Category: Business

Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) president, Mr Joseph Tsimako has called for the mining industry to realign its goals and practices with industrial relations standards.
Mr Tsimako was speaking during the BMWU General Council and Business Insights seminar held in Selebi-Phikwe recently.
He said there was  a need for the mining industry to realign its goals and practices to navigate towards the ‘True North’ strategic vision.
Furthermore, he expressed the need for a collaborative, cordial, and transparent relationship between mining stakeholders, aiming for a sustainable and equitable future for the sector.
“The idea of the summit was born from the realisation that the mining industry in the context of industrial relations was yet to find its ‘True North’. This follows a month of engagements between the union, business partners, and other relevant stakeholders,” said Mr Tsimako.
He spoke of the need for solidarity among mining stakeholders in pursuit of common objectives of navigating towards the ‘True North’.
In addition, he encouraged open dialogue and sustainable partnerships, and an environment where every voice was heard and valued.
Touching on mining industry challenges, Mr Tsimako said such includes a wide gap between employers and employees characterised by trade disputes, non-recognition of the union along the mining supply chain, poor mining operational standards, as well as marginalisation of the union in key policy and mineral development processes, hence the need for collaborative measures.
Moreover, he mentioned the evolving mining landscape, which he said called for the advent of technology in the workplace, innovative ways to conduct activities, citing the shift from a fossil fuel-driven economy to a green one.
The purpose of the BMWU General Council and Business Insights seminar, Mr Tsimako noted was to discuss the future of mining in Botswana, the future of employment in the mining sector, as well as emerging challenges in the evolving mining landscape.
The seminar was also set to encourage transition towards digitalised and technology-driven operations, dialogue about labour-employee cooperation for a sustainable and equitable mining industry.
Senior Employees Relations Manager at Debswana, Mr Tebatso Hule, emphasised the need for the mining industry to embrace cutting-edge technology to drive innovation and enhance operational efficiency.
He explained that integrating advanced technologies could significantly improve productivity and safety standards within the sector.
Furthermore, Mr Hule emphasised the critical role of trade unions, asserting that they must prioritise transparency and accountability in their operations.
He said such a move would accord unions an opportunity to effectively represent and advocate for the interests of their members, ensuring that workers’ voices  were heard and their needs met. 

There is need to transform government systems to circumvent bureaucracies and ensure the swift and seamless implementation of Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) projects, Lobatse Botoka ward Councillor, Mr Onneetse Kagiso, has said.

In an interview on sidelines of the Lobatse Full Council sitting on December 1, Mr Kagiso noted that Lobatse had benefited from four key BETP projects envisioned to stimulate economic growth.

He highlighted the need for local authorities to ensure decisive and apt facilitation of investors, especially during the construction of the Lobatse Meat and Leather City Special Economic Zone (SEZ), designated by the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA).

Mr Kagiso added that to revitalise the local economy, there was a need to do away with long processes and too much paperwork to be able to attract and retain more investors.
“Let us automate our systems. Let us have a one-stop shop. We need to revise our pieces of legislation, relax them a bit. We need to be intentional in our undertaking and have more action,” he said.

He added that the priority projects, which included the Lobatse Meat and Leather City SEZ, the Milk Valley Farm expansion, the establishment of a primary slaughter facility and the leather and footwear tannery and manufacturing initiative, would create much-needed mass employment opportunities. He called for the alignment of the vocational education system to provide market-ready skills.

Mr Kagiso urged the realignment of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training system, saying “Lobatse has been declared a meat and leather industry area; therefore, we must align our vocational education to this. Let us introduce courses that deal with leather processing and production of quality leather products, for we need these fine skills locally to be able to compete globally.”

Earlier in his speech, Lobatse Town Mayor Mr Aron Ganakgomo told the council meeting that the Meat and Leather City SEZ project, driven by SEZA in collaboration with local authorities, had already courted investors.

“SEZA has reported that they have already received interest from several investors. However, the current delay in moving forward has been due to funding for any development that would attract investors to the zone,” Mr Ganakgomo said.

Councillors heard that negotiations were underway between SEZA and an International SEZ developer who had studied Lobatse to determine the feasibility of partnering with SEZA to develop the SEZ.

They also heard that the developer had submitted a report which SEZA was currently analysing with different stakeholders to close identified gaps.

Mr Ganakgomo also told councillors that SEZA worked with potential developers who had shown interest in partnering to develop the city by bringing their own funding and network of investors.
Additionally, he said SEZA was in negotiations with the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) to ascertain if Phase 1 of the zone could start on the land already serviced next to the BMC tannery, currently undergoing revitalisation.

