There may be a link between malaria and the spread of the virus that causes Aids across Africa, research by scientists working in Kenya suggests. The study, published in the journal Science, says the way the two diseases interact can help them spread faster.

The 3 November 2006 edition of the "Government Gazette Extraordinary" indicates that the Government of Botswana plans to bring a bill to Parliament on intelligence and security services. According to the draft, "The bill is to establish a Directorate of Intelligence and Security, a Central Intelligence Committee, a National Intelligence Community and an Intelligence and Security Council for the reason that the regional and global environment has changed necessitating a review in Botswana's approach to national security concerns."

After a hard-fought court battle - billed as the longest and most expensive in Botswana's legal history - on Wednesday (13 December 2006) the San won their right to return to their ancestral home in the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR), in the Kalahari Desert.

The government has spent about P451 million in six construction projects supported by the Chinese government in the last three financial years creating 2,171 jobs for locals.The projects employed 143 expatriates, Finance Minister, Baledzi Gaolathe told Parliament. He said the projects included the construction of 104 BHC houses in Gaborone awarded to Complant Botswana in 2001.

Eight years after a failed secessionist bid in the Caprivi Strip of northern Namibia, many refugees who fled the short-lived conflict are still in the Dukwi refugee camp in Botswana, fearing poverty and persecution if they return to their homeland. About 3,000 Namibians fled into Botswana during skirmishes between the separatist Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) and the national army in late 1999.

The Government of Botswana's decision to reinstate secondary school fees after a 20-year hiatus may have negative implications for the country's fight against HIV/AIDS. In the experience of other developing countries, the introduction of even modest school fees has led to falling enrollment, as the most vulnerable students drop out of school. Often parents pull girls out of school first, preferring to invest their limited resources in sons, who tend to attain higher salaries in the future.

Lands and Housing Minister Ramadeluka Seretse on Tuesday (24 October 2006) said that Botswana's land policies have not done the country much good and need to be changed to address present socio-economic needs. Speaking at a consultative workshop to discuss the draft land policy, Seretse noted that policies such as the Tribal Land Policy of 1975, the National Land Tenure Policy of 1985 and the National Housing Policy of 2000 need to be reviewed and consolidated to produce a land policy necessary for sustainable economic development.

This column has raised the issue of corporal punishment in schools previously. It has queried the lack of implementation of the existing policy, and the absence of additional policies to protect children in schools against caning and other forms of beatings. It has presented avenues for teachers to learn about alternatives to corporal punishment in schools.

Botswana's indigenous minorities have expressed concern over President Festus Mogae's recent call to avoid joining organised ethnic cultural groups. In an address marking the country's 40 years of independence, Mogae said he was worried about the growing trend by some citizen groups, who claimed that their languages and cultures were being marginalised, to organise themselves into ethnic cultural groups.

President Mogae of Botswana is due in New York tomorrow to promote his country’s diamonds, amid increasing concern over the eviction of the Bushmen from the Central Kalahari. The president’s visit comes only weeks after the Bushmen wrote to Leonardo DiCaprio, star of the forthcoming film ‘The Blood Diamond’, asking for his help in their struggle to return to their land.

Botswana's government has turned to advertising and marketing to give the usually unpopular female condom more prominence in its fight against HIV/AIDS.Officially relaunched as 'Bliss' by a local creative and marketing firm, the new name and packaging are expected to encourage more women to make use of it. "The earlier product's packaging was dull and did not stand out much, so we decided to use brighter colours and a sexy name.

SANGONeT's Thetha Forums provide NGOs with the opportunity to discuss information communication technology (ICT), including challenges facing the NGO sector, highlighting and promoting practical benefits, opportunities and lessons learned. The forums highlight ICT policy issues and promote practical applications, and form part of SANGONeT's broader objective to increase the use and awareness of ICTs within the NGO sector in Southern Africa.

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has inadvertently been thrust to the forefront of the San people's fight to return to their ancestral lands after the Botswana government removed them. According to Survival International, an advocacy group supporting the San's opposition of their eviction from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), San leader Roy Sesana told DiCaprio in a letter: "Friends have told us that you are in a film, The Blood Diamond, which shows how badly diamonds can hurt. We know this - when we were chased off our land, officials told us it was because of the diamond finds."

Educationalists often assume that teachers, students and textbooks speak the same language. In Botswana government policy requires English - one of the country's official languages to be used as the language of instruction for math from the second grade of primary school. How can maths teachers cope when many of their pupils are not fluent in English?

The Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA) and the SADC regional centre of specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) based at the University of Botswana have developed a unique and appropriate Public Policy executive course. The overall objectives of the course are to develop a high-level professional public policy and development certificate course that will be attended by civil society NGO leaders in the region.

Botswana's longest-running court case, in which its San Bushmen are fighting for rights to ancestral land, will hear final submissions next month as the trial nears completion, lawyers have said. The judges will decide whether the Bushmen can return to the large wildlife sanctuary they have called home for the past 20 000 years.

A total of 60 women are expected to attend the second series of the sub-Saharan Women Educational Leadership Workshop in Gaborone next month. According to a news release from the organisers, the workshop is a unique opportunity for women leaders to come and hone their skills, articulate and strategise on gender mainstreaming in policies and programming and gain knowledge of how to deal with HIV/AIDS and Poverty.

"The Botswana Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the execution of Mr Modisane Ping on Saturday 1 April 2006 . There was no notification of the impending execution. The actual execution was conducted in secrecy. Mr. Ping's family did not have any access to him immediately prior to the execution. Mr. Ping's family did not have access to his body and the family members were not afforded an opportunity to ensure that Mr. Ping received a decent burial. Further, the family does not have the opportunity to visit Mr. Ping's grave. The result of executing people in secret in Botswana is to punish their relatives, who were not responsible for the crime. We believe that a lack of transparency of procedures is a serious threat to democracy and good governance."

A massive solar-based rural electrification of at least 88 villages is expected to be rolled out countrywide mid this year. Finance Minister Baledzi Gaolathe announced the P34 million National Rural Photovoltaic Electrification Programme during the 2005-2006 budget. He noted that the aim of the project is to improve access to energy services in rural areas and promote the use of renewable energy.

Press statement on International Women’s Day,
8 March 2006
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Ditshwanelo, the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, wishes to express its concern at the recent case of Ms Lesedi Ramathuba, reported in Mmegi on 1 March 2006. An alleged rape survivor, she is to be prosecuted by the State for “lying to the police after she recanted a statement saying she was raped”. The report states that her attorney, Mr Isaac Seloko, has said she “decided to withdraw the case at her own will after considering her position”. This has brought into sharp focus how little protection or legal assistance exists within Botswana for women who allege rape. Currently, an alleged rapist is able to freely contact the alleged survivor during the case. There is inevitably the serious risk of intimidation of the survivor by the alleged rapist. This could lead to the withdrawal of the report of the alleged rape.