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Tuesday, 20 October 2026
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Tuesday, 20 October 2026
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Archive Minute from Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Politics

BCPYL suspends member for unilateral student structure changes

The News

The Botswana Congress Party Youth League suspended Saleshando for making declarations about student structures without following established party procedures, including announcing the formation of the BCP Student Command as a separate entity and calling for the dissolution of existing Youth League leadership. The BCPYL said the statements were published on social media before internal consultation, risking the League's authority and cohesion.

14 hours ago · Mmegi →

Politics

  1. BCPYL suspends member for unilateral student structure changes

    The Botswana Congress Party Youth League suspended Saleshando for making declarations about student structures without following established party procedures, including announcing the formation of the BCP Student Command as a separate entity and calling for the dissolution of existing Youth League leadership. The BCPYL said the statements were published on social media before internal consultation, risking the League's authority and cohesion.

    14 hours ago · Mmegi →

  2. Ntlo Ya Dikgosi complements government, not rival—Kgosi Malope

    Ntlo Ya Dikgosi chairperson Kgosi Malope II of Bangwaketse said the House complements government with an advisory role that brings customary wisdom and grassroots voices to legislation and policy, ensuring laws are lawful and legitimate while dikgosi preside over community disputes and bridge rural populations with central government policies.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Business

  1. Botswana's exports fall P10.1 billion, trade deficit widens sharply

    Botswana's export earnings fell by P10.1 billion year-on-year in the first seven months, leaving the country with a trade deficit of P17.6 billion. The decline was driven largely by a P12.38 billion drop in diamond export revenue, raising concerns about the economy's dependence on diamond exports.

    14 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  2. BSE official works to open capital markets to ordinary Batswana

    Thapelo Tebogo Moribame, Head of Market Development at the Botswana Stock Exchange since 2016, has worked to transform the institution from an exclusive platform for corporate elites into a more accessible venue for national wealth creation. Her career spans the Local Enterprise Authority and Air Botswana, and in 2025 she was named one of the World Federation of Exchanges' Top 20 Women Leaders globally.

    14 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  3. Dangote Petroleum Refinery launches Africa's largest IPO

    Nigeria's Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is seeking to raise approximately ₦2.15 trillion through an IPO, with the offer comprising 4.1 billion ordinary shares priced at ₦525 each. The offer opened on 14 September 2026 and is scheduled to close on 27 October, with a proposed listing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited's Main Board.

    14 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  4. Botswana Housing Corporation returns to profit on asset sales

    The state developer posted a P49.6 million profit for the year ended 31 March 2026, reversing a P104.6 million loss the prior year, but the recovery was driven primarily by P95.6 million in gains from the sale of investment properties; core operating income fell by more than two-fifths.

    14 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  5. African financial markets strengthen; Botswana slides two places

    African financial markets are showing progress, with 21 of 29 countries assessed improving their scores in the 2026 Africa Financial Markets Index as inflation eased and regulatory reforms took hold, though Botswana dropped two places. Limited trading activity continues to restrict capital markets' ability to attract investment and offer business alternatives to traditional bank financing.

    14 hours ago · Weekend Post →

Agriculture & Land

  1. South Africa considers beef imports from Botswana's FMD-free areas

    South Africa has signalled willingness to reconsider restrictions on red meat imports from Botswana's foot-and-mouth disease-free zones, contingent on the two countries agreeing on disease-control safeguards.

    18 hours ago · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Botswana revises livestock export rules to broaden farmer access

    The government has renewed its livestock export dispensation with new measures to widen participation, including limiting each farmer or buyer to a single export permit, raising the live cattle export levy from P30 to P300 per head, and restricting meat exports to citizens and citizen-owned companies. The previous dispensation, in place since 2019, had exported over 551,570 cattle mainly to South Africa and Namibia but benefited a relatively small number of participants disproportionately.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Society

  1. BONU raises staff safety concerns over Sefhophe clinic expansion

    The Botswana Nurses Union has condemned the conversion of Sefhophe Clinic into a 24-hour facility, citing insufficient staffing—only five nurses and one midwife—to safely provide round-the-clock care and respond to emergencies.

    16 hours ago · Botswana Sunday Standard →

  2. Three men rob Metsimotlhabe family of P25,000 at gunpoint

    Three men allegedly broke into a family home in Metsimotlhabe, tied up four residents including a 60-year-old woman and her four-year-old granddaughter, forced them to withdraw P25,000 from an ATM, and fled the scene. Police are investigating and the suspects remain at large.

