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FROM THE BOTSWANA
GOV. SPINDOCTORS' WEBSITE
http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20050511
Alberston tried to
secure job with govt witness
11 May, 2005
LOBATSE A South African ecologist,
Arthur Albertson who gave evidence for the applicants in the ongoing Central
Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) case, once tried to secure a job with the
Department of Wildlife and National Parks as a consultant.
Jan Broekhuis, the departments
assistant director for parks and game reserves, said that at the High Court in
Lobatse yesterday when giving evidence.
Broekhuis confirmed a letter,
which is in the court files saying it was e-mailed to him by Albertson.
In the letter, Albertson expressed
disappointment about government announcement that it would terminate essential
services in the CKGR.
Albertson said governments
intention, which was communicated to CKGR residents by the then Assistant
Minister of Local Government, Gladys Kokorwe, suggested that efforts to
encourage co-operation between First People of the Kgalagadi (FPK) and the
wildlife department were in vain.
However, he offered to put
pressure on FPK to publicly disassociate itself from Survival International
campaigns and convince government that it wishes to pursue constructive
dialogue with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
The e-mail is marked confidential.
It concludes, on another matter, altogether, I am interested to know if there
are any consulting work opportunity with DWNP (Department of Wildlife and
National Parks).
Although Albertson had asked to be
informed of anything that he could be of assistance in the future especially
on mapping and surveying, the department snubbed him.
Broekhuis told the court that
Albertsons request did not warrant a reply. Broekhuis also told the court that
Barbara Masuge who had been conducting consultative work with CKGR residents
on the management plan, was engaged by Environmental Development Group and not
his department.
He said he managed to find some of
Masuges documents on records kept by a certain Phil Marshall who was also
involved in the CKGR.
He said Masuges report was to be
incorporated into a chapters on the draft management plant for the CKGR and
Khutse Game Reserve.
He denied the suggestion by
Albertson that Masuge was unable to complete her work and that as a result,
the Department of Wildlife and National Parks asked him (Albertson) to speed
up his study for inclusion in the management plant draft.
He said the issue of Masuges none
completion of the report never arose at the meeting of February 2001 which he
chaired.
He said Albertson was not a
stakeholder in the CKGR and that he attended the 2001 meeting as an advisor to
FPK.
He said the department never
contacted Albertson to work for it. Meanwhile, the court has warned Roy Sesana
and Jurnand Gakelebone to stop giving interviews to the press until the case
is over.
This follows accusations by the
states lead counsel, Sidney Pilane that the duos stories which were carried by
the Sunday Standard were subjudice and that the authors be held to contempt.
Their lawyer, Gordon Bennet
tendered apology on their behalf. He said they were being frustrated by the
length of the trial.
Bennet said the two men were also
under pressure from their people who kept asking when the case was ending.
Pilane said the state had no
difficulty with the campaigns Sesana had been conducting in and outside the
country.
He said both Sesana and Gakelebone
should have made their frustrations in court but they decided not to testify.
He reminded the court that the two
men are litigants as they have filed affidavits in court and therefore had the
opportunity to end their frustrations in court.
He said what they have done by
going to the press while the matter is still before court, was inexcusable.
He accused them of trying to raise
a storm by even telling lies about what was happening in court. He said we are
not going to allow Roy Sesana to be lawless.
Justice Maruping Dibotelo said the
issue did not end with Roy Sesana and Jumanda Gakelebone.
He wanted to know why the lawyers
said nothing about the Sunday Standard which published the offending article.
Justice Dibotelo said journalists
who allowed said stories in their publications should also be brought to
order.
He recalled that in the article
submitted to that newspaper by Sesana and Gakelebone, allegations were being
made of Basarwa having been asked in court how many times do they sleep with
their wives a night.
He said no where in the record of
the proceedings of the CKGR case, is such an allegation recorded.
He wondered if journalists from
that newspaper ever come to court. In response, Pilane said the conduct of the
journalist was worse than that of Roy Sesana. He said the only newspaper,
which come to court were the Daily News and Mmegi and the rest dont care.
The offending article was carried
in the latest issue of the Sunday Standard under the heading Bushman court
case is a slow tortoise.
They complain about the amount of
time the case was taking and that they were being asked irrelevant things in
court.
