed at encouraging participation in football and community-oriented initiatives and will act as a catalyst for the establishment of sustainable social and human development programmes using football. The Ticket Fund goes beyond offering the chance to attend one of the 64 Cup matches.
The programmes range from making children and young adults aware of health issues, and to equipping people with the necessary skills to better manage their lives and through inspiring financial literacy, to raising awareness of the need to protect the environment to score green goals.
Each worker will receive two tickets for a group stage match at the venue that they helped to build. The Ticket Fund initiative will not end when the final whistle is blown on July 11 next year as it will mark the beginning of long-term partnerships that will continue to create opportunities for South Africans for years to come.
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