This, the meayor said, would enable investors who wish to process wet blue leather from the BMC tannery into finished leather goods to immediately set up in close proximity to their main input to allow them to manufacture effectively for the export market.

Regarding other projects, Mr Ganakgomo indicated that the Milk Valley Farm would procure 1 000 pregnant heifers from Brazil. Ahead of the delivery, he said the farm would undertake critical preparatory works, including the construction of additional cow housing and supporting infrastructure, as well as land development to expand fodder production.

Lobatse Thema/Motswedi ward councillor, Mr Velem Heii, said the BETP projects approved for Lobatse were critical for job creation and revitalising the local economy, which was primarily sustained by the BMC. Cllr Heii added that the informal sector also stood to benefit.

Again, he said the ongoing revitalisation of the BMC tannery plant and the construction of the BMC Meat value-addition and secondary processing plant to replace the old ECCO Cannery (built in 1978) would enhance BMC’s business model.

“This will help the state-owned enterprise achieve vertical integration and draw a return-on-investment, thus turning BMC into a sustainable entity,” he said.
Nominated councillor, Mr Gofaone Kedise was of the view that there was sluggish implementation of the SEZ which needed to be fast-tracked.

Cllr Kedise said the land for the Meat and Leather City SEZ was identified about 10 years ago and therefore it was time to act. “We have since been declared an SEZ. We need to be agile in our implementation,” he said.

Cllr Kedise further indicated that it was pertinent to draw up an aggressive marketing strategy to sell the SEZ. He argued that the time was nigh to begin to brand Lobatse as a Meat and Leather City and sell it to investors, fully packaged, at exhibitions on the world stage. “Let us spread our wings even beyond borders to market our SEZ,” he said.

Gaborone City Council has intensified its crackdown on illegal operations as city leadership reiterates growing frustration over non-compliance with municipal and national laws.

The Mayor, Mr Oarabile Motlaleng, told the full council meeting on Monday that illegal trading, unlicensed manufacturing, and breaches of public health and child-care regulations were among the most persistent challenges facing the city.

He reported that 13 non-citizens were charged for violating the council’s hawking and street-vending bye-laws, saying these demonstrated the municipality’s firm stance on regulating informal trade within its jurisdiction.

In a separate enforcement action, seven individuals were charged for operating manufacturing businesses without an industrial licence, in violation of Section 6 of the Industrial Development Act.

Food safety inspections also revealed 19 cases involving unhygienic preparation and handling of food, which he described as a serious public health concern. 

Mr Motlaleng stressed that traders and food handlers must prioritise cleanliness and strict adherence to hygiene principles, adding that council teams would continue to educate both vendors and consumers on safety standards.

He said they would continue to sensitise the public and build a culture of vigilance and compliance, adding that responsible trading protected the community and strengthened the environment.

Child-care services were not spared from scrutiny, as eight day-care centres were charged for operating contrary to Section 97 (1) of the Children’s Act, which governs registration and conduct of child-care facilities. The Mayor emphasised that adherence to the Act was non-negotiable to safeguard children’s welfare.

Speaking broadly to the business sector, Mr Motlaleng urged continued legal compliance, warning that failure to meet regulatory obligations compromised public well-being.

“We urge the business community to consistently adhere to the provisions of the law to ensure compliance and contribute positively to the environment in which we operate. Upholding these regulations not only promotes responsible business practices but also safeguards the health and well-being of our community,” he said.

The council also registered eight cases of urinating in public, an offence under the Sanitation and Public Health Bye-laws. 

These incidents, he noted, pointed to declining public hygiene discipline and the need for renewed awareness campaigns.

Botswana, through the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), continues to intensify efforts to position Intellectual Property (IP) at the centre of its economic transformation.

This was underscored by a high-level delegation visit from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to engage with young professionals and members of the Botswana Intellectual Property (IP) Careers Project.

The WIPO delegation, comprising WIPO’s head of employee experience, Mr Yamfwa Chinyanta and talent acquisition and development manager, Mr Naoto Sugiura, met with youth in Gaborone recently to explore career opportunities within the burgeoning IP sector.

The engagement session was part of a joint pilot initiative between WIPO and CIPA and it aimed to build awareness and strengthen local skills essential for the country’s emerging knowledge economy.

