Govt abandons electric fence
Government has decided to abandon electrifying the fence along the Botswana-Zimbabwe border and instead diverted the funds - P8 million to put more security personnel along the border, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Peter Siele told parliament yesterday.

Prominent people not effective in AIDS war
JOHANNESBURG: Usage of prominent people to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS has not been effective in Botswana as most of them only publicly disclose their status when they are HIV negative, a Maisha Yetu local trainer Beata Kasale has said.

Policeman in court for office abuse
A Police Officer appeared before Chief Magistrate Takura Charumbira at the Village Magistrates Court on one count of abuse of office.

The Nkate-Motswaledi clash
FRANCISTOWN: In an interesting development, former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) youth chairman Gomolemo Motswaledi and deputy secretary general, Jacob Nkate will slug it out for the party secretary general position come 2007.

How Khama's goodness 'betrayed' espionage on Koma
Despite the denial of espionage claims by cabinet ministers and President Festus Mogae, former opposition leader, Dr Kenneth Koma has reiterated that he has never been off the radar of the intelligence services. Even those around Koma believe this to be true. Over the telephone, Koma talks about the time that he discovered that the police were intercepting his mail. As he delves into more detail, an agitated male voice in the background warns: "Tell him to come over here. You know your phone is tapped. Tell him to come over here".

Passion killings vs murder/suicides
When he made his state-of-the-nation address last year, President Festus Mogae made known his objection to the use of the term "passion killings" to refer to the epidemic of boyfriend-on-girlfriend murders in the country.

MPs leave for DRC elections
A six-member delegation from Parliament left for the Democratic Republic of Congo last Sunday to observe the country's first-ever democratic elections.

Stinking police houses in Lobatse
LOBATSE: A short visit to police quarters in Peleng location in Lobatse can discourage those wishing to join the police service. The houses were built two decades ago and the ground they stand on has reached its saturation point leading to serious drainage problems.

Pula devaluation boosts export growth-Mlazie
Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning Duncan Mlazie told parliament that since the devaluation of the Pula in May 2005 exports grew by about 60 percent from June 05 to December of the same year, compared to the same period in the previous year.