Kanye will host a Pula Day commemoration on August 24 under the theme "Pula le Thebe: Shielding Wealth, Nurturing Inclusive Growth," marking fifty years since Botswana introduced its national currency on August 23, 1976, after withdrawing from the Rand Monetary Area in 1974.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Kanye will host a Pula Day commemoration on August 24 under the theme "Pula le Thebe: Shielding Wealth, Nurturing Inclusive Growth," marking fifty years since Botswana introduced its national currency on August 23, 1976, after withdrawing from the Rand Monetary Area in 1974.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Government remains committed to electoral reform and has engaged political parties to submit proposals, with planned reforms including one-time voter registration, electronic voting and counting, ballot counting at polling stations, transparent ballot boxes, and legalised exit polling. A technical team will evaluate these reforms before presenting them to Parliament.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Parliament passed the Financial Intelligence (Amendment) Bill and the Trust Property Control (Amendment) Bill to tighten Botswana's defences against money laundering and terrorist financing. The Financial Intelligence Bill amendments clarify the distinct roles of the National Coordinating Committee on Financial Intelligence and the National Coordination Office to eliminate overlap.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
The Court of Appeal has ordered the Botswana Police Service to reinstate Superintendent Christopher Molobe to his former rank, ending a ten-year legal battle. The ruling, issued on July 31, 2026, found that police officials made irrational decisions and serious legal errors in disciplinary proceedings stemming from allegations of theft involving money held as evidence at Ghanzi Police Station.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Attorney General has formally approached the High Court seeking directions on how to proceed in a case challenging the administrative removal of sodomy laws. Biggie Ganda Butale, an attorney and President of the Botswana Republican Party, argues that the Attorney General overstepped his legal authority when issuing Statutory Instrument No. 41 of 2026, which removed provisions criminalizing "unnatural offences," despite courts having declared them unconstitutional in 2019 and 2021.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Lawmakers including Maun West MP Caterpillar Hikuama and Opposition Leader Dumelang Saleshando have raised concerns about the Speaker's office delaying processing of urgent questions, motions, and correspondence, with Hikuama accusing the speakership of obstructing agreed communication channels and Saleshando citing delayed responses that diminish urgency before Parliament can address issues.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
MPs rejected a proposal by Leader of the Opposition Dumelang Saleshando for transparent ballot boxes and decentralized vote counting, prompting the Botswana Congress Party to stage a walkout. Saleshando has argued that such changes are essential to boost public trust in the election process and minimize disputes during counting.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The visit follows reports that opposition members were allegedly harassed and detained before and during the elections, with some arrested on the eve of polling and others on election day.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
A former counter-terrorism official has warned that Botswana risks being placed back on the Financial Action Task Force grey list or facing the black list as international assessors prepare to review its anti-money laundering measures ahead of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group's third-round mutual evaluation. The assessment will test whether the country's institutions are truly delivering results and focus on effectiveness, following Botswana's removal from the grey list in October 2021.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Salakae announced his immediate resignation from Cabinet in Parliament to deal with a legal matter requiring his court attendance on August 28, stating he has no ill will against the DCEC.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
Botswana's annual inflation rate dropped to 9.4 percent in July from 10.7 percent in June, driven largely by government fuel price cuts that reduced transport costs, which accounted for 5.2 percentage points of the overall inflation rate.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The African Development Bank's 2026 Country Focus Report calls on Botswana to strengthen economic diversification and unlock new development finance sources, citing shifting diamond revenues, productivity challenges, and a drop in domestic fiscal revenue from US$6.2 billion in 2021 to US$5 billion.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Standard Bank Group delivered record headline earnings of R26.1 billion for the six months ended 30 June 2026, up 10% period-on-period, with a return on equity of 19.8%, within its 2028 target range of 18–22%.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe rejected concerns about a debt crisis, stating that Botswana is not in debt distress and maintains one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in Sub-Saharan Africa at about 29 percent of GDP in the 2025/26 fiscal year, a position more favorable than many regional neighbors.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in fighting illicit fuel trade, revenue leakage, and unsafe petroleum product entry into Botswana. The partnership aims to create a formal framework for coordinated enforcement, information sharing, and improved technological systems to identify risks and protect public revenue and energy security.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
With about two-thirds of Botswana's population under 35, the government is partnering with UNICEF to train youth for employment and entrepreneurship as part of the 12th National Development Plan and Botswana Economic Transformation Plan. Minister Moeti Mohwasa said UNICEF's longstanding collaboration on healthcare, nutrition, and policy development makes it vital for reducing youth unemployment and driving economic growth.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
The Government of Botswana has committed to setting aside funds for the national response to gender-based violence, with the President directing that resources be submitted for Cabinet consideration. An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been tasked with preparing a properly costed proposal to ensure coordinated, multi-sector implementation.
18 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Education Infrastructure and Management Company will refurbish 22 public secondary schools (11 junior and 11 senior) across Botswana from August 2026 to March 2027 at a cost of P265 million, the initial phase of a programme aimed at improving safety, functionality and quality of public education infrastructure.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Boitekanelo College and the Botswana Prison Service signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to extend the college's services to inmates while providing practical experience for its students within correctional facilities.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
Between U & I's #BetweenTheToast series brought together food and wine for an intimate evening celebrating Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, a Franschhoek estate. The event featured the estate's signature wines: Baroness Nadine Chardonnay, Classique and Baron Edmond.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
Avani is hosting a spring-themed afternoon event with a Spring Colours dress code. The package, priced at P450 per person, includes a Bernini Mimosa six pack, souvenir glass, bottled water, snack bites and entertainment.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
Kelly Rowland, 45, has replaced LeAnn Rimes on the judging panel of The Voice UK, which will air on ITV on Saturday. Rowland said she aims to coach contestants by getting to know them beyond their voice and helping them feel "stronger, more confident and seen."
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
The Taste of Africa Saturday Ballads, a soul music event themed "Denim and White," returns to Avani Resort and Casino this Saturday with performances from local and South African artists, alongside wellness and wine tasting. Ticket sales have grown from 800 at the inaugural event to over a thousand attendees in subsequent gatherings, drawing audiences from beyond Botswana.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Upgrading the National Stadium to CAF Category 3 status eliminates the need to travel to Francistown for international fixtures, saving the Botswana Football Association approximately P800,000 per match in unbudgeted travel, security and accommodation expenses that can now be redirected to grassroots academies and local clubs.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Botswana hosted the 2026 Africa Genesis Archery championship at Big Valley Game Lodge near Lobatse, attracting 198 archers from five countries. South Africa won gold, Namibia took silver, and Botswana earned bronze, with 17-year-old Caden De John winning the overall bulls eye Junior category for Team Botswana.
18 August 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
The Scottish Football Association will not vote for Gianni Infantino in his 2027 re-election bid, aligning with Uefa's position following widespread criticism of his abandoned plan to create a company to manage Fifa's commercial and ticketing rights.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →
The Ziko Lathu Consortium, through its spokesperson Anne Mbewe-Anamela, reported that 10,000 monitors deployed across Zambia's 10 provinces and 116 districts recorded 100 incidents. Preliminary reports indicate voting is underway across all provinces and districts, with monitors observing polling station operations, voter assistance, queue management, inclusion of youth and women, and security matters.
18 August 2026 · Mmegi →