Speaking at the Careers in IP-Awareness Raising Event for Mid-Career Professionals, CIPA caretaker registrar general, Mr Godfrey Molefe, said Botswana had entered a pivotal moment in its national transformation, guided by the 2025 State-of-the-Nation Address, Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BTEP) and the 12th National Development Plan (NDP 12).

Mr Molefe emphasised that central to such reforms was the creation of a digitally enabled, export-driven and innovation-led economy, with IP serving as the foundation for protecting creativity, technology and enterprise competitiveness.

He added that Botswana’s adoption of its first National Intellectual Property Policy (BIPP 2022) marked a crucial shift from mere awareness to active implementation.

“The policy sets out six pillars, including; IP governance, financing, education, entrepreneurship and institutional strengthening, backed by a National Vision that Botswana would be an IP-driven economy by 2036,” he said.

He highlighted that achieving Vision 2036 required significant investment in human capital.

Since joining WIPO in 1998, he said Botswana had benefited from extensive support in policy development, legislative reform, technical assistance and training, including scholarships for IP-focused Master’s Degree programmes.

Mr Molefe urged youth to consider IP as a career option, arguing that as start-ups and SMEs expanded, IP would be central to protecting their innovations and unlocking access to export markets. He expressed hope that the engagement would serve as a defining moment for some attendees.

On one hand, WIPO representatives confirmed that such initiatives were designed to make global IP systems more accessible to local professionals. They encouraged participants to explore career opportunities not only locally, but also within regional bodies such as the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the Southern African Development Community as well as international institutions, including WIPO itself.

 The one-day workshop highlighted a range of in-demand IP-related career paths, including patent and trademark examiners, IP lawyers, licensing and commercialisation officers, copyright and royalties administrators, enforcement specialists as well as creative-industry entrepreneurs.

Struggling to sell one multi-million dollar home currently on the market won’t stop actress and singer Jennifer Lopez from expanding her property collection. Lopez has reportedly added to her real estate holdings an eight-plus acre estate in Bel-Air anchored by a multi-level mansion.

The property, complete with a 30-seat screening room, a 100-seat amphitheater and a swimming pond with sandy beach and outdoor shower, was asking about $40 million, but J. Lo managed to make it hers for $28 million. As the Bronx native acquires a new home in California, she is trying to sell a gated compound.

Black farmers in the US’s South— faced with continued failure their efforts to run successful farms their launched a lawsuit claiming that “white racism” is to blame for their inability to the produce crop yields and on equivalent to that switched seeds.

What Will Be The Next Step to Complete?

The “new ’20s” idea might not work—there were a lot more young people in the United States then than now; a reprise of the world-changing inventions and discoveries of the 1920s would be a big surprise to those economists who believe that we have been in an invention dry spell since the 1970s. In his Businessweek piece, Peter Coy largely agrees, writing, “In all probability … the U.S. will continue to wrestle with ‘secular

These experts make strong cases, and they satisfy my natural instinct not to go there. But I remain very interested in the reasons the ’20s appeal to our imagination right now. Of course, it’s the booze, the sex, and the parties. But it’s also a decade with a very strong identity—and I think that helps. Writing in the journal American Speech in 1951, Mamie J. Meredith argued that the ’20s boasted.

I’d argue that Meredith’s point about the decade’s exceptionality still holds: How many other 20th century decades have a nice little permanent descriptor like Roaring? It helps that most of these are good adjectives, evoking a time you’d probably like to live through again—but even the slightly dangerous-sounding ones conjure up something specific. That definiteness offers an appealing sense

Anyway, let’s get to that fun. A very joyful book to read about the decade is Frederick Lewis Allen’s Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s, which Allen—a blueblood journalist and editor at Harper’s—published in 1931. The book chronicles all of the movement and motion that makes the decade sexy, and doesn’t seem to miss a fad.

The property, complete with a 30-seat screening room, a 100-seat amphitheater and a swimming pond with sandy beach and outdoor shower, was asking about $40 million, but J. Lo managed to make it hers for $28 million. As the Bronx native acquires a new home in California, she is trying to sell a gated compound.

A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Allen is also really good at describing parties—or, at least, the ones the middle class and upper class attended. The historian wrote about how women taking up smoking had “strewed the dinner table with their ashes, snatched a puff between the acts, invaded the masculine sanctity of the club car.

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Perhaps by remembering the twenties merely as an enchanting series of novelties or the crude afterthought of a simpler past, we preserve the illusion of our own simple innocence,” mused historian Paula Fass in the introduction to her book The Damned and the Beautiful: American Youth in the 1920s.