    14 hours ago · Mmegi →

  3. Two men arrested over rape and robbery in Gaborone

    Police arrested two men after a woman reported being raped and robbed in a bushy area near Block 9, Gaborone. The victim had been communicating with one suspect on Facebook under the guise of spiritual assistance; the men allegedly took P4,000 cash and a cellphone before fleeing, and police recovered the stolen items during their arrest.

    14 hours ago · Mmegi →

  4. Man found dead in Maitengwe after alleged Francistown assault

    Police in Tutume received a report at around 1:53am of a man found hanging from a tree in Maitengwe. According to reports, the incident followed an alleged assault on the man's wife in Francistown; he reportedly believed she had died after the assault and then drove to his home village in Maitengwe, where he was later found hanging. His wife is reportedly hospitalized, and investigations remain ongoing.

    14 hours ago · Mmegi →

  5. BHC Matlapana housing project reaches 100 units in Maun

    The Botswana Housing Corporation has constructed 100 housing units at Matlapana in Maun under the Bonno National Housing Scheme, comprising high, medium and low income units in two phases. Water and Human Settlement Minister Onneetse Ramogapi encouraged government departments and public servants to purchase the units to address accommodation shortage across the country.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

  6. Minister defends legal equality of Re A Nyalana marriages

    Higher Education Minister Prince Maele has said marriages conducted under the Re A Nyalana initiative carry the same legal rights and dignity as any other union, urging the public to respect them despite criticism that they are cheap or based on handouts. He noted that financial constraints often delay marriage and warned against cohabitation, arguing that legally married couples have recognised rights that protect them.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Culture

  1. Boefelo uses poetry to preserve Setswana culture and heritage

    Thabiso Boefelo, known as Mmasekgethu in poetry circles, has built a career as a poet and cultural promoter using literature and performance to preserve Setswana heritage, document indigenous knowledge, and give voice to community stories. Since taking poetry seriously in 2010, he has worked as a professional poet performing at corporate and cultural events while writing in Setswana.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

  2. GaMaila Sports and Cultural Festival planned for October 31 in Kanye

    The GaMaila Sports and Cultural Festival, scheduled for October 31 at Mmakgodumo Gardens in Kanye, aims to preserve Bangwaketse culture through sports and cultural tourism. The event will include a soccer tournament and cultural festivities, with a heritage drive-through on October 23 showcasing sites across Ngwaketse, and is intended to create economic opportunities for youth and small businesses.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Sport

  1. Botswana squash seeks funding for 2028 Olympics

    Botswana's squash community is appealing for government and other backing to fund preparation for a potential debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with the bid contingent on sustained funding and international preparation.

    17 hours ago · The Botswana Gazette →

  2. Dinare defeat Notwane 3-0 in league opener

    Dinare FC secured a 3-0 victory over Notwane FC on Saturday at Buffalo Park, with goals from Thabiso Boti (twice) and Omphemetse Athibeng. Assistant coach Joel Mogorosi emphasized that securing automatic promotion to the top flight remains the team's main priority after they reached the promotion play-offs last season.

    14 hours ago · Mmegi →

  3. BFA launches football academy with P2.76m FIFA support

    The Botswana Football Association is preparing to launch its football academy with trials for Standard 7 graduates ahead of a January 2027 opening, funded by up to P2.76 million from FIFA as part of the Talent Development Scheme to help identify and develop young players.

    15 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  4. BFA set to receive P10 million annual CAF subvention

    The Botswana Football Association is poised to collect roughly P10 million annually from the Confederation of African Football, reflecting CAF's expansion of support to member associations from US$200,000 in 2021 to a projected US$700,000 in 2026.

    15 hours ago · Weekend Post →

  5. FIFA mini-pitch launched in Molepolole for youth football

    The Botswana Football Association, Bakwena Community Development Trust, and local stakeholders have launched construction of a FIFA Arena mini-pitch in Molepolole as part of FIFA's global campaign to install 1,000 accessible mini-pitches by 2031. The 20x40 metre community football pitch is expected to benefit more than 2,500 children across 11 schools in the catchment area.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tourism & Environment

  1. Maun explores sport tourism to diversify visitor attractions

    Stakeholders in Maun's North West region are proposing a working group to develop sport tourism as a way to attract more visitors and create opportunities for women and girls, with focus on identifying sporting activities that complement the region's existing wildlife tourism without undermining its natural and cultural heritage.

    20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Opinion

  1. Social indicators may mask Botswana's growing distress

    Six decades of development have raised living standards, but gaps in social indicators may obscure signs of social distress, raising questions about whether material wealth is accompanied by social wellbeing.

    17 hours ago · The Botswana Gazette →

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