BOPA
BPP wants loose pact for 2009
elections
11 May, 2005
FRANCISTOWN Botswana Peoples Party
(BPP) has resolved to enter into a loose pact similar to the one used during
the 2004 general election with other political parties for the 2009 general
election.
The resolution was taken at the
partys conference held on April 23 in Francistown.
Members resolved that talks with
other opposition parties should start as soon as possible and political
activities must commence to mobilise support for the 2009 elections.
They said all the coordinators
should be socially visible in order to win the support of their respective
communities and the BPP leadership must facilitate the introduction of study
groups to empower members politically with the spirit to bring about change in
this country.
BPP leader Bernard Balikani urged
members to use the partys performance in the 2004 general election as a
measure upon which they can improve and grow as a party.
He said the last elections were
particularly unique and special in that for the first time in the history of
Botswana three opposition parties contested the elections under an electoral
pact.
Balikani said although the pact
did not do well because it was started late, they proved beyond any doubt that
it was possible for the opposition parties to at least work together to unseat
the BDP.
He said BPP had the opportunity to
choose how they would like to work with other opposition parties for the 2009
general election.
He added that the party has enough
time to agree on what form of opposition and cooperation they prefer and to
sell the idea to the general membership well before the next elections.
Balikani said they must also
consider the possibility of using a single symbol for the 2009 elections
because Batswana were ready for this unification of all opposition parties
even though the parties were not ready.
He said the symbol should come
from one of the participating parties instead of registering a new one, adding
that the modalities of choosing such a symbol should be negotiated by all
parties.
Balikani said it was not
impossible for a single opposition party to win general elections on its own
which has made the BDP to become arrogant and pompous.
He said this is evident in the
BDPs tendency of appointing expensive commissions of inquiry and task forces
without any intention of considering their recommendations for implementation.
He said the ruling party has had
40 years of extravagance, corruption and laxity, saying it should be replaced
by a united opposition entity at the next general election.
Balikani said the BPP had a
significant role to play in the transformation of the political and economic
dispensation of this county as the first political movement in Botswana by
taking a leading and selfless role in bringing meaningful political change to
the people.
He said the eradication of poverty,
disease and ignorance among the people could be achieved by introducing a new
government with new policies and a new approach.
Balikani said the BDP was tired
and resting in Parliament when it should be resting at home.
He added that inspite of the
introduction of programmes such as CEDA, unemployment was growing at an
alarming rate.
He called upon NGOs, churches and
civil society to become politically active and bring pressure to bear upon the
BDP government to listen to the electorate.
He also urged churches and other
organisations to demonstrate that they do not condone lack of accountability.
BOPA
DK appeals for more assistance
to empower Batswana
11 May, 2005
MOLEPOLOLE Member of Parliament
(MP) for Molepolole South, Daniel Kwelagobe has appealed to the government for
the betterment of assistance programmes to alleviate poverty among women and
youth.
Addressing kgotla meetings at
Lokgwapheng and Ntloedibe wards in Molepolole, Kwelagobe said government
assistance programmes are in existence but that they are not enough to empower
Batswana.
He said agricultural programmes
such as ALDEP and ARAP, which have long been suspended, should be revived.
Kwelagobe said youth assistance
funds amounting to P70 000 per district could not cater for the large number
of youth facing unemployment.
He however, appealed to residents
of the wards to utilise government programmes when they are introduced to them
adding that some Batswana do not take advantage of such programmes.
Residents were also told about the
impending re-introduction of school fees by the government next year.
Kwelagobe said government wants Batswana to practice cost sharing to sustain
the economy.
He said government has spent
millions to build schools and on free education, saying time has arrived to
revive the spirit of self-reliance.
He said destitute people and
orphans will continue being assisted by the government to pay school fees.
Kwelagobe also talked about Ntlo
Ya Dikgosi and stated that the representatives will be increased from 15 to
35. He says the president will elect five of them.
Commenting on the MPs address,
residents were worried about the introduction of school fees saying most of
them are not working so it will be difficult for them to pay for their
childrens education.
They wanted internal roads to be
upgraded to a better standard. They further complained about destitute
assessment, saying the assessment teams left out the needy and registers those
who are much better off economically.
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