Botswana

Botswana, Namibia fail to progress in Olympic qualifiers

Botswana, Namibia fail to progress in Olympic qualifiers

Botswana and Namibia have bowed out of the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics after defeats on Tuesday, but two teams from the COSAFA region remain in contention … and both could make it. Namibia lost 2-0 in Morocco in the second leg of their second round tie to go down 4-0 on aggregate to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup participants. Namibia fought hard in the tie and held the North Africans until the 76th minute of the second leg before conceding to Imane Saoud and Ghizlane Chebbak (penalty). Botswana also trailed 2-0 from the first leg of their…
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Botswana, Namibia bi-national commission talks kick off

Botswana, Namibia bi-national commission talks kick off

Staff Writer The Botswana-Namibia Bi-National Commission, BNC inaugural session began today in Botswana. The BNC is a high-level bilateral platform that replaced the Joint Commission on Coo Operation and the Joint Permanent Commission on Security and Defence between the two countries through an agreement signed during the working visit by Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi to Windhoek in late January this year. Last year the two countries disbanded their Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security (JPCDS) during the 29th session at Swakopmund and elevated to a bi-national commission (BNC) on defence and security, chaired by the Heads of State of…
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Nchindo family looks to sue Botswana government

Nchindo family looks to sue Botswana government

Andrew Kathindi The Nchindo family is looking to sue the Botswana government for damages after Botswana Defence Force (BDF) soldiers shot and killed three brothers and a cousin, last year at the Chobe River between Namibian and Botswana. The revelation comes after President Hage Geingob recently paid a courtesy visit on the family. “That is one of the items we highlighted when we had a meeting with the President. We asked that our government should be able to assist us with negotiating for compensation from the Botswana government. But definitely, suing for compensation is a priority as we seek recourse,”…
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Quest for Inclusive Health Care Framework …as SADC MPs demand action on Intellectual Property, TRIPS flexibilities

Quest for Inclusive Health Care Framework …as SADC MPs demand action on Intellectual Property, TRIPS flexibilities

Moses Magadza WINDHOEK - The COVID-19 global pandemic has amplified the need to address issues related to Intellectual Property (IP) and human rights as well as for taking steps to benefit from TRIPS flexibilities to ensure access to medicines for all. As Least Developed Countries (LDCs) join the rest of the world in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, there are concerns over access, transparency, equity and human rights violations. Against this backdrop, SADC Members of Parliament last week called for all hands on board to build the region’s capacity to produce medicines and to ensure that citizens benefit from their vast…
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Masisi jets in for desalination plant talks

Masisi jets in for desalination plant talks

Maria Hamutenya Namibia and Botswana are still moving ahead with plans to set up a joint desalination plant at the coast, with President Mokgweetsi Masisi having jetted into the country on Thursday for a one day working visit with President Hage Geingob. The visit is Masisi’s second visit to the country in two months. Although exact details of the meeting, held behind closed doors, were sketchy, Masisi is said to have been invited by Geingob to meet unnamed investors interested in funding the project, a development confirmed by the Botswana President through his social media. According to Masisi, Namibia has…
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Science must decide mining projects

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibia is in the international headlines because of the test drilling for oil and gas by a Canadian company, Reconnaissance Energy Africa in the two Kavango regions. “Test drilling for oil and gas begins in Namibia’s Okavango region,” read a headline in the National Geographic’s article saying the drilling rig is placed in an elephant habitat some 160 miles from the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. The Mail & Guardian ran with the headline; “Okavango Delta under threat from oil, gas exploration,” with the gist of the story saying San leaders were decrying Canadian climate-wrecking oil and gas project in…
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Police concludes shooting investigation in Botswana

Police concludes shooting investigation in Botswana

Andrew Kathindi The ongoing joint investigation between the Namibian Police and officials from Botswana into the fatal killing of four fishermen, three of them Namibian brothers, has been concluded in Botswana, Nampol Inspector General, Sebastian Ndeitunga, has revealed. Ndeitunga told Windhoek Observer that the team has since began investigations from the Namibian side of the border, and will report their findings once completed. “The team is done in Botswana. They are now in Namibia. They are interviewing witnesses from the Namibian side. They are at the scene where it happened, from the Namibian side,” he said. This comes as a…
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Botswana sends Cabinet team to border areas

Botswana sends Cabinet team to border areas

Clifton Movirongo A Permanent Secretary from the Republic of Botswana, Andrew Sesinyi, revealed on Monday that Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi will dispatch a high level Cabinet Team to the border areas between Namibia and Botswana on Tuesday 17 November. The team according to Sesinyi will keep the Botswana communities in the areas abreast of the recent developments following the fatal shooting of the four unarmed Namibian fishermen that took place along the Chobe River near Kasane on 5 November. Sesinyi said the ministerial mission is to further enhance the spirit of good neighbourliness nurtured by the “excellent bilateral relations subsisting…
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Investigations into BDF killings yet to commence

Investigations into BDF killings yet to commence

Clifton Movirongo It has emerged that the investigation into the fatal shooting of four unarmed Namibian fishermen by the Botswana Defence Forces (BDF) will only begin next week on 17 November 2020, 11 days after the incident occurred. NamPol Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that the joint investigations regarding the killings will only start week. On November 5 along the Chobe River which flows between Namibia and Botswana, the BDF shot and killed four unarmed fishermen who they alleged were poachers. The soldiers opened fire at close range, killing three brothers and their cousin. Ndeitunga said…
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