Features :: Mmegi Online

Friday, November 28, 2025

Main Mall’s resilience, sturdiness in the face of stiff competition

Built 62 years ago, in what is considered the centre of Gaborone, the Main Mall, just a stone’s throw from the office where I work, Dikgang Publishing Company, has surely maintained its resilience and nostalgic charm. Writes Mmegi Staffer RYDER GABATHUSE

Ryder Gabathuse | 28 November 2025

Busy, busy: T/he Main Mall is always a hive of activity

When defiance becomes personal brand equity

An exploration of how outrage, scandal, and defiance can paradoxically strengthen personal brands in an age of narrative warfare.

Ndaba Nkomo | 02 December 2025

New pathways: De Beers’ shareholding is set to change

De Beers’ new owner should be the one who can fix it

As the debate rages on who should be De Beers’ new majority shareholder, the real question is who can fix a company estimated to be losing up to $2 million a day? Experts say whoever can do that is the right entity needed on the share registry. MBONGENI MGUNI writes

Mbongeni Mguni | 02 December 2025

Tough ask: KP delegates during their meeting in Kasane in 2022. Proposals for a debate on Russia and reforms were shot down through a veto PIC: KPCS COM

Kimberley Process reaches its sink or swim moment

The World Diamond Council issued its strongest warning yet that the anti-blood diamonds group, the Kimberley Process, desperately needs reform. As the 86 member states gather in Dubai, besides synthetics on their mind, survival is taking centre stage, writes MBONGENI MGUNI

Mbongeni Mguni | 21 November 2025

Friend and foe: Elephants are the heroes of the country’s wilderness success story, but also its villains PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI

‘Paradise in Peril’ recounts cost of elephant coexistence

As the country grapples with a booming elephant population, a government-backed documentary film argues for hunting and ivory sales. Paradise in Peril, a locally produced film places Batswana livelihoods at the centre of a global conservation battle, reports THALEFANG CHARLES

Thalefang Charles | 21 November 2025

Partners: Vice President, Ndaba Gaolathe and Kuthati

Indian High Commissioner reflects on historical presidential visit

For 59 years, Botswana and India have maintained steady diplomatic ties, cordial, and often understated, but last week, President Droupadi Murmu became the first Indian Head of State to set foot in Botswana since the two countries established diplomatic ties. SHARON MATHALA sat down with Indian ambassador to Botswana, Bharath Kumar Kuthati to reflect on this historic state visit

Sharon Mathala | 26 November 2025

Under fire: Chombo is frequently criticised over unemployment and GBV PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Why we should all support Chombo

In a country where young people have long been told to wait their turn, the rise of Minister Lesego Chombo should appease a young polity that has been shoved to the corner in the name of inexperience.

Lewanika Timothy | 21 November 2025

Sealing ties: Boko and other senior officials met the Al Mansour team in August. Botswana established relations with Qatar in 2006 and is now leveraging the mutual interests

Boko hunts for new deals in old ties

The Western states who traditionally partnered the country’s development, are putting up walls such as tariffs and visas, as part of ‘deglobalisation’. With billions required under NDP12, President Boko is walking down older trails to uncover new deals, writes MBONGENI MGUNI

Mbongeni Mguni | 14 November 2025

Lifeline: The Cuito River is one of the main feeders of the waters that supply the Okavango Delta PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

World’s biggest eco-region could get even bigger

Amidst concerns about disruptive commercial activities in the headwaters that feed KAZA, a wetland and forest paradise straddling five countries, regional leaders are suggesting expansion of the eco-region. MBONGENI MGUNI writes on the crucial system that feeds the Okavango Delta

Mbongeni Mguni | 14 November 2025

In jeopardy: Pandamatenga commercial farmers say they have not planted and may not at all this season, due to overdue payments from the last season PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

Pandamatenga farmers raise funding alarm as season approaches

All forecasts point to a healthy rain season, but farmers in Pandamatenga, the country’s commercial agriculture hub, say they are owed up to P300m in outstanding payments for previous supplies to BAMB, and are unable to prepare. MBONGENI MGUNI writes

Mbongeni Mguni | 12 November 2025

A silent safari

Lewanika Timothy | 31 October 2025

Cries of the SMEs as economy tightens

Mbongeni Mguni | 31 October 2025

A letter to Koma

Lewanika Timothy | 31 October 2025

Where the sea meets the skyline

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 24 October 2025

A P388bn bet on transformation

Mbongeni Mguni | 24 October 2025

Yes, Sechele united Batswana to defeat the Transvaal Boers in 1852-53

Jeff Ramsay | 24 October 2025

Masisi, Magosi face subpoena in P45m Karakul sheep scandal

Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi and Directorate on Intelligence and Security (DIS) Director General, Peter Magosi, are expected to be subpoenaed before the court in the ongoing controversy over the Karakul sheep allegedly procured with more than P45 million of public funds.

Lovebirds: Directorate on Intelligence Services Director General Peter Fana Magosi and senior agent Tshepo Tilia Thupa. PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

‘I’m in love with the Spy Chief’

In a rare exclusive, The Monitor Correspondent THALEFANG CHARLES sits down with spy chief Peter Fana Magosi and his sweetheart, agent Tshepo Tilia Thupa, for a tell-all interview.

Unik Construction office PIC: Unik Construction

Construction titans clash as DM model crumbles

The infamous Development Manager (DM) model has once again come into the spotlight, this time after construction industry titans Tau Grading, Unik Construction, and development manager Pro-Serve Consulting clashed in court over the P300 million Modipane–Mabalane road project.

Salakae denies implication as BR cancels Baaitse deal

A deal between businessman, Shadrack Baaitse and state-owed Botswana Railways (BR) has been cancelled with growing speculation of political interference, information reaching Mmegi has suggested.

BPF gave me a political lifeline – Galebotswe

PALAPYE: The self-proclaimed legitimate interim leader of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Retired Lieutenant General Gaolathe Galebotswe, says he will fight for the party as it has saved his political career. He said he was mistreated at his former political home, the Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

Journalists at work. PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

How Boko belittles Botswana journalists

A year after the historic Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) electoral win, journalism in Botswana finds itself at a crossroads.

Army of expertise: The BoB boasts some of the country’s brightest economic and financial minds PIC: BANK OF BOTSWANA

Banks reap fruits of forex framework changes

The country’s commercial banks raked in P3.3 billion in non-interest income from January to August, up nearly P750 million from the same period last year, a boost analysts attribute to the July changes to the foreign exchange rate framework.

Depression is real; let's take care of our mental health

It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...

The Monitor Editor | 02 December 2025

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